Fundraising Tip: Year-end Fundraising Successes Because of What You Did All Year

Your strong relationships with donors don’t magically appear in December.

If you know me or have been reading this blog for some time, you know that December is my favorite month in nonprofit fundraising. I love seeing direct mail pieces go out, nd the responses to them. I love the fundraising increase after an e-appeal. And, most of all, I love speaking with donors as they decide on their year-end giving.

December is more fun and more successful for the organization, because of everything I did before December.

A successful year-end campaign is successful because of all the work and relationship-building you did throughout the year.

This is the perfect time to think about this. As you meet with donors and watch your fundraising efforts pay off, think about how many times you have connected with that donor. The key for me is to build the relationship throughout the year so that when I ask the donor to give again, it’s not the first, or even second, connection I’ve made that year.

There are a few things I do to build the relationship throughout the year:

I immediately thank them when they donate. For you, this can happen as soon as it’s possible for you to thank them. This is critical, though, so make sure you prioritize it.

Next, I let them know how their donation impacted our work. Did we feed someone, house someone, or have an attorney in court for a survivor? Sharing impact is important.

I also like to make a connection where I share about the organization as a whole. I share a wonderful victory, and I share a struggle.

I make sure that at least once a year, I share something from the Executive Director or CEO. This can be an email they sent, and I share it with a donor, knowing they are not subscribed to get emails.

Lastly, for now, I ask their opinion on something, whether it’s about a direct mail piece I want to do, something about our Gala, or the front cover of our impact report. I love getting opinions from our donors, and I have found that they love being asked.

That’s a good start. I’ll continue writing about this into the new year.

I hope you’re having a great year-end!

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