8 Things You Should Do NOW to Raise More Money This Fall

Here we are in the heat of the Summer, and I’m thinking about the cool temperatures of Fall. And how to raise more money this Fall.

It’s closer than you think and will be here before you know it.

If you’re a Last-Minute Lucy or Larry, and usually wait until it’s time to send something to even start writing it, then this is for you.

You see, great fundraising takes planning and preparation.

If you want to make sure that you raise more money this Fall and have your BEST fundraising season ever, there are some things you need to do NOW to set the stage.

Relationships take time to develop.

Donors don’t love your nonprofit just because you want them to. You need to work at it to get them to fall in love with your mission, and they need to love it before they’ll support it.

1. Review your numbers. Take a close look at your budget and your actual numbers from the first 6 months of the year to see where you are.

Are you on track? Ahead? Or behind?

Based on where you are, what needs to happen to end the year where you want to be?

What goals do you need to hit between now and the end of the year?

Yes, you’re busy. But good fundraisers carve out time to review their numbers.

If you don’t know what’s working, you don’t know what to do more of. And what to fix.

If you monitor your numbers each month, you get a gold star. If not, well, you have something to work toward. If you’re using a good donor management software, you can easily get the numbers you need.

2. Update your supporters. Give your donor family an update on what’s happening on your nonprofit’s front line.

Keep sending those monthly newsletters REGULARLY between now and the end of the year, making sure they’re interesting and relevant to your donor.

Make them short so they’re a quick read and don’t ask for any money (you’ve got other opportunities to ask for donations).

If you need help, here’s a donor-focused newsletter template you can use.

Outside of newsletters, there’s more you can do.

Consider shooting a video update that you can share online or in an email.

Think about sending a postcard with an infographic of your progress so far this year.

Call your best donors and personally tell them about 1 or 2 big accomplishments you’ve achieved this year.

The possibilities are plentiful, and the point is to give your donors the inside scoop on how you’re changing lives.

They’ll feel “in the know,” which increases your chances of getting another donation from them this Fall.

3. Say an extra ‘Thank you.’  Call as many current donors as you can to thank them for their support this year.

Most donors don’t get thank-you phone calls, and this will both surprise and delight them, especially when they think you’re calling to ask for money and you don’t.

Invite them to ask you questions or provide you with feedback.

Remember, people LOVE to tell you what they think!

These calls are usually short (3-5 minutes) and are a GREAT use of your time!

For those donors you don’t have phone numbers for, shoot a short, heartfelt thank-you video and email it to your supports.

Donors love hearing from the leader of the nonprofit, especially when it’s a “thanks for your support” message.

It makes them feel special and needed, and that’s what you want.

4. Plan your Asks. How EXACTLY will you ask for donations this Fall?

And what’s the timing look like relative to holidays, newsletters, and other activities happening at your nonprofit?

You don’t want to wait until the last minute to figure out when you’ll send out your Fall appeal, so start NOW by putting your ideas on paper so you can manage the timing of when your donors are asked, and also balance those asks with enough good, warm communications so they don’t feel over asked.

In addition to planning your appeals, you should start planning your Giving Tuesday campaign NOW, which should be more than just posting a couple of times on Facebook asking people to give.

And plan out your year-end appeal so you’re ready to go the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Yes, it takes time to plan, but I promise you that every organization who raises big bucks during 4th quarter of the year has a plan.

5. Plan your communications. Once you have your Asks planned out for the Fall, lay out your content calendar.

What kinds of communications are you sending?

What stories will you feature in your monthly newsletters?

What kinds of things can you share on Facebook?

What videos could you shoot and share on YouTube?

Planning it out will make it infinitely easier to get done.

Success in fundraising lies in what you do between the Asks. 

So, don’t leave this important piece to chance!

6. Prime your major donors. Make a list of your top 10 donors and top 10 prospects.

Invite them out for a tour of your facility, and if you don’t have a facility, invite them to lunch for a video of what your nonprofit is doing to make a difference in the world.

See if you can find out what they love most about your organization and tuck that away in your mind for later when you need to ask for money.

Getting big donations is all about matching up a donor’s hot-button interests with a need you are trying to meet.

If you start now, you have plenty of time to warm up your biggest supporters so that when they receive your Fall appeal, they’re ready to give.

7. Engage your Board. Share your Fall fundraising plan with your Board and ask them where they’d like to plug in to help.

Remember that most Board members are terrified of asking for money.

If you can get them involved in thanking donors or hosting facility tours, they’ll see that there are LOTS of ways they can get involved in fundraising without actually asking someone for money.

Then next time you ask them to get involved, they’ll be more likely to say “yes.” Plus, donors love getting to meet Board members!

8. Line up volunteers. Once you have all your ideas on paper, see where you’ll need help and go ahead start recruiting volunteers.

If you’re doing mailings in house, plan out the production schedule and start lining up volunteers to help fold and stuff letters.

If you’re planning a thank-a-thon to call all your donors to say “thanks,” see how many volunteers you can find to help.

For a Giving Tuesday campaign, you can use online ambassadors to help share social media posts before, during, and after the campaign.

There are probably lots of things you can use help with, and you can find the right people if you start looking for them early.

Put these 8 strategies into motion for your nonprofit, and you’ll definitely raise more money this Fall!

The last several months of the year brings LOTS of opportunities for fundraising.

When you ask for donations while people are in the mood to give and feel connected to your cause, you’ll see better results. Guaranteed.

The key to making this happen is planning, communications, and relationship building – starting NOW.

So, lay the groundwork before your Fall fundraising kicks off by putting these 8 strategies into motion for your nonprofit.