End of Year Fundraising Kick-Off!
	Posted by Jennifer Atkins at Jul 10, 2012 05:32 AM CDT Categories: Fundraising, Nonprofit Trends, NPtech

I know, I know…I’m like those annoying retailers putting out stockings when you haven’t even finished carving your pumpkin but considering that most organizations receive nearly half of their annual online donations in the last two months of the year, I’m totally going there.

That’s right – it is officially momentum-building time!  End of year is a busy time for everyone but you can watch those fundraising dollars go up at the end of the year if you get your supporters enthusiastic about your organization over the next few months.  Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Get to Know Your Supporters Better: Due to the diverse needs of your supporter base, segmenting constituents into appropriate groups will allow your organization to more effectively communicate relevant information to each group. Segmenting your list and then targeting groups with communications and appeals based on their interests, donation history, gender, age, length of membership or any other defining characteristic will result in higher response rates. Know who your supporters are and what they care about. Understand which donors, activists, and volunteers are most active, and devise special programs to keep them engaged. Regularly ask supporters to provide information about themselves to help you improve your segmentation and targeted messaging. Include questions in your online surveys, direct mail response cards and in sign-up sheets or surveys at events.
• The 5-Second Test: Gather your closest friends and display your home page for five seconds—then close it and ask a friend to write down what he or she remembers. Effective websites tell visitors within seconds of their arrival – where they are, what they can do, and why they should act.
• Promote a Sustainer Program: The donors who supported you last year likely had to be selective about their charities. It’s likely these donors may be even more inclined to be loyal to you and would be open to recurring donations or paying their annual donation amount throughout the year. Sustaining and pledge donors typically renew at rates 10-20% higher than single-gift donors. It’s important to offer reasons for people to give on a recurring basis or to pledge a larger commitment that can be paid out over time. 

View the full guide with 10 simple steps to set your organization up for a prosperous year-end.