Whether you are a church, community nonprofit, or independent school, year-end giving has long been a key to any organization’s development plan. This year’s fall and holiday season will finish off a year of global and domestic unrest, inflation, a drop in giving, and a contentious presidential election.
Figuring out a plan to break through to contributors and persuade them your cause is worthy of giving means laying the groundwork now.
So, how do you craft a strong appeal or campaign to overcome these obstacles and not only sustain your organization, but implement an approach to your fundraising initiatives that move you forward to being an even more vibrant congregation, nonprofit, or school. Here’s some advice.
START PLANNING NOW. Summer is the right time to start designing your strategy for the fall and through the end of the year. Begin by analyzing the past year of giving to identify statistical giving trends.
Mine your giving data to determine where most of your financial support has come from, the response rate of donors, and what kinds of messages have been most effective. Be honest with yourselves when analyzing how you’re appeals have been trending over the past year and evaluate the success of the previous fall and year-end appeal.
The giving season is not the time to try new things. Use the summer to nail down what you see has been most successful in your funding efforts and make them the centerpiece of your fall and year-end initiatives.
You may have some fresh ideas to test, but save them for another time of the fundraising cycle. You want to know you’re going to get over the finish line using the strategies and messaging that have historically had the best results.
DECIDE ON YOUR PRIMARY STRATEGY. There are a variety of ways to approach fall/year-end giving appeals, and choosing the right one for your organization will depend on a few factors.
For instance, figure out whether you most need to expand the number of new contributors, even if the average gift is small, or whether to ask longtime supporters to increase their giving. You could decide to grow your donor base and then work with them year-round, or try to make it worthwhile with one very strong appeal and try to increase giving as much as possible.
Remember, you cannot do everything in the same appeal, so pick one strategy area where you most want to grow right now. The strategy you decide upon will be different based on your priorities.
USE AI TO HELP WITH BRAINSTORMING. While some organizations are experimenting with ChatGPT and similar tools to develop appeal letters and other content, they are doing so cautiously.
If you’re using the right prompts with AI, it can be helpful in developing ideas for appeals. For instance, it can be useful in helping write the first draft of an appeal letter, but don’t just send it out the door without careful review – always refine it until it works with the rest of your messaging. Be sure to edit and tailor to your organization’s voice and the audience you’re appealing to.
AI can be useful for small organizations contending with reduced staff and increased demand for services. There is no doubt that this technology can help kick-start your appeals.
STAY TUNED FOR PART II IN OUR NEXT POST. We will cover these topics:
- Stay upbeat, even if the news is not
- Don’t go it alone
Keep in mind why you’re doing this work
John V. Clark, President/Partner
The James Company
(815) 353-8997
Email: jclark@jamescompany.com
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