Q4 is on the horizon, and in the words of Taylor Swift, “Are you ready for it?” Development officers have their work cut out for them because they’re up against an election year, and while inflation is slowly (slowly) coming down, there is still uncertainty looking ahead. But nonprofits and their constituents still need services, so what choice do we have but to power through and make the strongest appeals we can?
To help break through the noise, here are five things to consider as you move into end-of-year giving season.
- Think of how you package up your asks and appeals. If your audience’s inbox looks like ours, we’ve been getting appeals for donations every 15 minutes or so thanks to the election. Once that’s over, then you have holiday advertising. It’s going to be a jam-packed time of year, so start thinking about creative ways you can stand out amid the clutter. Try a new tactic, use a bold design, ramp up your personalization. Don’t be just another email that gets deleted.
- Find your heart string moment. What is going to sell your ask is an emotional pull at the heart strings. Engage the people you serve and help make your case come to life through videos, events and media stories – instead of telling someone why they should donate to your organization, you’re showing them why.
- Create engagement opportunities. Going back to getting creative… brainstorm ways to make your end-of-year campaign more of an experience, rather than simply a swipe of a pen and a check in the mail. As a personal anecdote, when I was younger, our family kept a jar by the front door and that’s where we’d put loose change. At Thanksgiving, that jar made it to my grandmother’s house, and folks would add more change or dollar bills. Then by Christmas, as a family we decided how we’d “shop” in a nonprofit’s catalog to decide how we wanted to donate our spare change.
- Plan a date to celebrate your team. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the bells and whistles of the end of the year, but make sure you plan time to celebrate all that you and your team have accomplished. And, no, we’re not just talking about the same old holiday party. Create micro moments to celebrate your end-of-year campaign (maybe there are weekly goals, or goals associated with certain pushes). When budget allows, little gifts of appreciation, bonus time-off or even something small but personal can go a long way in terms of recognition.
- Start brainstorming 2025. While you’re in it, that’s a great time to make notes for next year. If you’re seeing tactics or tools from other nonprofits, start writing those things down so you don’t forget. Did you see a fellow nonprofit post about a major gift or campaign? Plan a coffee in the new year to pick their brain for what worked and what didn’t. The more you can write down while you’re in the thick of it, inspirations to pitfalls, your future self will thank you.
