It’s certainly the most wonderful time of the year for nonprofits! Nearly one-third of all giving occurs in the month of December, and twelve percent comes in over the last three days of the year alone!
As a development professional, you’re probably well versed in all the statistics about how important end of year fundraising is for your organization. There’s a lot of pressure in those numbers, right? Don’t worry! We’ve got a handy 7-step fundraising checklist for you to run through as you set up your year-end drives.
7 Steps to Captivating Year-End Fundraising
- Double-check your foundation.
- Get your database ready for #GivingTuesday.
- Use multiple strategies based on your database.
- Ask boldly!
- Develop campaign timelines.
- Invest in new donor relationships.
- Thank your donors.
1) Double-check your foundation.
On the day your fundraiser goes live, you want to make sure donors are informed of your organization’s mission and they’re able to donate easily. It would be a nightmare if those two pieces weren’t working!
So make sure the first thing you do is check that your donation software is current and functioning. If not, now is a great time to switch! Soapbox Engage’s Donations app offers powerful support for every organization’s needs, including one-time and recurring giving options, integration with Facebook and Twitter, customized thank you emails, and transaction receipts. We take care of the exhausting tasks so you can do the important stuff.
While you’re checking all your essential functions, make sure to update your forms, social media, and website with all the relevant information and reminders of your year-end giving goals.
Has someone recently joined or left your organization? Did your organization start a new project this year? Make sure all those details are updated and correct!
And, we have to ask, are you optimized for mobile? 40 percent of the time spent on websites in 2019 was through a mobile device. That number is only expected to go up. So, it’s critical to make sure your website displays correctly on a variety of mobile devices and your donation buttons are visible on all screen sizes.
2) Get your database ready for #GivingTuesday.
Your organization needs a strong database that’s ready to take on all the new donors you’ll earn. Are your database lists current and accessible? Can you understand the data? It’s so helpful to be able to focus your fundraising on specific demographics.
If the thought of entering all that data by hand into your database or CRM system overwhelms you, we have good news! All of Soapbox Engage’s apps are powered by Salesforce, so every interaction automatically enters the right information into your database, legibly and correctly.
3) Use multiple strategies based on your database.
It’s time to use all that information you’ve been collecting about your supporters! With a powerful database, you know exactly who donated recently and how often.
Create multiple campaigns and tailor your asks to each demographic. Focus on turning one-time donors into repeat supporters. Encourage lapsed donors with your mission’s progress since the last time they gave. Or, ask high-end donors to give more based on their previous giving.
4) Ask boldly!
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”, said hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky. This applies to fundraising too— Ask everyone! Recurring donors, lapsed donors, social media followers, your neighbors, your mom, ask everyone.
Even if they’ve donated earlier in the year, it doesn’t hurt to ask again! Let the donor decide how often they want to donate.
When you do ask, make strong, clear appeals to your supporters. You want your donors to know what your mission is and why their giving will make it happen. Finally, think of ways to incorporate a sense of urgency, especially as the clock ticks closer to the New Year.
5) Develop campaign timelines.
While we’re on the subject of asking, now might be a good time to talk about campaign timelines. When it comes to getting the word out about your end of year fundraising, you don’t want donors to miss the news.
We recommend a staggered approach to sending emails and mailers: a first push to get the word out, a reminder for those who didn’t respond to the first push, and a “last three days of the year” reminder. Then don’t forget the “oops, I missed it!” campaign in January.
You want your reminders to touch several different demographics. A reminder for those who didn’t donate will catch the donors who are still thinking about their year-end giving.
The reminder for the end of the year would include those who got so busy during the holiday season they kind of forgot.
You should include language like, “Time is running out!” and, “Give before midnight on the 31st!”. Remember to mention how they help your mission and where you are in your campaign.
Finally, think of the travelers this season who want to donate to your cause but may have missed your fundraising announcements. Extending your campaign into January would include them in your mission.
6) Invest in new donor relationships.
The only thing better than a new donor is a recurring donor. Focus on continued follow-up and touchpoints to build your new donor’s relationship with the organization.
Donors want to feel included in your mission and to get a sense that they’re doing something good in the world. When you give them that, they’re far more likely to return to your organization again.
Here are a few suggestions to make new donors feel as special as they are:
- Develop a dedicated welcome email series for interested potential donors and first-timers.
- Inspire donors with moving stories from your mission. Perhaps you could plan a “Year in Review” virtual fundraiser of all your organization’s hard work.
- Ask your donors to join you in your goal with peer-to-peer fundraisers and sharing through social media channels.
- Consider sending out non-ask messages to share seasonal greetings and updates on your nonprofit’s recent work.
7) Thank your donors!
Right now, January thank you notes seem really far away. However, when January comes around, you don’t want to be overwhelmed by the most important step in the process. Instead, why not set yourself up to rest in January by planning your gratitude now.
Thank yous are so important to retaining the donors you worked so hard to gain and maintain. While you’re planning now, consider three questions. How will you welcome the new donors who join your mission this year? How will you acknowledge your current donors who continue to share their generosity with you? Finally, how will you appreciate repeat donors for increasing their donations? You can tailor your responses to each of these groups to make all your donors feel valued.
But, don’t stop there. Have you ever thought about making your nonprofit’s gratitude public? Donors love to see a visible culture of appreciation. So, run a January social media campaign and a thank-you banner on your website linking your donor’s contributions to your mission. Show them how your organization will use their generous gifts to further your mission.
You’ve worked hard all year with such tenacity and creativity. We want to tell you we’re proud of all your hard work, and we’re confident you can finish 2020 strong. Soapbox Engage has your event planning and custom donations pages covered.
With our array of apps, we want to do everything we can to take the exhausting technical tasks off your to-do list so you can get to the important parts: building relationships with your donors and collecting the necessary funds you need to keep your mission going strong!
Here are three more resources to help you continue taking your fundraising to the next level this year-end giving season:
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