The Simple Year-End Appeal Plan You Need to Start Now
The year-end giving season is the most charitable activity you cannot afford to miss, and soon you will be busy celebrating different fall festivities. Donors generously give to many different causes during the last three months: October, November, and December. While December remains the largest month of charitable giving, you should begin planning your year-end appeal in September. We’ve provided some helpful steps to get you started on planning your year-end appeal campaign in this blog.
September - Set Up Your Year-End Appeal Campaign
As you set up your year-end appeal, there are five questions you should consider:
What is the fundraising goal?
Look at your major programs and initiatives for next year, think about how much you need to fundraise to support current and new programs. If you did a year-end appeal last year, what went well with that campaign, and what areas of improvement do you need to make this year’s campaign a success?
What is the story or narrative?
What were the most recent impacts your donors’ gifts have made? For example, did your organization help someone find a new home or a job? Your donors will appreciate knowing they have made a difference and inspire them to continue making meaningful impacts.
What do you want the donors to do next?
Create a sense of urgency, a call to action. What things could your donors help support through this fundraising campaign?
Who will help with the campaign?
Enlist some volunteers to help you assemble mailers, assign specific responsibilities to some of your staff members, and engage your board members.
How will you reach out to donors?
There are multiple ways to reach out to the donors. Don’t forget to use your website, e-mails, newsletter, social media channels, and direct mail.
As soon as you have determined your fundraising goals and narrative, you must prepare a list of donors who will receive mailers and emails. You may also need to design different mailer pieces (e.g., kick-off campaign letter, postcard reminder, greeting card, and thank you card) and a couple of graphics for social media and emails.
October - Promote Your Campaign on Social Media
In October, you should send out a kick-off campaign letter to your donors, prepare social media content, and schedule posts. Your social media content should highlight the impact and important work your organization does in your community.
November - Remind Your Donors
In November, families gather to share stories and give thanks, which is also an excellent time to share an update on your fundraising goals and remind your donors how they have made a difference through your organization. For those who have responded to the kick-off campaign letter, send hand-written thank you notes. Send a postcard reminder (e.g., “we appreciate the difference you make”) for those who have not.
December - Inspire Your Donors to Give
In December, inspire your current and prospective donors to give to your organization. Generate excitement by sharing your campaign progress and highlighting the wonderful things your organization has done for the community. Also, don’t forget to send a holiday greeting.
January - Thank Your Donors and Engage
After the holidays are over, personally thank your donors for their gifts and keep them engaged throughout the coming year. Also, review what went well with your year-end campaign and what you can improve for the next one. Below is a sample year-end appeal timeline with different planning phases.
We can help you set up your year-end fundraising goals and craft your campaign messages, contact Spark Group Consulting for a 30-minute chat today!
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