3 Things to do This Summer to Get Ready for End-of-Year Giving Season

The sun is shining, the smell of sunscreen is in the air and it’s the one fundraising season of the year that feels a bit slow(er) from the rest.

I want you to enjoy all the rest, relaxation, and sweet tea that you deserve while also putting in the prep work for the end-of-year giving season now.

Remember, a goal without a plan is just a wish and one thing that I tell all my students is this: what you put into the prep will make or break the success of your end-of-year giving season campaign.

So, before school starts back up, the fall breeze rolls in, and the rush of end-of-year season is upon us, these next two months are the perfect time to get some things in your development shop in order.

Here are three things to help you get ready for the most profitable giving season of the year:

1. Time to get consistent with your content. If it’s been a while — dust off those cobwebs and fire up an email or social post. Did you know that email converts better than social media? That’s why I’m such a strong advocate for showing up in people’s inboxes regularly. Keep up a regular cadence that works for you now as well as moving forward so you don’t shock people in their inbox come November (which can be a real recipe for unsubscribes).
2. Say thank you. This summer I’m telling you to put out your MAJOR “thank you” vibes. This is the time to connect with your donor community, prospects, and friends for no reason at all except relationship building. Give thanks and appreciation through text messages, letter writing, Loom videos, and shoutouts on social media — they will literally never get old.
3. If your organization has a largely digital footprint — try sending something in the mail — yes, the physical mail. It could be a postcard, a note or maybe a copy of your most recent annual report. In an era where people’s inboxes are overflowing — your physical piece of mail will really stand out.

And…a BONUS item:

Clean up your email list. Do you have deadweight — aka people who haven’t opened an email from you in months (maybe years?) — on your email list? It’s time to clean them out! You can put them through a 3-part email sequence over the period of 10 days. If they do not open or engage with your emails — it’s time to let them go and unsubscribe them.

Like these simple and actionable strategies to get you prepped and ready to go for end-of-year giving season? You’re in luck! From July 13–15th the Raise More Together Virtual Fundraising Summit is back.

This virtual online education experience is for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers who are ready to step into action and raise the most amount of money possible for their nonprofit by the end of 2022. With a combination of 15–20-minute speaker presentations, live panel discussions, Ask Me Anything sessions, hot-seat coaching, and a supportive community of nonprofit leaders and fundraisers who get it — you will walk away with exactly the next steps you need to take to raise some SERIOUS money for your nonprofit organization.

Grab your free ticket to the Raise More Together summit today!

Guest Post by Jessica Campbell of Out in the Boons.