End Of Year Fundraising Campaign: Best Plans To Secure Funds

Published on
October 28, 2024

An end of year fundraising campaign is one of the most important campaigns for raising money for any nonprofit organization. End of year funding collects about 40% of all revenue generated by the average nonprofit. It also boosts foundational aspects like recurring donors and large grants. So often, whether a nonprofit actually makes a difference does depend on how good their end of year fundraising campaign was. 

In this article, we shall look at what an end of year fundraising campaign is, how you should implement and plan one to boost revenue, and the numbers that back our suggestions. 

What is an end of year fundraising campaign?

An ‘end-of-year fundraising campaign’ is an annual targeted effort by nonprofits and charities to raise a significant percentage of their financial goals from October to December. Traditionally, there is always a surge in donations during this holiday season, when religious festivals make most people feel more charitable, and those looking to save on tax have to make their investments before the end of the year. 

For example, ‘Giving Tuesday’ (a popular end of year fundraising campaign) saw $3.1 billion in donations in 2023!

Why do end of year fundraising campaigns matter?

end of year fundraising campaign sample

Image: Average size of charitable gifts peaks in December. Source: Alkami Technology 

According to DonorBox, most nonprofit organizations collect “47% of their online revenue in the last week of December, with 20% coming in on December 31st.” 

Even though this statistic only applies to online fundraising, the high numbers indicate that people tend to be more generous (or open-minded) to donation appeals in the last two months of the year. This is the single biggest reason for running robust end of year fundraising campaigns. 

Let’s look at the significant factors behind this surge of donations at the end of the year to figure out which demographic your organization should aim for (or why not aim for all of them?)   

Tax deductions

US taxpayers can deduct charitable contributions from their yearly taxable income if they meet specific requirements, subject to applicable limitations. However, not all donations are accepted. The organization has to be listed by the IRS, and the deductible amount is capped. 

People tend to be in a hurry to make their donations before the end of the year to meet their tax deduction goals. And the numbers prove it. Even if you skip corporations and institutions, just as individuals, Americans gave $374 Billion in 2023 in charitable donations. In total, America donated $557 Billion in charitable donations in 2023. 

Therefore, if your organization presents itself as an attractive position where a person’s tax concerns match their preferred sense of justice or charity, you can reap rich dividends. 

  • Which organizations are eligible for tax-deductible contributions? Click here
  • What is the tax deduction limit for charitable donations? Click here

Religious motivations 

end of year fundraising campaign graphics

Image: December receives the highest percentage of donations. Source: Church Giving Statistics 2024 Report 

According to a 2018 study in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, December sees a 14% increase in the probability of donations, thanks to the altruistic behavior encouraged by Christmas. Further, the Church Giving Statistics 2024 Report states that 76% of the $484,000 in church donations they studied happened yearly. December has the highest donations, with 14.34% of all donations received. 

This shows that Christmas time draws Christians to a universal message of charity and altruistic behavior. So, your organization should be positioned (with your values and the on-ground work you do) to be an appealing choice to Christians as the year ends. 

Read Also: IRS Rules For Tax Deduction on Church Donations 2023: Exemptions & Limits

Giving Tuesday & the holiday spirit 

A 2023 study conducted by researchers from Shenzhen University recently reinforced something we have all known instinctively – people donate more when they see others donating more. 

As the study concludes, if donors are aware that others donated more than them on average, they tend to increase their donations—even if they had planned to donate less. 

This means even those who don’t care about taxes or are not religious will still get swept up in the holiday spirit and donate – because everyone else is doing so. 

Giving Tuesday is an excellent example of this. Begun in 2012 as simply yet another charity to counter ‘Black Friday’ and materialism, the ‘movement’ has since exploded in just ten years. Americans have adopted it as strongly as they have taken to Black Friday. 

Today, donating on ‘Giving Tuesday’ is something everybody does—from kids to adults to corporations. In 2023, some $3 billion worth of goods and cash was donated for various causes on that day. 

So days like Giving Tuesday and the social pressure around charity during the end of the year, drives a lot of people to donate. 

Read More: Giving Tuesday Toolkit – Everything You Need To Succeed 

Ultimately, everyone gives for private reasons. However, the factors mentioned above drive enough generous spirit among donors to make the end of the year a time requiring both special attention and a specific planned campaign. Let us now look at how to prepare that campaign. 

8 steps to plan an end of year fundraising campaign 

A good year-end plan is thought of in advance, has specific goals, and lists out the ‘game plan’ to achieve those goals. We all know that. 

But to make a truly successful end of the year fundraising campaign, we have to go beyond these basic ideas – and get into the nitty-gritty of enhancing all avenues and ideas. 

Here is a comprehensive look at all ideas you should plan for. 

Plan in advance 

According to DonorBox, 7.7% of nonprofit organizations they spoke to began their end of year fundraising campaign in September, 53% started in October, and 40% stated that they began their campaign in November.  

Though Thanksgiving is considered the ‘unofficial’ start of the holiday season, November 28 is too late to effectively spread your message, follow up with those who seem interested, and make a second push among reluctant donors. Crucially, it also helps you course-correct any shortcomings or missteps you may take—no one is perfect. 

Aim for a launch in October, and then build a relationship with those who seem open to donating throughout November. This may not only boost the amount they will donate, but also give you time to craft more personalized messages to interested people, institutions or organizations. 

Work towards a goal

Image: S.M.A.R.T Goals explained. Source: ThinkTeaching

Instead of simply setting a vague goal like “Increase fundraising by 30%”, using the S.M.A.R.T. method creates more defined and achievable targets. 

S.M.A.R.T. stands for:

  • Specific: Clearly outline who is involved, what is to be achieved, when it will happen, and how it will take place. 
  • Measurable: Ensure progress can be tracked using quantifiable metrics.
  • Achievable: Make sure the goal is realistic and attainable with your current skills and resources.
  • Relevant: Align the goal with your organization’s overall mission.
  • Timely: Set a deadline to create urgency and a timeline for completion.

This methodology adds precision and structure to goal-setting, helping teams work more effectively toward their objectives. Some examples of S.M.A.R.T goals for nonprofits include: 

  • Acquire new donors
  • Expand social media followers
  • Recruit more volunteers
  • Launch a new program
  • Win a new grant 

However, assess your situation properly before jumping on the bandwagon of goals. Be realistic about resources, staff, and finances. Ambition is good, but it is not good for morale if you fail to achieve goals that weren’t realistic to begin with. 

Fundraise for a popular initiative

end of year fundraising campaign sample

Image: Two girls hold a ‘Giving Tuesday’ banner before a table full of school supplies they are donating. Source: GivingTuesday.org

Popular initiatives often have built-in momentum, such as national awareness campaigns (e.g., environmental conservation, education reform) or global movements (e.g., disaster relief, climate change). By tapping into this momentum, your nonprofit can capitalize on an existing wave of support, reducing the effort needed to generate initial interest.

Examples of this include the famous ‘Giving Tuesday’ – which began in 2012. In 2013 #GivingTuesday saw online donations of close to $19.2 million. In 2023, in total, the movement saw $3.1 billion being donated.   

Similar examples include the Salvation Army’s ‘Red Kettle’ campaign during Christmas and the UK’s ‘Red Nose Day’. 

The large sums these campaigns draw are an example of how people feel very comfortable giving to initiatives they are already well aware of and have sufficient exposure to. 

As an organization, you have two choices: 

  1. Build your own movement through year-round campaigning and reap more significant benefits at the year-end. OR
  2. Align or join it with such widely recognized initiatives to boost them and gain strong visibility in return. 

Focus on recurring donations

NeonOne claims that “from 2018 to 2022, the average nonprofit saw a 127% increase in the number of recurring donors in their databases.” And according to Classy, “of the top nonprofits on Classy, nearly 40% of their revenue comes from recurring donors.”

Recurring donors are gold for any nonprofit, as they tend to be loyal, invested with the cause, and will support other causes associated with the organization as well. Also a recurring donor is part of the community of your organization. 

Read More: Fundraising Guide On How to Ask For Donations For Nonprofit

You should already have a membership or monthly recurring donation system in place. And if you don’t, then get on it ASAP and then integrate that with your year-end campaigns. 

On your year-end donation forms, make the recurring donation option a default selection. You can include a checkbox that is pre-selected for monthly donations while still offering a one-time option. This subtle change encourages more donors to opt for recurring giving without feeling pressured.

In your year-end appeals include clear, direct calls-to-action that encourage recurring donations. Use phrases like, “Become a monthly donor today and help sustain our impact year-round.”

Try P2P fundraising

P2P fundraising empowers your existing donors, volunteers, and supporters to fundraise on your behalf. Each fundraiser brings in their friends, family, and colleagues, increasing your pool of potential contributors.

People are more likely to donate when asked by someone they know. In 2019, 39% of Americans YouGov surveyed said they donated to a charity because of a family member or friend.

You can easily learn how to run a P2P fundraising campaign thank to this handy guide. And as a CallHub member, you set up and launch a P2P fundraising campaign through a few simple steps. 

Optimize your donation channels

Approximately 50% of potential donors abandon the process if donation forms are too long or complex​. A streamlined, user-friendly platform—whether it’s on a website, mobile app, or social media—removes barriers to giving, ensuring donors can easily support your cause.

Please note: With over 50% of internet traffic now coming from mobile devices, ensuring that your donation pages are mobile-optimized is crucial.

Consider checking if you have all of these features: 

  • Implementing features like one-click giving or autofill forms can speed up the donation process, minimizing the risk of donors abandoning their transactions halfway.
  • Offering multiple payment methods (credit cards, PayPal, digital wallets) can cater to donor preferences and lead to higher conversion rates.
  • Optimizing donation pages for social media sharing allows supporters to promote campaigns within their networks. So make it easy to click ‘share’. 
  • SSL encryption reassures donors that their payment information is safe, reducing concerns about fraud or data breaches.
  • Be sure your form includes a description with each donation option about the exact impact. For example, $5: Will feed two pandas. $10: Will feed five pandas. $100: Feed a family of pandas for a month. Exact impact encourages larger donations since donors will more invested. 

Also, ensure you have a good ‘thank you’ page after the donation is made, and the donor is reached out to later for personal updates and thanks. Close the donation circle to encourage more donations. 

Involve team and board members

When team members and board members advocate for your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts, they bring credibility and trust. By involving them in relational organizing, they act as ambassadors, extending the reach of your campaign beyond your existing donor base.

Relational organizing allows them to identify and engage potential donors who have an existing connection with them, broadening the pool of potential supporters. When board or team members introduce new donors, these “warm leads” are more likely to respond positively because of the established relationship.

Read More: Relational Organizing – How to Use It Right and Win the Race!

In CallHub, for example, setting up Relaional Organizing is as simple as matching your team or board member’s contact list with the existing contact list of the organization, and then getting them to call whoever is matched. 

Please note: Train team and board members on how to make effective asks, providing key messaging points. Also, apps like CallHub’s mobile app lets them use dynamic scripts when reaching out. 

Have an email strategy

Email is an ideal medium for telling compelling stories that illustrate the impact of donations. Nonprofits can share stories of beneficiaries, progress updates on programs, or donor testimonials to create an emotional connection with readers.  69% of nonprofits worldwide regularly send an email newsletter. 

Storytelling is essential for motivating donors, particularly during the holiday season, when many are looking for meaningful ways to give back.

Read More: 6 Giving Tuesday Email Examples To Change Your Outreach

Also an email strategy provides valuable data and insights into donor behavior. Nonprofits can track open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, helping refine their approach. These metrics allow organizations to understand what messaging works, which donors are most engaged, and how to improve future campaigns.

Read More: Tips To Write The Perfect End Of Year Fundraising Email

Further, through email segmentation, nonprofits can tailor messages to specific donor groups (e.g., major donors, recurring donors, first-time givers), ensuring that each audience receives content that resonates with them.

Analyze end of year fundraising campaign results

Image: CallHub’s extensive Analytics Dashboard

End-of-year fundraising campaigns are critical for nonprofit success, often accounting for a significant portion of annual revenue. By analyzing results across multiple metrics—such as total funds raised, donor acquisition and retention, average gift size, channel performance, and cost per dollar raised—nonprofits can assess their success and make data-driven decisions for future campaigns. 

CallHub offers an extensive range of metrics in our Analytics Dashboard– allowing you to not only see how your campaign is doing overall, but breaking it down hour by hour, and volunteer by volunteer. This lets you pivot towards better working practices quickly. 

Here are some critical metrics you should measure: 

  • Donor acquisition rate: Assess your outreach efforts and identify the most effective channels for attracting new donors.
  • Donor acquisition cost: Find out how much you spend to acquire new donors and whether your efforts are cost-effective.
  • Donor retention rate: You’ll want to see high retention rates over a period of time for a successful fundraising strategy.
  • Donor attrition rate: What percentage of donors have stopped donating over a period of time? You need a low rate. 
  • Cost to raise a dollar: This is pretty self-explanatory. How much does it cost you to raise a dollar in donations. 
  • Average gift size: This helps you to tailor your fundraising appeals and stewardship efforts depending on which side of the equation you want to focus on.
  • Event engagement: Metrics such as attendance, registrations, and participation in your nonprofit organization’s fundraising events. Sending out post-event surveys will also help you evaluate your attendee’s event experience right from the source. 

4 end of year fundraising campaign tactics to boost revenue

The basic goal of an end of year fundraising campaign is to boost revenue and financially secure the nonprofit. And so far, we have discussed a series of ideas to boost your campaign externally. 

But even internally, you must make the nonprofit is technically sound overall. Here are four must-check things you should ensure you do before kicking off your campaign. 

Update donor lists [include recent donors in your lists]

Ensure your efforts are reaching out to those who are most receptive to your efforts. If you are reaching out to people who no longer want your attention or have changed contact information, you are simply wasting your effort. 

Update your donor list before any campaign. 

Read More: Donor Database Best Practices To Care For Your Data Like You Care For Your Donors

Segment your appeals to donors 

Plenty of research has shown that donors resonate the most with personalized communication that addresses their details (name, location, etc.) and speaks about their specific journey (past donations, impact of their donations, etc.) 

By segmenting donor appeals based on giving history, donation size, and engagement level, nonprofits can deliver more personalized and relevant messages during year-end fundraising campaigns. This targeted approach increases donor retention, deepens engagement, and ultimately boosts revenue.

Here are some segments you should consider: 

  • New donors: Focus on storytelling that highlights the impact of your work and the importance of their first gift.
  • Recurring donors: Reinforce their importance as core supporters and offer updates on how their monthly gifts have been used.
  • Lapsed donors: Remind them of the impact their past support made and how renewing their donation can contribute to future successes.
  • Major donors: These donors appreciate detailed information on the outcomes of their gifts and specific, high-impact opportunities.

Use multi-channel outreach

This should be obvious: reinforce your message by using all available avenues of outreach, and let them complement each other. 

Donors should be approached through every available channel—texts, emails, phone calls, outdoor marketing, billboards, events, etc. Once they are signed on, they should be taken on a journey through these channels to build a relationship. 

For example: 

  • Use text-to-donate to get people to visit your campaign or sign up for an event 
  • Use mass texts to send them reminders or updates about your campaign or the event
  • Send emails explaining the impact of your campaign and their donations 
  • Use phone banking to ask for donations, collect feedback, or share impact 

Automate communications

Use software like CallHub’s Workflows to automate your ‘user journey’. What this means is that don’t leave it to a staffer’s memory to send messages and outreach at the appropriate time – and timing does matter when cultivating donors. 

From the minute a donor provides their contact information for a campaign, there should be a seamless flow of how they are contacted at regular intervals across multiple channels – text, email and phone calls. 

Watch: CallHub’s powerful Workflow Automation in this comprehensive webinar

You can use Workflows to automate: 

  • Send a welcome text/email once they sign up 
  • Send reminders for events or campaigns they have signed up for 
  • Send them reminders to donate if they have dropped off the flow somewhere 
  • Call them for feedback and updates for appropriate campaigns 

By setting realistic goals, crafting compelling messaging, utilizing a multi-channel approach, and expressing genuine gratitude to donors, nonprofits can maximize their impact and secure crucial funding to advance their mission. 

With the right strategies in place, this end of year fundraising campaign season can become a powerful opportunity to build lasting relationships and drive meaningful change into the new year.

Vinayak Hegde Linkedin
Vinayak Hegde is a content marketer who has been covering non-profits, changemakers, and advocacies for over six years. His experience includes all forms of digital content creation, including text, audio, and video.