8 Ways To Increase End-Of-Year Giving

Christmas is just around the corner… which means on top of lots of food and hanging out with all our loved ones… it’s also the most charitable time of the year!

November is coming to an end, and that means charities are working hard to ramp up donations and maximize the amount they bring in during the festive season. After all, approximately one-third of all charitable giving takes place during the month of December.

If you and your team are having a hard time making a plan to increase end-of-year giving, here are 8 effective tips and ideas that can help.

1. Create a campaign with a theme.

Establishing a campaign with a clear theme is a great way to get people excited about donating to your charity. It gives you a distinct message to share with the world, and it gives people a cause to rally around.

When coming up with a campaign theme, start by making sure it meets the following criteria:

• Relates to your organization’s larger goals/mission

• Inspires supporters to take a specific action

• Feels fresh and unique

• Encourages supporters to ask questions and learn more

• Is short, shareable, and memorable

2. Get specific and make it personal.

When you’re sharing your campaign with your audience, be sure to include your specific end of year goal in your message or post.

When people know you’re working toward a particular goal, they’re going to be more inclined to donate to help you reach it. They’re even more inclined when they know who or what it’s going to.

For example, don’t just say you want to raise money. Let them know that you’re trying to raise $10,000 by the end of the year, so you can (insert the impact or what that money will help you achieve, e.g feed 1000 people).

You don’t necessarily have to share names or personal information. However, letting people know that they’re donating to victims of a natural disaster or those who have been impacted by a particular event can help them feel more inclined to give — and give generously.

3. Simplify the giving process.

If you want people to give, you need to make it easy for them to do so.

These days, most people aren’t carrying physical money with them regularly and rely more heavily on credit cards. Because of this, traditional fundraising techniques like collecting spare change or cash on the sidewalk isn’t particularly effective.

To maximize the number of donations you receive, consider using a charity donation software so your organization can accept online donations.

This type of platform streamlines the giving process and removes barriers to entry that may be holding people back from giving. It also allows them to set up recurring donations, which ensures your organization receives funding throughout the year, not just during December.

4. Utilise social media.

Social media is an incredible tool for promoting your charity and getting people excited about donating to your cause. When you’re sharing content related to your campaign online, make sure you’re using a variety of different features, including the following:

• Stories: Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, etc. are great for sharing links to your donation page and providing brief insights into what your campaign is all about

• Live videos: Live videos allow you to answer questions and share more detailed information on your charity and your fundraising efforts

• Reels: Instagram Reels are fun, short videos that, like stories, provide brief insights and get people excited about being part of your cause

• Boosted Posts: If you can afford it, even a small budget ($5 a day or less) can go a really long way if you boost your content to a targeted audience.

   

5. Share regular goal updates.

Make sure you’re posting updates regularly to let people know how close you are to reaching your fundraising goal. When people see that you’re halfway there, three-quarters of the way there, etc., they get excited to make a contribution and help you meet your big goal.  

6. Encourage social sharing.

It’s great to use social media to increase awareness about your campaign and encourage donations. However, it’s even better if you can encourage your audience to share information about your campaign.

When you invite them to share, you create new opportunities to expand your reach, increase awareness, and generate even more donations.

Publish posts on social media inviting social sharing, and encourage it in your email newsletters or donation confirmation messages, too. You can even include social sharing buttons to make it easier for people to follow through.   

7. Engage with donors and followers.

Another way to use social media to increase end-of-year giving is by engaging with followers. If someone asks a question about your charity or your campaign, answer it promptly. If someone leaves a comment saying they donated, thank them.

The same goes for direct messages on social media. Keep an eye on your DMs and do your best to respond to them promptly and professionally. This will help to increase donations and will bolster your charity’s reputation across the board.

Also, one of the best marketing methods is… your donors! Encourage them to share the message with their friends or family so they can keep on giving.

8. Use email marketing.

Finally, not-for-profit organisations like yours can also see great results from email marketing. Create a series of Christmas-themed emails to share your campaign, let people know why you’re raising money, and tell them how much you want to raise.

Remember, emails go directly to people’s inboxes and, in many cases, are less likely to get scrolled through. This, combined with a good social media strategy, can lead to major donations during December. 

Pro Tip — Update your email signature with a link to your fundraising campaign. That way every email you send is a mini advertisement!

Boost End-of-Year Donations Today

When it comes to collecting donations for charity and maximizing contributions to not-for-profits, the tips listed above can go a long way.

If you’re scrambling to put together your end-of-year giving plan, be sure to give one (or more) of them a try today. They’ll help you to feel confident as you move into the busiest time of the year of charities like yours.

Of all the tips listed above, using a charity donation software like DonationHub is one of the most important ones to implement. This software makes it easy for givers to donate to a variety of causes and manage their donations all in one place.

Sign up today to start accepting donations through DonationHub, so you can raise more funds and pay less fees.