Year-end giving campaigns have given several fundraisers a massive boost in their fundraising projects. The reason for this is not far-fetched, as that time of the year sees many willing givers. And what a perfect time to be reading a write-up such as the one we’ve got here. It’s just about a few weeks to wind the Year 2022 down, and there’s no better time to start planning than now.
Why Year-End Giving Campaign?
Year-end giving campaigns are about one of the most anticipated by fundraisers. The reason is that people’s affinity to give tends to be propped up during this period. Many people see the end of the year as the best time to show charity – hence they reach out to non-profits. That said, non-profit organizations see year-end giving campaigns as a perfect way to close their books.
Based on statistics, non-profits can make up to 50% of their annual donations during the period. So, it is not a time for any intentional fundraiser to take a backseat. Those who plunge into the generous flow of a year-end giving drive have beautiful memories to recall. Some fundraisers deliberately fix the launching of their fundraising projects around the end of the year.
Strategies To Adopt For A Year-End Giving Campaign
Beautiful lines won’t just fall in place to have you finishing strong with a year-end campaign. You’ve got to be conscious of some things – your strategies. Yes, there tends to be a windfall of donations, but you should remember that you have competitors. Though the competition may not be as stern as the regular marketplace, overlooking or unseeing it could prove costly.
More so, top fundraisers have a way of catching the attention of donors nearly effortlessly. I will take that back – not effortlessly, as they must have done their homework well. Your non-profit organization can also belong in the top cadre of those having success stories from year-end campaigns if you consider the following:
Planning Early Works Wonders
A well-organized year-end giving campaign is a function of early and proper planning. This cannot be substituted for anything else, so you should roll your sleeves and get to work. Begin with a draft, work on your fundraising project goal, consider the cost estimates, and take care of the basics. You should imbibe the habit of setting a timeline for your project goals.
If you are hosting or organizing any fundraising event, you should deem it fit to book a venue ahead of time. Also, all that concerns the fundraising platform you’ll be using must be sorted out. But then, review the options you come across, and go with what works for you. To add to that, reading up on articles on successful year-end giving campaigns can help you plan better. You may seek advice from fundraising experts where necessary.
Evaluate The Previous Year-End Giving Campaign Results
Granted that you’ve had a year-end giving campaign in the past, it would be helpful to take some cues from there. Therefore, you should take a retrospective look at the outcome of last year’s campaign – lay it bare. Highlight the things that were rightly executed and the missteps as well. You can then try integrating some things into this year’s campaign while employing measures to address the wrong steps.
You should also try to pen down prospects as you evaluate the previous year’s results. You can ride on the list to make the mix of donors for this year-end giving campaign. Incidentally, if you’ll be having your first year-end giving campaign this year, you can learn from other fundraisers’ experiences.
Know Your Audience
Knowing your audience – prospective donors – is highly critical to the campaign’s success. Earlier, I briefly touched on the need for donor prospecting. This simply means evaluating donors based on their propensity or capacity to give. Fundraisers who have run a year-end campaign before can resort to their records to do this.
That said, there is an application that uses data analytics to aid donor prospecting. This is a tool that new fundraisers should consider having in their arsenal. Interestingly, top fundraising platforms have their system integrated with features to take care of this.
Let’s quickly unravel the significance of knowing your audience before you launch a year-end giving campaign. For one, donor prospecting forms the basis for creating a good or thriving relationship. This is because you will be able to be more specific in your communication with them. Plus, prospecting helps you develop a message that appeals to your audience in a unique way.
Be Meticulous With Marketing
You may not be a profit-oriented organization, but that doesn’t mean you can’t apply some business strategy when necessary. That said, marketing is essential as you intend to attract people to your year-end giving campaign. But what exactly will you be marketing? – Your fundraising project goal and brand. This explains why you must be careful about communicating your goal while planning.
Furthermore, components such as theme, brand logo, etc., should be considered for a top-notch marketing campaign. By and by, the marketing activities around your year-end giving campaign are for creating awareness. So, you should explore the appropriate communication/advertisement channels – go where your audience is. Well, it is no longer news that social media has become a viable means of creating awareness these days.
Engage Your Donors
The engagement level you generate with donors can also determine the success rate of your giving campaign. To this end, you should be particular about creating quality and engaging content – especially on social media. And you have to do this consistently to keep your fundraising project in the faces of the donors.
Still on donor engagement, you should spare some time to tell donors “Thank You” for their commitment. Plus, it won’t be out of place to let them know whenever the project goal has been achieved. This is one of the ways you can sustain the relationship for future (fundraising) needs.
Year-End Giving Campaign – Final Words
You might not have had it good all year long, but you shouldn’t give up with the year-end giving campaign just around the corner. In other words, you can still finish strong by planning early and adopting the right strategies.
