Most nonprofit organizations have success with year-end fundraising.  They use direct mail and/or email campaigns, perhaps some personal interaction, to direct the generosity of others to the mission. And too many nonprofits stop there.   I don’t get it.   Why would you leave money on the table and make it tougher to fund your mission?  Let’s think about those people in the community who are counting on you, and parlay your efforts into bigger money and bigger impact.

3 Ways to Leverage Year-End Fundraising and Maximize your Mission

  1. Enroll Social Media Ambassadors – imagine hundreds of people tweeting and posting your nonprofit’s story during your year-end campaign. It’s like armchair fundraising!  You already have volunteers doing other things, right? You have newsletter subscribers, right?  You have donors, right? Recruit these people in the fall, give them sample messages while encouraging them to share their own experiences with the organization, select a platform to manage the details of each person’s efforts…..and BAM!  This could be a simple way to expand your donor base and also learn who might be interested in getting even further involved with your organization as volunteers, etc.  Consider joining up with Giving Tuesday to use a structure already in place.  This does not have to be difficult!
  2. Involve Your Donors First Quarter – yes, you may invite your most consistent donors, or your largest donors, or the donors you know really care about your mission to do more – not for you, not for the organization, but for the community. Be sure the reason you are raising money (your case) is very clear. Chat with this special group and ask them to host a private party at their home, for example, and invite their friends to learn more about your nonprofit.  You can choose whether to extend an opportunity to invest right then, or to follow up with attendees individually afterwards.  Here’s the point – your donors believe in you and can be raving fans!  Do not leave them hanging in silence.
  3. Turn These Donors Into Recurring Donors  –  That means you must commit to relationship-based fundraising if you want to increase the chances that giving doesn’t stop at the year-end gift.  According to Mary Kay Polston, Director of Regional Collaborations at YUSA, there are 3 donor buckets – current donors, past donors, and potential donors.  Donor acquisition is the most costly in terms of time, effort and money.  So take a good look at how you stay connected to your past donors and current donors – what intentional practices do you have in place to steward them year-round?  How often do you provide opportunities to invest in your cause? (Hint – if the answer is 1, you’re missing the boat). What percent of your donors give monthly?  When was the last time you communicated an impact story to donors, showing the result of their investment?

Take the time to determine what you can do to expand year-end efforts to year-round activity for your organization. Then you can leverage your strengths to reach more people, more often, and raise more money.  That’s called maximizing your mission.

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