A race to the finish line — planning your end of year fundraising

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Not to scare you, but it’s time to start thinking about end of year giving.

We know what you’re thinking: December is five months away. Surely there’s more time to think about this? 

Think about THIS: When’s the last time you started strategizing the best way to effectively fundraise months before it was necessary? Would an extra jumpstart have helped with your efforts? 

Unfortunately, a lot of end of year fundraising plans come out of necessity: You’re way off your annual goal. You’re going to be in the red for that important program. You’re not reaching enough people. 

This year, let it come out of strategy rather than scramble. You can start a plan today; follow our steps below! 

Start where you left off 

If you pulled together an end of year campaign last December (or within the last three years), let’s start there. 

Take a critical look at your prior campaigns: What resonated with your audience? What helped move the needle and what didn’t? 

Understanding what didn’t work will pinpoint where you need to make improvements this year. And knowing what worked will give you a jumping point for this year’s strategy. 

Define your need & set your goals 

Once you have the foundation, the next brick in your fundraising strategy is what you need to be successful. 

Understanding your current financial standing will help identify the gaps end of year fundraising can fill. Do you need to raise money for your organization overall? Do you need to focus on a specific program? 

Once the need is defined, you can set SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound goals will help your organization set realistic expectations for your campaign. 

Pick a theme & messaging focus 

You know your needs and understand your goals. Now it’s time to decide how to meet your goals. Think about what has resonated with your audience and how you can work that into a theme. 

Picking a theme and consistent messaging will help bring all communications, whether it is a social media post or email, back to the core of your campaign. Consistency is key! 

Create a timeline 

It’s time to decide WHEN to ask. Throw all of your communications into a calendar so that you know when you’re asking (and when you need to have collateral ready to go). 

Designate a point person to manage the timeline. This person should act as a project manager, making sure that collateral is created and shared according to the timeline. 

Make sure to include what happens AFTER the campaign ends: thanking donors and updating them on final totals. 

Feeling like you might need an extra hand for your end of year giving strategy?  Catalyst Collective can help! Contact us here to learn how. 

Be a Catalyst 

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