End of Year Fundraising

Time to Put it in DRIVE!

By Susan Ross. Now that Election Day has passed, the calendar shows just eight weeks left to hit your year-end goals. Now is the time to get your message out and bring in the gifts you need for your nonprofit. Here is where to start: 1) Set a goal and get to work. Analyze your data and budget - how much money do you need by 12/31? Look up what you usually raise this time of year. You may have some catching up to do -- you need to get out there and ask. Enlist your colleagues and Board members to help you bring in gifts. 2) Get your 2020 message right. Last year’s recycled message points just won’t do it. Take the time to uncover and tell new stories that are relevant to donors making a 2020 decision. Donors want [...]

Respect the Power of December

By Mary Moss. Beginning in late November, the temptation is to concede December as too busy and intrusive for fundraising. We sometimes become tentative; we project what may not be true: that December is a bad time to ask because we are invading personal space. In fact, in my experience, the opposite is true. Strong Decembers became a marker of my career. Having worked in development for 37 years, I am very familiar with the pros and cons of this season as it relates to fundraising. This off-schedule, nonworking time is in fact better for many families. People are less rushed and have time to be thoughtful about what is important to them, including their giving. As a general rule, I worked very hard leading up to the holidays and then again soon after they ended. I never [...]