Year-end is a critical time for non-profits, with many donors planning their final contributions for the year. Not only that, but it’s the time to prepare for the year ahead - reflecting on what worked and what didn’t, reviewing budgets, and setting goals for the next calendar year.
Here are some of the ways you can maximize your final quarter of 2024 and make the biggest impact.
Maximizing Year-End Fundraising Strategies
You’ve hopefully already established your year-end fundraising strategies, or they’re already happening. There are a few ways you can take your strategy farther to have an even greater impact.
Send Impact-Focused Updates
Share stories of how donor contributions have made a difference throughout the year. Visuals, testimonials, or brief videos can resonate well and encourage further giving.
Express Gratitude
Send personalized thank-you messages to donors, acknowledging their support. A handwritten note, a call, or even a digital card can make donors feel valued, increasing the likelihood of continued support.
Utilize Data-Driven Donor Segmentation
Use insights to personalize appeals and send the right message to the right donor. Segmenting donors by their past giving patterns, engagement, or affinity can improve engagement rates and response.
Take Advantage of Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday – which takes place on December 3, 2024 - is a prime opportunity for non-profits to engage donors and make a strong end-of-year impact. Here are some ideas your organization can use to maximize the day:
Create a “24-Hours of Impact” Campaign
Emphasize urgency and excitement by showcasing how donations will drive immediate change. For example, for every donation, provide live updates on social media or via email, showing tangible impacts achieved in real-time throughout the day.
Involve Donors in a Specific Project or Goal
Select a single, compelling project that resonates with donors (e.g., funding meals, specific arts programming, scholarships). Providing a specific goal can make the giving feel more focused and achievable.
Email Countdown Series
Start with an email series leading up to Giving Tuesday. Each email can highlight a different reason to give, such as impact stories, matching opportunities, or reminders about tax benefits for year-end giving.
Other Giving Tuesday Tips
Giving Tuesday can be a great time to attract monthly donors. Consider offering a small incentive or gift for those who commit to a recurring gift.
Send a Post-Giving Tuesday Impact Report - Follow up with an email or social media post showcasing the results of Giving Tuesday, including total funds raised, projects funded, or individuals impacted. A final thank-you message reinforces the community's impact and builds momentum for future giving.
Complete Essential End-of-Year Tasks
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the holiday spirit, there are a few key bookkeeping items that you’ll want to get done before the new year.
Send Donor Acknowledgement Letters or Receipts
The IRS requires that organizations send a letter of acknowledgement to donors contributing $250 or more in charitable donations in a calendar year. This document must include:
- Your organization’s name
- The total cash contribution amount
- Description of any non-cash donations
- Whether or not the donor received any goods or services in exchange for their contribution, and if so, the estimated value of those goods/services and indication if your organization is operated solely for religious purposes
Even if a donor contributes less than $250, they may request a receipt of their donation, so be sure to have a process in place for providing receipts as well.
Prepare For Tax Season
There are a few critical items that need to be completed now in preparation for tax season.
- Have a record of all in-kind donations your organization received during 2024. This includes tangible items and services, and their value.
- Verify with employees that the information you have on file for them is correct, including name and mailing address.
- Ensure you’ve sent required grant reports to any grantors with a fiscal year ending in December.
- Gather information for any 1099’s you’ll need to send, including the vendor or contractor name, mailing address, social security number, payment category, account number, and tax withholding information.
Planning Your Fundraising Strategy for 2025
In addition to tying up loose ends in bookkeeping and final fundraising efforts, your non-profit organization should also be preparing for the year ahead. Kicking off 2025 with a well thought-out, strategic plan can set non-profits up for a strong, impactful year. Here are some recommendations to get on the right track.
Assess Your 2024 Results
Review the successes and challenges of the past year to find out what worked and what didn’t. Explore key metrics and results like:
- donor retention
- engagement rates
- return on investment
Using these metrics, you can also identify which fundraising campaigns were the most successful. Take into account the time of year, messaging used, type of event or campaign, etc. You can then identify strengths to leverage and areas to improve upon.
Consider New Funding Streams and Prepare Your Budget
Review your financial summary and 2024 results to get a basic budget set for the year ahead. This may fluctuate based on additional funding streams or expenses, but having a baseline will allow you do decide what new strategies you can invest in in 2025.
Explore options like grants, corporate partnerships, and online giving platforms that may have been underutilized in the past to diversify funding and make your organization more resilient.
Review Donor Data
After reviewing your budget, you may find that some efforts required a lot of resources and didn’t yield the results you expected. In many cases, inaccurate and cluttered donor data can contribute to this problem.
It’s important to review your donor data regularly, and what better time than the new year? Make a resolution to make more efficient use of your resources by performing data hygiene and only reaching out to donors who actually exist at the place you’re trying to reach them.
Invest in a Donor Relationship Building and Effective Fundraising Strategies
Plan to strengthen donor relationships with regular, personalized touchpoints. Telephone fundraising is an excellent way to not only solicit donations, but to check in with donors. A simple phone call to acknowledge their support and let them know the impact they have made will do go far in encouraging more and larger donations.
Start the year by thanking them for their past support and previewing what’s coming up in 2025, inviting them to be part of your journey.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
As a non-profit organization, you’re constantly making asks. But don’t forget, you can ask for help with those asks. Whether it’s putting together a workforce of your organization’s employees, family and friends, or hiring a fundraising consultant to help develop strategies or handle tedious tasks, many hands make light work. And the more work you can accomplish, the more impact your organization can have in 2025.
