It’s October 1st, which means that we’ve officially hit “year-end giving” season. The communications you send to donors during September and October should build your case for support and ensure that your supporters know your story well enough that they will be compelled to give when you make more direct asks in November and December.
Two Ways to Prepare for a Year-End Campaign Today
If you’re ready to make the most of year-end giving, here are two things you can do TODAY to maximize the next 90 days to achieve your fundraising goals:
1. Create a communications calendar with key dates for each year-end touch point. Be sure to include each opportunity you have to message to your donor – mail, email, social media, events – and list the target audience. Pay attention to who is receiving what types of communication. Strategically segmenting your audience and messages is a critical part of any successful year-end campaign.
2. Map out the strategy to help you focus both on the big picture, as well as the steps involved on each project. When you craft your strategic communication calendar for the year, consider centering your messaging on an overarching vision, goal, or campaign. Then break that overarching vision into related themes that play out quarterly or monthly and reinforce your campaign mantra. Throughout each month, be sure that the drumbeat to your donors clearly outlines what the vision is, how you are reaching it, and what the impact will be when you achieve the goal.
A year-end campaign becomes much less overwhelming when the plan is broken up into bite-size tasks. So, start early and flesh out your plan for the whole year.
What are some key components of your year-end campaign strategy?