End-of-Year Giving Tips
David Kulivan, Senior Consultant
Between the period of Thanksgiving and the December holiday festivities – the time of the year I like to call “gravy season” – you have to present end-of-year giving opportunities to your donors. So, how do you cut through all of the festive, eggnog-infused chatter to make the most compelling case for why your donors should support your organization?
Start Early
Like many things in fundraising, it takes time to close gifts. If you want to secure fourth quarter gifts, put in the effort during the first and second quarters updating your donors on the impact of their giving. The first time they hear from you during the year shouldn’t be the first week of December.
Gratitude
It’s the time of year to be thankful, so be thankful for your donors! Let them know how grateful you are for their generosity and how inspiring they are to other potential supporters.
Make it Authentic
It’s likely your donors will receive lots of solicitations from organizations they support for gifts at the end of the year. Make yours stand out with real, inspiring, authentic messages. Perhaps a beneficiary of our organization’s impact could be the signatory. Or maybe you could insert an anecdote from another donor about how meaningful and joyful it is for them to support you.
Make it Easy to Give
Organizations sometimes inadvertently create barriers to entry for donors. Don’t! Make the process easy and intuitive. Put links directly in the text of emails that drive the donor to your giving web page. Speaking of web pages, ensure that when the donor lands there you have your house in order. When is the last time you looked at this page through a donor’s eyes? Is it easy to figure out how to give? Does it look attractive? Does it have logical navigation? Don’t have all the time and effort you put into your EOY appeal go to waste because your donation page and platform are sub-par.
Segment Your Donors
If your database and mail system allow you to segment donors, do this. Reference past gifts in the communications and ensure that any recommended amounts included in the email are appropriate for the donor pool receiving it. Your goal is to renew and upgrade donors, not downgrade them.
Interested in learning how to get more out of your end-of-year appeals? Let the experts at A.C. Fitzgerald & Associates help you end the year on a high note.
David Kulivan serves as Senior Consultant at AC Fitzgerald. He uses his expertise in development strategy, relationship management, and corporate partnerships to fast-track his clients toward success.