‘Tis the Season
I know, the holiday season hasn’t started yet but if you’ve visited your local craft store, or my cousin’s house you would think it has. But the season I am actually talking about is End-of-Year Giving.
As a fundraiser, the end of the year always brought a great deal of angst. For one reason, I always felt like I was playing a game of chicken with the post office (and the mail carrier). And this year doesn’t promise to be any better (read USPS delivery changes here) Secondly (and on and on), getting everything to the fulfillment house on time, deploying appealing emails and social media communications at the right time, and the level of competition between us and the rest of the world seeking donations.
There is so much “noise” during this time of year and trying to break through that noise can be challenging. Here are some ideas to stand out from the crowd:
Gratitude/Thank You Calls - Our volunteers, staff, students, board members contact donors thanking them for their support, confirming their receipt of the annual report, and giving updates. We scheduled these in October/early November so we had our audience’s attention before the “season” began. This is great for both volunteers and donors to be inspired and appreciated.
Stand-Out Holiday Greetings - Depending on your donor demographics and your own perspective, I used to send the most stylish holiday cards (and electronic cards) to our donors. Although younger donors don’t expect this as much, your more mature donors appreciate a nice card in the mail and all donors should receive a season greeting.
Heartwarming Storytelling - This is not a different strategy since your organization is always storytelling but if there are special stories tied into this season, or if your staff, board, or students have done something very special for their community or your organization, make sure those stories are being told.
A Well-Planned Campaign with Timeline and Scheduled Messages - This should be a given but thinking about when people “checkout” for the holidays (typically somewhere around mid December)and when they may temporarily check back in (before New Year’s Eve). This should inform your timeline for communications.
Videos with Fun and Cheerful Themes - Engage the entire community. Let your donors see how your organization and the communities you serve are connecting around your mission during this time of year. Capture events happening during the season, or consider a fun “event” that will connect your donors.
Your Social Media Should Be Buzzing - Remember people are online more this time of year than any other (online gift shopping, and personal shopping, vacation planning, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc.) so make sure you’re visible with engaging posts, utilizing mobile giving, participating in Giving Tuesday, etc.
Invite Your Entire Community including board, donors, staff, etc. to invite others to support your organization. Provide the emails, social media content, and communications that your supporters can easily share.
Many organizations receive 50% or more of their donations by this time of year. Make sure that your fundraising communications and giving vehicle offers monthly/recurring contributions, matching and challenge gifts are great during this time of year, find important mission-aligned projects or programs donors might respond to, set goals, and make sure you’ve cued up your calendar-end reporting communications that can be sent out once you’ve reconciled giving when you’re back in the office.
This is a busy time of year but the spirit of family, giving, and gratitude abounds. Tap into the purpose and power of your mission and invite others to join in.
About the Author: Wanda Scott is the founder and principal consultant of Wanda Scott & Associates. Wanda has earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) professional designation, and a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) in Feminist Interpretations of the New Testament from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.