End of Year Fundraising Checklist
- Michelle Crim, CFRE
- Dec 14, 2020
- 2 min read
Santa isn’t the only one giving gifts this month, your donors are, too.
Did you know?
30% of all charitable giving happens in December.
December 31 is the biggest giving day of the year.
Volunteers are twice as likely to donate where they volunteer their time.
Many new donors do little to no research before giving at this time; they rely on what they’ve heard or what a friend has recommended.
There is still time to maximize your fundraising success. For example, use social media and email to share positive updates from your Executive Director/CEO. Say how donor gifts are making a difference in the lives of your clients.
Even as you are doing all you can to make the most of December end-of-year giving, you also need to prepare for January and focus on donor stewardship. Schedule time in early January to work on donor statements which provide donors a list of all their successful donations over a given time period, such as the end of the calendar year. These comprehensive statements act as both a donor stewardship touch point and as a convenience for their records during tax time.
The first quarter of the new year is the best time to review and analyze your fundraising for the year just ended.
Did you reach your goals? Why or why not?
Examine each component of your fundraising strategies: major gifts, events, corporate sponsorships, foundations, and direct mail. You may have others.
Update your plan for 2021 as needed. Include benchmarks to review your efforts through the year and make adjustments as needed to successfully reach your goals.
As we move into 2021, continuing to focus on our donors remains a top priority. I’m optimistic that next year will allow us to move back to our traditional fundraising methods.
Happy Holidays!
Cheers,
Michelle Crim, CFRE
Dynamic Development Strategies can help. We offer coaching and fundraising services for our nonprofit clients. We specialize in startup and smaller nonprofits because we understand your challenges. Please contact us for more information.
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