10 Tips for a Successful Year-End Fundraising Campaign
Year-end giving is often one of the most demanding and stressful periods for fundraisers. There is intense pressure during the last 60-90 days of the year to secure direct mail and online gifts from donors. Many individuals tend to consider making their charitable contributions during the holiday season, aiming to both support causes they care about and take advantage of tax deductions before the year ends.
For many non-profits, a significant portion of their annual income comes from year-end contributions, placing immense pressure on fundraisers to execute effective campaigns. According to CharityEngine, nearly 30% of nonprofits raise up to half their annual fundraising during year-end campaigns with some groups starting their campaigns as early as October.
Don’t get caught behind the eight ball during the biggest fundraising event of the year. It is never too early to start planning your year-end campaigns, especially when print and mail production vendor schedules get tighter and tighter.
Here are some tips to help ensure a successful direct mail year-end campaign:
Tip 1.
Reflect on what has been effective in the past when planning year-end giving. This will allow you to leverage successful strategies and testing from previous campaigns.
Tip 2.
Outline the necessary steps for a successful year-end campaign across both mail and online. Make sure to include a companion email series that supports the content in the mail.
Tip 3.
Segment your data to identify the ideal donors for this campaign, leading to improved results. For example: donors who only give at year-end, monthly donors, donors who give via DAFs and IRA, etc.
Tip 4.
Make sure you stand out from others. Standing out requires creativity. Whether it’s oversized or full color, a distinctive outer envelope design can set you apart.
Tip 5.
Personalize your message. By including personal information, you are showing the donor that you know them and it can also increase response. Examples include acknowledging someone new in their relationship with your organization or imploring a LYBUNT donor (last year but unfortunately not this year) to renew their support.
Tip 6.
Set deadlines to create a sense of urgency. Use limited time offers and fundraising milestones to encourage donors to act now.
Tip 7.
Provide incentives. Motivate contributions by offering benefits like matching gift opportunities whenever you can.
Tip 8.
Make sure your Call to Action (CTA) is clear and direct. This helps the donor understand that their ultimate action should be donating.
Tip 9.
Incorporating tax-deductibility information is particularly effective at year-end.
Tip 10.
Provide donors with multiple ways to give to make the path to donating easy and convenient. Also, emphasize online donations during the final weeks of the year by making donation page URLs and QR codes prominent in your direct mail package designs.
If you need help with developing a successful year-end fundraising campaign, you can contact one of our experts here.
