The countdown to the holidays begins for nonprofits

Is your nonprofit organization positioned to take advantage of the holiday giving season? Here are some quick, easy-to-implement tactics that you can use to maximize end-of-year giving:

The medium matters.
Think about how your audience likes to receive information. Older people might like to receive your end-of-year “ask” via mail while younger people might prefer digital media (i.e. email, social media). Allowing your audience to engage with the campaign through the channel they prefer improves your odds of success. For example, an email ask with a link to an online donation form isn’t the best way to encourage donations from seniors (who tend to be more skittish about sharing credit card information online). Save that for younger people who are very comfortable with e-commerce.

The message matters.
You’ve probably heard us say it before: Message is everything. Compelling, thoughtful messages are key. Talk about the impact a donation makes for the community you serve. Don’t get bogged down in process, which doesn’t give people that warm, fuzzy feeling that gets them to open their wallet. Show how the money benefits people. If you can, tell specific stories.

The timing matters.
Remember, the end of the year is a busy time for everyone. This year, consider testing the timing of your ask. Instead of blasting it out to the entire supporter database at the same time, pull a randomized list from your database and send them the ask after the New Year. Then, compare the number and value of donations made in each campaign. While it defies convention, some nonprofits report that they have more success collecting donations after the New Year, when people are less inundated with gift buying, baking, and thinking of ways to get out of their spouse’s company Christmas party. You might just find that a New Year ask is actually more effective.

This year, commit to trying something different with your holiday fundraising campaign.

Have you tried any of these tactics before? Which ones worked best for you? Share your successes (or other ideas for great holiday campaigns) in the comments below!