3 minutes of reading

Fundraising to support your nonprofit’s mission and vision is an everyday venture. But nonprofit leaders have a significant opportunity to scale up that support at the end of the year. Year-end fundraising is the process of reaching, engaging, and following up with donors during the end-of-year giving season, when a large proportion of charitable donations are made in the last few months of the year.

While many givers may be motivated to give on their own, you can maximize the funds you raise — and the long-term partnerships you build with donors — by being strategic with your year-end fundraising campaign. Here are our five recommendations for a year-end campaign that will inspire, motivate, and build relationships among those who resonate with your mission.

Step 1: Create a theme

There are so many reasons to give to a nonprofit like yours, and all people need is one, specific driver to do their part. You can inspire people to donate by choosing a specific theme for your year-end fundraising. Start by ensuring a cohesive look and feel for your communications to tie them together into a robust campaign — and make sure this year’s campaign stands out from your previous year-end campaigns and from other organizations in your community.

Step 2: Set a goal dollar amount

Now’s a great time to dream, but to plan your budget, you also need to be realistic! Sit down with your team to set a dollar amount that feels obtainable for your year-end campaign.

Step 3: Write a case for support

At the end of the day, the work your organization already does is your greatest marketing tool. As you prepare to raise funds at the end of the year, create a case for support around the immediate needs. In two or three paragraphs, highlight key statistics to demonstrate your organization’s impact and the key needs you have to continue that impact in the future. With specific examples, capture your readers’ hearts so they’ll want to give and support your work.

Step 4: Delegate!

Once you establish the vision, it’s time to give your board members specific tasks to carry out in the year-end campaign. As a start, encourage each board member to develop a list of the top 20 people in their network they’ll commit to reaching out to for support and create a list of individuals or businesses in their network that could match others’ gifts. Remind them, too, that gifts can come in the form of cash, stocks, and cryptocurrency!

You may also want to encourage your volunteers and board members to demonstrate leadership by giving themselves. This is a great opportunity to motivate board members to find people to match their own gifts!

Step 5: Create a pledge card

Every ask should include a call to action, so don’t forget to create pledge cards that will make it easy for your supporters to give. Be specific in your tier dollar amounts and provide your donors with amounts related to impact.

$250.00 – can cover the cost for 10 patients to receive a full dental exam
$500.00 – can provide $5,000 worth of vital health care to those in need
$1,500.00 – can fund a local community vision clinic for a full day
$2,500.00 – can help fund dental exams and cleanings for up to 100 patients
$5,000.00 – can fund a day of dental and vision services at a Veteran stand down
Remember: Your mission and vision speak for themselves. It’s your job to leverage and expand your network so your organization can change more lives next year, and for years to come!

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