The Quick and Ultimate Year End Fundraising Checklist

Although we are in the middle of an outspread that is taking lives by the thousands, the coming months especially November and December are expected to be really busy. Fundraising for nonprofits has different seasons and right now, it is advisable for nonprofits to focus on their year end fundraising and start planning for the same.

We live in times of uncertainty, however, this doesn’t stop life from continuing as it should. The best way out is to adapt to the new situation and see what works best for your organization. Numerous nonprofits are finding it difficult to communicate with their supporters, GiveCentral’s Social Communications Toolkit has been created to help such organizations, it is accessible free of cost and gets regularly updated. 

We know that a third of all annual giving takes place in December and 12% of all giving happens in the last three days of the said month. Earlier, there have been articles such as pledge fundraising checklist and crowdfunding checklist. This time round, the focus is on the onset of the year-end fundraising season and how your nonprofit can best prepare itself for this major time of the year. 

Now is the right time

Some nonprofits may assume that Giving Tuesday and the Christmas season are still quite a number of days away and that organizations can still put on a laid back attitude. However, not only is 2020 the year of the pandemic, but this is also the year in which all fundraising for nonprofits need to be planned and executed with extra effort, even if that means starting early.

This is the right time to get your numbers ready, see where you were last year and define your goals, pick your route and start strategizing on your campaign. Clarify where you stand and make sure that you carry out a risk assessment. 

Up your communication plan

Like we have always said, communication is key to creating bonds and retaining your supporters. As a nonprofit organization that aims at only getting bigger even in the face of a global crisis, you will have to reach out to your partners, funders and donors. GiveCentral offers different email templates for different occasions to help nonprofits communicate better in times like this.

During an outreach, address your supporters by their name and ask them about their well being. Tell them how your organization has been doing and what are the future plans, thank your supporters for their constant support and let them know how much you still need their support. Be it via emails or calls or social media, let your message stand for empathy and togetherness. 

Mobilize your team

Nonprofit organizations today are looking at raising funds when the world is nothing short of chaos. It is important to stay calm; let this calmness flow into your team as well. Bring in a mobilization activity, this could be in the form of a brainstorming session through video conferencing platforms. The goal is to get your staff together and then divide tasks among your team members and set the required priorities. Great teamwork is needed now more than ever. 

Influencer partnership/collaboration

You have your board members on board and your team is all set for the year-end fundraising, every piece seems to be in place. It is ideal to have nonprofit influencers backing you up. Begin with sending emails to the influencers that you have shortlisted, offer them a collaboration.

This doesn’t necessarily have to be paid, it could be a mutual one. You could feature them in one of your social media posts while they talk about your campaign. There are numerous ways in which your nonprofit and influencers can promote each other; a shoutout or a feature on blog, among others. 

Build new relationships

Do not be afraid to consider taking in new partners or funders; there are certain organizations that are willing to fund certain causes, all you have to do is research on the internet, find them and reach out to them. Not just funders, but you can also expand your target audience through business communities on social media platforms.

As you give importance to donor stewardship, take time to try out different activities as well. In order to attract more audience, your nonprofit will have to be very regular with posts on social media handles and the kind of content you put out matters too. Use engaging images and videos that tell the story of your nonprofit and how fundraising for nonprofits holds a special and important place in the world today. 

A nonprofit organization makes $612 for every 1,000 website visitors and 17% of crowdfunding donations are made on mobile devices. These facts put emphasis on the importance of optimizing for mobile and supercharging your social media and website.

The coming months are going to be the busiest time for nonprofits, therefore plan well and move forward with the attitude of gratitude. It is going to get harder before it gets better, but with the above checklist, your nonprofit will be going for the win.

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Last modified: September 4, 2020