5 Important Things to Remember for End of Year Giving
Congratulations! You have made it through nine months of an unprecedented year. Fundraisers tend to measure progress and growth by achieved results and benchmarks. But this year, make it a practice to acknowledge the difficult and hard work that you and your team have done this year, despite it all. That, in itself, is an accomplishment.
Although this year has created unforeseen challenges, our donors are still walking right beside us. According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s 2020 Second Quarter report, charitable giving increased nearly 7.5% over the first quarter. Read more here. This is good news, but it doesn’t point with all certainty that our fundraising results for the year will meet or exceed goals. We still have a lot of work to do until then.
As you turn your attention towards the end of the year, typically the time of year when organizations receive between 40-60% of their donations, there are a few things you should be considering:
Please make sure you and your team are familiar with the SECURE and CARES Act sections related to IRAs and charitable tax deductions for individuals and corporations, respectively. A lot has happened, and most people may not remember but just in case, be sure to include clear, concise information to your segmented solicitations. Please consult your Financial Officer for the best way to communicate with your donors.
Giving Tuesday or not. I have very mixed feelings about Giving Tuesday campaigns (the day of giving for nonprofits after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the last Tuesday in November.) I have never had significant success with Giving Tuesday, but some organizations have experienced great returns. I always chose to participate, with minimal staff time, because donors and other stakeholders recognize it if we don’t campaign.
Connecting with donors. More than any other, this year is a good time to reach out to your donors and volunteers personally. Holiday cards are great, and if your organization sends holiday greetings, please do continue. But a personal touch can go a long way. See if there are ways to engage your entire community in thank-you calls. Gift Officers reach out to your donors by phone, email, or handwritten note (remember those). Principles of engagement don’t change because of a pandemic.
Continue to share your story. We connect donors to mission through storytelling. Your organization still has a story to tell even if you’re not direct COVID relief.
Ensure your end-of-year solicitation includes a comprehensive approach: mail piece (if this speaks to your donors), email, social media message, followed-up by personal calls to portfolio assigned donors. Links to your donation page should be included in all communications. And if you’re doing a Zoom event, make sure to include a link to your donation page in your chat when the ask is being made.
Good luck to all the fundraisers and executive directors planning the final fundraising campaigns for the year. What a year it has been.