Year-End Fundraising: Let’s Get to It

It's That Time of Year Again!

No, not summer vacation (but we do love that too …) — it's time to start planning your year-end fundraising campaigns!

You may be thinking it’s much too early to prepare for the holiday season, but with a huge percentage of all annual donations happening in December alone … it’s never too soon to start strategizing for that lucrative year-end giving season!

We've all been through year-end planning before. However, with the ever-changing fundraising landscape and an upcoming (dare we say … unprecedented) presidential election, thoughtful planning and strategizing is more critical than ever, so we’re rounding up some of our top digital fundraising ideas to help you plan for success!

So, let’s get started!

Step 1: Analyze Prior Years’ Results & Review Budget

To move forward, you need to know where you’ve been. Analyze last year’s end-of-year fundraising campaign (as well as a few prior years!)  and determine which tactics were most successful and which did not perform well. Use these learnings to establish the foundation for this year’s campaign.

Review your current year-end budget to determine what tactics, channels, and strategies align with your budget and goals. Determine how to allocate spend during this critical time.

Times to pay most attention to especially in your digital fundraising program: Giving Tuesday and those final three days of the year!

Step 2: Establish a Campaign Theme

To create a cohesive experience for donors throughout your year-end fundraising campaign, it's critical to establish a theme and call to action that is carried across efforts and channels. Messaging and creative elements should be consistent, creating a “surround sound” experience for the donor. Ensure your theme and narrative relate to your mission and establish a strong case for support.

Pro-Tip: Make sure you think about meeting donors where they are (or better yet … where they will be … post-election). Basically, go ahead and plan to re-plan. Make sure you’re giving yourself some space in the schedule to adjust as needed once results are in.

Step 3: Determine Your Channel Mix

When you have a campaign concept and theme identified, determine which channels will effectively bring your campaign theme to life and engage your donors further with your mission.

Diversify your channels! Evaluate the channels your donors respond to and the cost/benefit of each one during this time. Media spend is at a premium, so be strategic about when and where you are spending. Plan each channel’s efforts well in advance to execute everything on time.

Step 4: Focus on Compelling Storytelling

Some of the most successful year-end campaigns create a personal and emotional connection between the donor and the organization through storytelling. Use the campaign to illustrate your organization’s impact in a human way. Ensure you are telling stories through real experiences with your organization. If possible, let people tell their own stories using direct quotes and videos. Your stories should inspire donors, creating a deep emotional connection, and then empower them to become part of the story by taking action.

Step 5: Strategize Tactics & Testing Opportunities

Now that you know what you are going to do at year-end, determine how you are going to do it. Consider various tactics and methods to engage your donors.

We all love Matching Gift offers, but they aren’t always available. In the absence of a match, there are plenty of other effective tactics.

Establish a fundraising goal and highlight the importance of reaching that goal throughout your communications. Show your audience how you are progressing towards your goal using techniques such as meters, but get creative with the design – we love animation! Encourage donors to help you reach that goal and reiterate that reaching it is only possible with their support.

Creating urgency at year-end is essential, so utilizing countdown clocks in digital efforts can help drive engagement. Align with offline efforts as well, making the deadline very prominent in your creative and messaging across channels.

Gift Equivalencies are another great tactic. Donors want to know exactly what their gifts are being used for and how even a small donation can have a huge impact. Gift equivalencies or symbolic gifts show the donor tangible ways their donation makes a difference.

Don't forget to test your efforts! Year-end can be a great opportunity to try new channels, tactics, and messaging/creative. These learnings can help inform strategies across the year and help grow your overall program. Be agile — if something isn’t working, change your approach!

Step 6: Thank Your Donors

Don’t forget to thank your donors! You've likely hit them up quite a bit over the last few months, so make sure you are properly acknowledging them for their support. Show them the impact they've made and let them know how valued they are to the organization.

Step 7: Analyze (again) … and Begin Planning for Next Year!

Once the whirlwind of year-end is over, take some time in January to review your year-end campaign. Go through your KPIs and determine if you met your goals, and analyze which channels and tactics were most successful and which didn’t yield the desired results. These findings will be essential for next year’s planning.

Year-end continues to be the most philanthropic time of the year, but it requires detailed planning, hard work, and this year … more than ever … an agile approach.

If you’re starting your year-end planning and are looking for a partner to help ensure this is your strongest year yet, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to connect@fusefundraising.com or fill out our contact form here and let’s chat!

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