We recently shared Part 1 of our guide to improving your year-end fundraising campaign, which explored the pros and cons of different communication methods, how to tailor messaging for different audiences, and timing your outreach. Taproot spoke with Development professionals from nonprofits across the sector to gather their tried and true advice discovered over decades of fundraising. Read on as we share ways to unite your campaign with cohesive branding, how to write communications that feel personal, tips to move your audience to action, and more.
We invite you to download this resource as a PDF to reference throughout the season. Get the full report featuring content from Part 1 and 2 of this blog.
Keep it Cohesive
Because year-end fundraising campaigns involve many forms of media and, ideally, reach your audience multiple times, it’s helpful to think about how to unite language and visuals across your campaign. While a single stand-alone message could move a donor to give, a message that recalls and builds on other touchpoints is that much more powerful. So how do you achieve that cohesion? Branding.
Your organization likely already has visual (logo, colors, fonts) and written (voice, tone) brand guidelines that unite all your materials (if not, may we suggest a Taproot volunteer to help?). Branding for a year-end campaign doesn’t mean that you throw those guidelines out the window. Instead, year-end messages should retain the same basic feel as any of your other communications, but with some additional elements that tie the campaign together.
- Copy That: A campaign title or a tag line/slogan is a great way to unite your year-end communications. Go clever to grab attention—”End the Year on a High Note!”—or convey emotion with an evocative phrase—”Building a New World.” Whatever you choose, keep things cohesive by carrying the tone of your tagline through to the rest of the language you write for the campaign.
- An Eye for Visuals: Most readers scan rather than read closely, so eye-catching visuals will help you convey a message quickly for maximum impact. A consistent color scheme, graphic treatment, or illustration can unite your year-end campaign from appeal envelope to email header to social media image. If you’ll be using photos from different events or photoshoots, consider a filter that can make them feel cohesive with one another.
Ultimately, It’s the Human Touch
According to Debra Michaels, Taproot Director of Effective Philanthropy, in fundraising, people don’t give to organizations, websites, or even causes. “People give to people.” It’s vital that your audience feels the real person on the other end of your communications, whether it’s the voice of those impacted by your work or even the team member writing the email. “How can you make your campaign stand out during the holiday season? Three words: personalize, personalize, personalize!!!” suggested Cate Mascari, Director of Donor Relations at Harris Theater for Music and Dance.
- Let Your Advocates Advocate: As we touched on in Part 1, there are likely people in your orbit who speak passionately about your organization already. Board members, volunteers, or members of the community you serve can be extremely effective advocates to explain the importance and impact of your organization. In addition to using them to reach out to select donors, testimonials from an advocate are also a great addition to digital communications and appeal letters. If your organization has a large pool of engaged advocates, crowdfunding or peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns are also an effective way to expand your reach and bring in new supporters.
- Invite Stakeholders to Share: Another motivating tactic can be to invite those who are directly impacted by your work—clients, students, community members, etc—to share testimonials and photos to include in your fundraising efforts. Donors want to connect with the people their gift supports, and it’s always more compelling to hear someone tell their own story. Consider using an image of some of the client’s actual handwriting to make it feel even more personal.
- Stand Out in the Mail: Speaking of handwriting, “start hand-addressing those appeal envelopes now!” suggests Alyssa Starr Newerth, Director of Community Impact at FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic. “Engage volunteers in the task. Nobody skips mail that’s hand-addressed to them. And order actual stamps—neutral non-holiday designs are more inclusive.”
A Little Extra Motivation
You likely have many audience members who support your organization’s mission, read your communications, and have the capacity…but don’t actually give. How do you find the tipping point that will persuade them to become a donor? Or even move a current donor to increase their gift?
- Leverage Matched Donations: The power of the matching gift cannot be underestimated, especially as a hook to market your campaign. Donors love knowing that they can increase the impact of their gift. Work with board members or major donors to arrange a match for a particular day, week, or even your entire year-end campaign.
Shameless plug: gifts made to Taproot before the end of-year will be matched up to $45,000, thanks to our partners at the Greer Foundation!
- The Corporate Route: Many companies offer corporate matching programs that will double or even triple an employee’s gift, or even match their volunteer service with a monetary donation. With an influx of gifts in November and December, year-end communications and donor acknowledgment letters/emails are a great opportunity to encourage donors to explore whether their employer offers any of these matches.
- Strategic Swag: Donors love swag any time of year. Nonprofit staff, however, know that sending out hundreds of mugs or tote bags is a huge project, and the increase in donations likely won’t be worth the hassle. You should be strategic about how you employ a “free gift” incentive, but luckily the offer of even a small reward can go a long way. Something as simple as a well-designed sticker can help push a donor to give, and they’re cheap and easy to mail in the new year when things calm down for your team.
- Tax Incentives: You may be tempted to focus on the tax deductibility of a year-end donation in your communications, but keep in mind that those who are giving at smaller amounts likely aren’t itemizing deductions on their taxes. Carlos García León, Assistant Director of Development at Lookingglass Theatre Company, shared, “I no longer mention that gifts are tax-deductible, particularly for those who give under $1,000. I am trying to stay away from a transactional relationship.” If you do decide to include information about tax deductions, consider incorporating it in communications to major donors or for those with Donor Advised Funds, who have more tax incentives on gifts.
Odds and Ends
- Giving Tuesday? The Development panel we spoke to was split about Giving Tuesday. It can be a great opportunity to take advantage of an event with built-in donor recognition and utilize materials available at givingtuesday.org. But if Giving Tuesday doesn’t fit into your organization’s year end goals, don’t feel like you have to celebrate. To maximize impact, find ways to build Giving Tuesday into your appeal, such as using the day as a kick off to your campaign.
- Making a List: Direct service organizations often have wishlists hosted on Amazon or other platforms and during the December holidays, your community may be more likely to give. “Requesting items is usually not worth the time for our organization, but that changes during shopping and gifting season,” offered Alyssa Starr Newerth. “Dust off that Amazon Wishlist, clean up the links to products that may no longer be sold, and share widely. Put the special and exciting things at the top. Have a wide variety of price points, just like you would on an appeal letter.”
- Pro Bono Opportunities: While the final months of the year are a busy time for fundraisers, many industries slow down at year-end. You can take advantage of professionals’ additional free time by enlisting pro bono volunteers to tackle some of your organization’s biggest challenges. There are likely members of your community with expertise that can help propel your organization through in-kind support, and our Taproot Plus platform is a great option for connecting with willing and able volunteers from across the globe.
Your end of year campaign will vary depending on your organization’s needs and donor base, but suffice it to say, there are plenty of creative ways to reach your audience and get them excited about your mission. Good luck!
Thank you to the Development professionals who shared their insights for this article: Kevin Gupana of Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Carlos García León of Lookingglass Theatre Company, Cate Mascari of Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Debra Michaels of Taproot, and Alyssa Starr Newerth of FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic.
