Planning this critical period well in advance is essential to optimizing fundraising during this busy time of year. More than 50% of nonprofits begin end-of-year (EOY) giving campaign appeals in October, and 46% begin in November.
In this guide, we’ve compiled a few things to consider as you align your year-end goals and digital marketing strategy.
EOY Fundraising Facts
Here are a few important stats to keep in mind as you plan your EOY campaign:
Most nonprofits bring in 47% of their online revenue in the last week of December, with 20% coming in on December 31st.
- Tip: Don’t give up early — keep your campaign in full gear until the end of the year!
The average one-time gift is $121 and average monthly gifts are $25.
- Tip: Suggest a $100 one-time donation or a $25 recurring gift.
97% of donors cite impact as their motivator for giving.
- Tip: Make sure your campaign focuses on the outcomes donations will help you accomplish — focus on good storytelling and emotional connection.
57% of website visitors come from mobile devices.
- Tip: Make it easy to give quickly on mobile by providing as many payment options as possible, including PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Organizing an Effective Year-End Campaign
Set and Communicate the Fundraising Goal
First, determine how much you plan to raise using SMART fundraising goals:
- Specific — Define a specific year-end giving goal to include in your messaging. Tying your giving or holiday season goals back to your mission can help make them more specific.
- Measurable — Setting a target amount makes it simple to track your progress.
- Attainable — Is your target a realistic amount that you might raise by the end of the season? Referring back to previous totals can help.
- Relevant — How does your fundraising season goal link to your organization’s work? What impact do donors support when they give to your campaign?
- Time-Based — SMART fundraising goals always have a deadline. That’s easy here — this campaign finishes at the end of the year.
Review previous campaigns
Look at your successes and where you could improve. A few helpful questions to ask include:
- What was the theme of your campaign last year?
- How many supporters did you reach during the fundraising season?
- How many donations did you receive?
- How many donations came through your donation page?
- How many donations came through other channels? (And what were those channels?)
- What channels did you use to promote your campaign last year?
- How did you follow up with donors afterward?
Organize your timeline
Your campaign timeline and communications plan should look something like this:
- September — Set your goals, confirm your campaign theme, and look back at past campaigns.
- October — Write your year-end campaign and optimize your donation channels. Consider launching early communications.
- November — Launch your campaign in full. Start reaching out to your audience through email and social media. Many organizations choose to kick off year-end campaigns on Giving Tuesday.
- December — Evaluate progress and assess the need for more outreach. Remember the five-to-one rule — it takes at least five touches to receive one donation.
- January — Thank your donors for a successful campaign.
Consider a “match” campaign
According to Double the Donation, mentioning matching gifts in fundraising appeals increases the response rate by 71% and average donation amount by 51%.
- Aim for your matching funds to account for 50% of your total campaign goal.
- Talk with existing large donors to generate matching funds. Gifts from a group of donors can combine to supply the full match.
- Mention the match opportunity prominently in campaign messaging.
- Use the match to create a sense of community, shared goals and urgency — i.e. “we’re halfway there” “help us reach our goal” “only 3 days left to double your donation”
Tips for Effective Campaign Messaging
Use Storytelling as the Backbone of your Campaign
Consider the fact that impact is the most powerful motivator to donate — that means it’s critical to tell your impact story well. Neuroscience shows that human brains are programmed to respond to and remember storytelling. Your campaign will be more effective if you create empathy with donors by telling the human stories of your work and appealing to the emotions of your supporters. High-quality images, videos, and descriptions of your nonprofit’s outcomes can also support an emotional connection.
Use “you” language to put your donors at the center of your campaign, instead of focusing on what the nonprofit does. Help them feel they can make a real difference through their year-end giving.
While storytelling provides a sense of the qualitative value of donations, some donors like to see data too. That’s where infographics come in. Infographics are ideal for showcasing facts, statistics, and lists because they are easy to digest and convey important information at a glance.
Segment and speak directly to your audience
Data shows targeted messaging is increasingly important and expected. Segment your audience as much as possible, and speak directly to them about their needs and concerns. Once a person has donated to your EOY campaign, make sure to remove them from subsequent asks during the same campaign. Here are a few ways you might segment your audience:
- Large donors: Be especially mindful of how you communicate to your largest donors. Large donors like to feel like insiders, so be sure to loop them into the campaign and its messaging in a way that feels right for them. Individual conversations with staff or board members are usually best. Asking large donors to fund match campaigns can be a good way to garner and utilize large gifts in a meaningful way.
- Existing/lapsed donors: Existing and lapsed donors are a critical audience, as they have already demonstrated they care enough to give. Be certain you acknowledge and thank them for their past giving and share the impact of their previous donations. Then invite them to continue supporting your work.
- Never given: Recognize that you are inviting new donors to give with targeted messaging about the potential impact of their donation, emphasizing that no amount is too small.
- By interest: Do you know certain audience members came into your email list through specific campaigns or events? Tailor messaging to relate to their interests. Or consider whether you can send out a set of emails highlighting a diverse mix of impact areas in the subject lines. Send tailored follow-up messages aligned with the subject line that led that individual to open the email.
Create an Effective, Multichannel Campaign
Your campaign should be cohesive across all marketing channels. That means incorporating your campaign messaging, themes, look and feel across your website, social media, emails, SMS messages, and print materials. Typical marketing components include:
- Website: Where/how will the fundraiser appear on your website? A pop-up or top banner are good options. Make sure you create a clear, fast path for donations (users should see where to donate within 1 second and be one click from donating). Ensure your online donation forms are tagged appropriately so you know who gave as part of this campaign.
- Emails: Make your email asks clear (you’re asking for a donation) and visually appealing. Do not include multiple asks or CTAs. Share how your audience is a critical part of the community that drives your work. Send an informative and sincere automated thank you email to everyone who donates.
- Social media: Determine how you will use social media to support the campaign. Will you post organically about it with a drive to online donations? Will you run an in-platform fundraiser? Will you ask supporters to do in-platform fundraisers on your behalf? While the fundraiser is happening, consider pinning posts to the tops of pages and updating profile photos to align with the fundraiser
- SMS: If you have the phone numbers of your supporters, consider a text component of your campaign. Text short statements about the impact with a link to donate.
- Printed/mailed fundraiser letters: Many small nonprofits get significant donations in this way. Make sure any printed/mailed materials match the rest of the campaign branding in message and appearance. Consider what materials you will include, whether you will include a prepaid envelope or direct to an online form, and how to make an emotional appeal and make donating as simple as possible.