Wrapping Up Gifts and Counting down to the New Year!

‘Tis the season of generous giving! As we wrap up the last two months of the year, there are a couple of things to do to keep the fundraising momentum going through the new year. Take a moment to organize donations, and don’t forget to send out thank you notes. 

Review What Went Well and Thank Your Supporters

What fundraising activities did your organization coordinate this year? For each activity, what went well, and what areas of improvement could be made for next year? Your organization should be pushing and exceeding its fundraising goals every year. Also, it is important for your organization to have a handle on fundraising return on investment and to make the best use of your staff’s time and resources next year. 

Looking at the list of 2021 donations, what is your organization’s average donor retention rate? Recognize your key supporters and plan for your 2022 donor retention strategy. It is also a good time to send thank you notes to all of your volunteers and donors before the end of the year. You can do something extra by sending a personalized holiday card or baking cookies. Make your volunteers and donors feel special and valued.

Account for Every Donation by the End of December 

December is a busy month for wrapping up year-end gifts and is the cutoff for tax purposes (deposit cash and checks by December 31). Last month, the Internal Revenue Service sent out a reminder to taxpayers that a special tax provision will allow Americans to easily deduct up to $600 in donations to qualifying charities on their 2021 federal income tax return. So, organizations should prepare for each donor a summary of their donations and include in that letter the organization's name, the date of the contribution, the amount of the contribution, and a statement regarding whether or not goods or services were received after making the donation. 

In addition to sending out the charitable tax statement, include a separate letter showing appreciation and the impact your donors have made with their gifts. You are emphasizing to your donors that they are an important part of your organization’s mission. All organizations should strive for transformational relationships, not transactional ones. 

Set the Stage with a New Story in January

After celebrating all the accomplishments in 2021, your organization’s mission remains as important as ever. January is the month to keep your generous donors engaged and set the stage for the year to come. You can do that by writing a letter celebrating your organization’s accomplishments and telling everyone how things went regardless of whether you reached the goal or not. Providing an update reflecting on the progress will energize everyone for the next one. Also, people make resolutions at the beginning of the year, so use that resolution language to ask your audience to do good and support your mission in the coming year. 

Before you take some time off to recharge, we can help you wrap up the end of the year and plan for the next. Contact us today for a 30-minute chat.

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