The final days of 2023 are no longer approaching - they are here! While some industries are slowing down and tapping out for the holiday season, nonprofits are ramping up for one of the busiest times of the year. The vast majority of charitable donations are made in these last few weeks of the year and with giving down across the board…the pressure is on to capture donors’ attention and generosity. So, are you ready? Even with just a couple weeks left in the year, there’s still plenty you can do to amplify your fundraising efforts and implement creative strategies across social media and email to make the most of the year-end rush.
Here are some of our favorite, easy-to-implement-quickly tips that your nonprofit can use right away in your fundraising and marketing efforts. Anything we’ve missed? Something that’s worked amazingly well for you? Shoot us an email we’d love to hear about it!
1️⃣ Don’t do everything, do your thing
[Analyze your data!]
Sometimes we need to take a step backwards so that we can make strides forwards. This is one of those moments. Data is often viewed as scary or intimidating, but if we take a moment to break it down it can unlock greater potential for fundraising opportunities. And help you focus your efforts, and limited resources, for the greatest impact.
Here are a few data points to consider as you round out 2023 fundraising:
Donor demographics: getting back to the basics and acknowledging the demographics of your donors will help you assess the best ways to reach them. What platform should we be using to reach our audience? What is their preferred style of communication? How can we connect with them? I.e. if your donor audience isn't on Instagram, and you don't have an ads budget, don't waste your time creating Reels that won't get results.
Donation frequency: let’s be clear - every donor is important and valuable. However this is the time to give extra attention to the ones that donate year after year and are dedicated to your organization's mission. Recurring donors deserve special outreach and attention - they're already hooked, make sure they know you appreciate their commitment and maybe they'll step it up even further! Lapsed donor? Reach out! We can use the holiday season to give thanks and nourish those relationships.
Conversion rates: analyzing your nonprofit’s conversion rates can unlock so much power for your team! Take a moment to consider which fundraising channels have really been most effective in terms of engagement and donations.
2️⃣ Make it easy
[Create a Year-End Giving Campaign]
If you don’t already have a campaign planned for the month of December, you still can - all it takes is a little planning and consistency. Everyone will be asking for donations and attention this month - you won't always break through, but you want to be there when someone wants to make a donation.
. Here are a few of our favorite tips:
Keep it simple - if you have a logo, a photo, and a way for people to donate...you have the basic ingredients for success. Add a heartfelt pitch about why you need support and you're good to go.
Content calendar: consistency and engagement - two words that you probably hear too often, but words that are more important during this time of year than any other. Engagement trends upward during the year-end, so this is your opportunity to take advantage. Develop a content calendar for your campaign to reach new and existing audiences. (Note: stay on track with a unified message across channels to maintain a clear, compelling narrative).
Create a sense of urgency and timeliness: this will be a key part of your campaign. Use countdowns, consistent updates, and reminders as the end of the year approaches. You might even mention the idea of starting 2024 off strong 👀. Note: most people need to hear/see a message 7 times before it sticks! So don't be afraid to ask, and ask again.
3️⃣ Make it yours
[Share Impactful Stories]
Regardless of the channel, your organization’s 2023 success stories are one of your biggest assets. Humanizing your cause helps donors make an emotional connection and understand the impact of their support. This might include using personal stories or testimonials from those that your organization has helped (if accessible, videos tend to be most effective); or even just a note from your leadership. Here’s why impactful stories are important:
Emotions: stories evoke emotions. But what is key here is the acknowledgement that emotions are incredibly powerful motivators for giving. Empathy and compassion call people (& tug on their heartstrings). Emotional investment holds power and can be equally as important as monetary investment.
Memory and recall: facts and figures are forgettable; impactful stories are not. Keep your organization at the forefront of donors’ minds with stories that will increase the likelihood of future donations.
Mission and values: stories often make a nonprofit’s mission and values more tangible and understandable to donors. They also further demonstrate an organization’s credibility.
That said...numbers can be powerful, too! Be clear and bold with sharing how much help you need to do what exactly. If 10 people donate $50 today, what difference will that make, how many more people can you reach or help?
4️⃣ Don’t go it alone
[Create and support community]
At the end of the day, everyone wants to be a part of something, especially during the holidays. To strengthen your cause, build a community around it and grow your existing network of supporters.
Start with what you've got: mobilize your staff, your Board, your community partners and vendors to help you spread the word and engage more people.
Engage with donors personally: things as simple as a thank-you call, personalized email, or hand-written note do not go unnoticed by donors. In fact, they strengthen your relationships with them and increase the likelihood of repeat donations. Use these communications to foster closer ties with supporters.
Peer to peer fundraising: encourage donors to consider fundraising on behalf of your nonprofit, if you have the backend tools to support this or can help them set up a fundraiser on Facebook or Instagram. This increases involvement while helping your organization reach new networks.
5️⃣ Think big(ger)
[Diversify Donation Streams]
Last but not least, this is certainly not the time to focus on a single stream. Individual donors are important, but let’s look at the bigger picture.
Corporate sponsors: don’t forget about them! First and foremost, your organization can double its impact by fostering a sponsor relationship that will match individual donations. Lots of coporations offer charitable matching gifts - ask your donors to inquire about their company, and you might end up doubling your donations.
Cultivate sponsors: No, you're not gonna get a huge corporate grant this quickly but you can set the groundwork for a relationship that could yield huge opportunity in 2024. Hosted corporate volunteers, got a grant? This is the time to call them out, thank them, and cultivate those relationships with big potential.
Remember, even when you're down to the wire, a pinch of creativity and a dash of daring can work wonders. So go ahead, shake things up. And hey, if you pull off something epic, don't forget to brag about it to us. Here's to closing out 2023 with a bang and maybe, just maybe, getting a head start on not being so last-minute next year. Cheers to 2024!
コメント