10 Year-End Fundraising Mistakes to Avoid

It’s time to plan for the most productive time of the year – year-end fundraising season!

Pumpkin spice is EVERYWHERE, and some folks are already thinking about the holidays.

Those of us in the world of nonprofit fundraising are starting to think about how to best leverage the upcoming 3 months (October – December). And for good reason:

• Nearly ONE-THIRD of annual giving occurs in December.
• 12% of annual giving occurs on the last 3 days of the year.
• 53.8% of nonprofits start planning their year-end appeal in October.

That’s HUGE!

Even if this year hasn’t gone exactly as planned, your biggest fundraising opportunities are coming up soon. With a solid plan in place, you can leverage the year-end fundraising season to raise more than ever before.

Successful year-end fundraising isn’t about winging it. It’s about being purposeful with the right strategies:

• Crafting compelling stories that inspire action

• Asking strategically, not just repeatedly

• Loving your donors in between Asks so they feel valued—not used

When done right, year-end fundraising can lead to record-breaking donations, higher email open rates, and a flood of support in the last weeks of the year.

Here are the 10 most common mistakes nonprofits make—and how to avoid them.

1. Waiting too late.

Planning is everything.

The earlier you start, the more successful your campaign will be.

Don’t put it off because you’re busy now. You’ll ALWAYS be busy!

You need plenty of time to get everything planned out for October, November, and December. Do yourself a favor and carve out at least an hour in the next few days to get started.

2. Asking too much, too often.

Balance is key. Actually, it’s all about giving your donor what she wants. 

That means your year-end fundraising plan should include lots of updates, stories, and warm touches so your donor doesn’t feel like you’re always showing up with your hand out begging for money.

Include plenty of non-Ask activities in your plan to balance out the Asks like thanking donors well, sending holiday cards, holding thank-a-thons, and surprising donors with a thank-you video.

The point is to make them feel valued as a partner, not just a checkbook.

3. Underestimating donors’ motivations.

Most donors don’t give for tax deductions. They give to make a difference.

So focus your messaging on impact, not internal financial goals.

4. No clear goal. 

It’s a big mistake to go into fundraising season without a goal.

Think about the exact amount of money you want to raise and anything else you want to accomplish, like bringing on new donors, finding new monthly givers, and renewing donors from last year who haven’t yet given this year.

A goal of “$10,000 so we can make budget” won’t be nearly as successful as “$11,000 so we can double the number of dogs we save next year.”

See the difference?

Set a goal that’s all about making the world a better place, not about building up your checkbook.

5. No cohesive message. 

Use one clear, consistent message shared throughout fundraising season.

Consistency will help people remember your message and your cause, which will increase your response rate and your revenue.

Spend the time to carefully craft what you want to say, then consistently use that language.

A message like, “Hunger knows no holiday” used consistently will motivate people to give to a food bank, especially after they see it a couple of times.

6. Forgetting special thanks.

Remember earlier I mentioned balance? My 3:1 Ratio tells us that we should be communicating with people 3 times as often as we Ask so they feel valued by your nonprofit.

Thanksgiving is a WONDERFUL time for that. You can hold a thank-a-thon to call all your donors to personally say ‘thanks’.

You can shoot and share a thank-you video. Or you can come up with another awesome idea!

The point is to leverage this holiday to let your donors know how much you appreciate them.

7. Limping through Giving Tuesday.

Giving Tuesday is a HUGE opportunity to raise awareness and money for your nonprofit.

It takes a well-thought-out plan to get the most from Giving Tuesday.

You need a specific goal to raise money for something with a specific outcome.

And if you have a matching gift, all the better.

Our clients who raised the most last year on Giving Tuesday had exactly that – a plan, a specific goal, and a matching gift.

8. Closing the office the last week of the year.

I get it – you want to take time off, so you close your office the last week or two of the year.

But you need to stay accessible!

Donors may want to drop off gifts, ask questions, or contribute in person. Missing those opportunities can cost you donations.

Closing the office sends the wrong message – that your time off is more important than their donation.

9. Asking without connection. 

Don’t ask people to give to help you reach your nonprofit’s “internal” goal. That’s boring.

No one cares about your internal goal.

Instead, ask people to give to save a dog, tutor a child, or feed a homeless person.

Ask people to make a difference with their donation – not help you reach an arbitrary goal.

There’s way more emotional connection when you ask people to help change a life, and you’ll be more likely to get the response you want.

10. Not emailing enough in the final days

Remember from the opening of this article that 12% of annual giving occurs the last 3 days of the year?

That means you need to email your list several times during the last week of the year to stay on your donor’s and prospect’s radar.

It may feel like a lot to email 3 or 4 times that week, but if you don’t, you’ll miss out.

I guarantee you the other nonprofits your donor supports are in her inbox.

And if your messages are about the lives you’ll change next year with year-end dollars, donors won’t unsubscribe.

Year-end fundraising can be amazing and result in a flood of donations, if you do it right.

Plan carefully, avoid these common mistakes, and your nonprofit can close the year strong—bringing in donations while building stronger relationships with your supporters.