We’re Sill Here, 4th Quarter
End of year fundraising, wrap-up, evaluation and getting ready for the new year is so important, it needs 2 newsletters.
Are you paying attention? Are you working your plan? Is everyone on board with raising a huge portion of your funds this last quarter of the year? Really, some people don’t get it. Maybe it’s a board member or the program director or maybe even the executive director. Even if they are not 100% on board, you still have a job to do.
Whiteboards
I love a good whiteboard. One of the things I’ve done through my career is clean off my whiteboard and keep a line graph for the last 90 days of the year. A visual of funds received daily or even weekly is a great reminder for everyone, especially you. What are you doing that week to bring in funds the following week?
Plans A, B, and C
By now, you’ve made your plan and are making it happen. You’ve considered your options and have decided on your course of action.
- You’ve tested your website’s donate page and everything is working
- You’ve analyzed and segmented your donor database.
- You’ve written your solicitations appeals for each segment
- You’ve remembered why donors give during the holiday season.
- They want to feel good about helping others.
- They want to connect with something positive.
- They want to take advantage of tax deductions.
- Maybe you’ve even added an option to accept gifts of stock and other securities.
Thanksgiving
Hopefully, you’ve sent your first round of solicitations by now and you have a Thanksgiving card going out soon. This is not a solicitation, but a message of gratitude. Some will be postal mail; some will be social media. It’s good to mix it up and meet your donors where they are. Put your Giving Tuesday plan into action.
December
This is it. The final big push.
- Thank donors as quickly as possible. Let them know you are grateful for their support.
- Send your final solicitation between Christmas and New Year’s Eve for those late givers.
- Keep your “eye on the prize.”
Thank You
With all this going on it’s still important to remember that December and January is also the time to say, “thank you.” Be creative and genuinely grateful. Involve your board members, other volunteers, and if appropriate, your clients.
Wrap Up and Evaluate
Here are 3 questions to ask yourself as you wrap-up your end of year and look forward to 2022:
- How have your goals, budgets, and services shifted this year?
- How well are you communicating with your donors?
- How will you’re plan for 2022 be influenced by your COVID experience?
Good Luck!!
At DMGroupConsulting, our goal is to help you achieve your goals. Contact us at https://dmgroupconsulting.com/contact/.