7-Tips for Successful Year End Giving
With more than one-third of all giving happening in December, a strong year-end mail campaign can make or break your fund development year. These seven tips can help you maximize your year-end campaign and raise more money.
1. Start now. With supply chain issues and a tidal wave of political mailings, many mail houses have a backlog. You want to get on their schedules in time to have your mailings reach your donors before Thanksgiving so they can decide to support you before the all-important December gifts.
2. Personalize. If you address your letter to “Dear donor” or “Dear supporter,” you may as well mail them directly to the garbage can as this makes your message way too impersonal. Likewise, while a nicely designed piece can get your donor’s attention, make sure that you leave space to address it specifically to them. You can further personalize it with a handwritten note (either really written by hand or added en mass as part of the printing process).
3. Keep your message focused. Too often I see letters that wander all over the place, trying to tell the reader about every aspect of your organization, hoping something will resonate. That only confuses your reader. Instead, focus on one aspect of your mission or program and talk about it in depth. If you plan a year’s worth of appeals, you can rotate your programs across them.
4. Tell stories. Talk about why you do what you do, not just what you do and do so using stories. Remember, that people give to people, so keep your message focused on the people you serve. When you sit down to write your letter, think about it as a letter written to your parents, grandparents, or children. How would you describe your important work? Keep it personal like this to every donor.
5. Give your donors a reason to support you and more than “it’s the end of the year.” Your donors probably get a lot of letters that ask them to give because of the calendar; give them a reason why they should make their year-end donations to you, not to another organization. How? Make it persuasive and full of emotion. Talk about your clients and the people (or animals or causes) your serve. Again, remember that people give to people so focus on people.
6. Ask for one specific dollar amount for a specific reason. Most of the appeals I receive have too weak an ask. Tell your reader exactly what you want them to do. “Will you support our mission?” is too weak. Instead, make your ask specific: “Will you make a gift of $25 to support a child in our afterschool program?” The reader knows exactly what you want them to do and has one decision to make. Can they make a larger gift? Of course, but if you give them too many options, they will more likely choose nothing.
7. Use multiple media and messages. A one-and-done letter will not yield as many gifts as frequent reminders. Most of the donations that come in during December get made between Christmas and New Year. Keep your message in front of your donors during this critically important week. Think about mailing a reminder postcard, sending an email, and frequently messaging on social media. The additional costs you incur should more than pay off with additional donations. You can reuse messages and pictures, but make sure that you stay in front of your donors and prospective donors during the time when they make their giving decisions.