Year End Giving: Your December Checklist
It isn’t a secret that a big percentage of all charitable giving happens during the month of December. If you’ve already been planning for this year-end push, that is great! But, the reality is that many of us wake up and it’s December 1st and despite good intentions, we didn’t make it down our to-do list far enough to have done all of the preparation we had intended for a solid year-end giving push. If this sounds familiar, fear not! Today, we’re going to give you a checklist of things to do throughout the month of December to ensure you don’t miss out on your share of year-end gifts!
Look at the calendar and map out a timeline for your year-end activities remembering that most electronic messages can be scheduled in advance. Don’t plan so much that you can’t execute it well if you’re just starting now, but pick 4 activities, integrate them into one theme and do them well! Do something that will result in revenue coming in the door every week during the month of December.
Update your website to ensure making a gift is simple and requires as few clicks as possible to make a gift NOW!
Gather stories and photos, and create infographics/impact messaging to use throughout your communications – keep it simple.
Create a theme and utilize multiple communication channels to spread the message and inspire year end gifts. Think email, social media, texting, phone calls and even handwritten notes.
Secure a match gift for the month to help inspire donors with doubling the impact of their gift. Have a handful of asks you’ve been working on already? This is a great opportunity to follow up with an ask and close the gift, while inspiring others to follow!
Draft one electronic email appeal letter and possibly a couple of slight variations so you can personalize and segment your email list for greatest appeal to your constituencies. Don’t forget to schedule a couple during the last two days of the year as December 30 and 31 are the biggest giving days of the year.
Enlist the support of volunteers to assist with cultivation of new donors by making just even one or two follow up phone calls each to prospects on your lists. These calls can be wishing them well this holiday season, sharing a quick story about the impact of your organization and asking them to consider a year-end gift.
Enlist the support of volunteers to assist with stewardship by hand delivering holiday gifts to your top donors. This touchpoint can be very meaningful and often inspires additional gifts as well!
If you’ve already got social media as part of your strategy, utilize your channels consistently throughout the month of December – 1-2 posts each week is enough to keep your organization top of mind. Be sure to feature videos, photos and meaningful stories about the impact your organization is making and always include a simple call to action with each post.
Consider hosting a holiday open house or cocktail party cultivation event – all too often we overcomplicate events and all that needs to go into the planning and preparation for them. The holidays present a good opportunity to gather (homes are decorated and people are in the spirit of giving and mingling). Gatherings around the holidays present a good opportunity to share your mission and stories about the good work your organization is doing. By inviting people to join your tribe in support of the cause, you are giving them purpose and meaning!
Need help getting your own checklist prepared for January? We would love to help! Schedule a free call with a PRIDE team member and we would be happy to learn about your 2023 goals.
