Its that time of year again. That time when people go crazy with decorating homes. Inflatables in the yard and lights everywhere, maybe we are even able to gather for a party again.
I am more focused on the time for non-profits to write appeals that encourage donors to act in support of our causes. How do we encourage people to remember our organization as part of their year-end giving?
According to NEONONE, almost a third of non-profits rely on up to 50% of their annual revenue between Halloween and New Year’s. A consistent statistic is that 12% of all annual individual giving comes in the last 3 days of the calendar year.
Regardless of your organization, calendar year-end campaigns offer value. That value is also based on your investment. Are you just changing some dates and numbers on last year’s appeal or are you finding a unique voice for your campaign.
As we think about our voices in print, do we come across as more of a reporter, a columnist, or a textbook author? Are we just about the facts and trying to include as much information as we can in 2 minutes or less? Could we be writing a personal note to the world that shows personal vulnerability and wit like Dave Barry (my Dad’s favorite) or Erma Bombeck (my Mom’s favorite)? Or could we be talking about how interesting and important our organization, never explaining, “Why do we need to know this stuff” (what my teenager always says)?
Where there is value in each writing style, except maybe the textbook author (Beuller, Beuller), the most is in the columnist. Like Paul Harvey, we want to bring people in to discover “The rest of the story”. Erma Bombeck and Dave Barry offered shared personal experiences where we could laugh together or shed a tear together. That is why people looked forward to their column. Help people look forward to your letter.
These letters need to be appealing and compel our supporters to act. They need to bring our supporters in and get them to share our mission with another person like my Mom’s Ya Ya’s did at bridge club. I remember when the ladies of bridge club would cut out articles from magazines and newspapers to circulate at their gatherings. Thanks to modern platforms, we can adapt these solicitations to share on social media or in short videos.
I have often talked about the value of repeating messaging multiple times and in multiple ways. We don’t want to give people the opportunity not to support you. So when we write our year-end appeals, identify ways we can make a true campaign out of your efforts and prepare social media posts, email reminders, and calls to action on your website.
When we transform our year-end appeals into year-end campaigns our organization can see greater resolve. If you put effort into the year-end request, more than just updating last year’s letter, it can be a work of art. That work of art deserves the opportunity to be displayed in multiple ways. Like the amazing decorations of the holidays it takes planning and a group of people to execute. Bring the rest of the team on board and provide simple talking points to everyone and get started early.
To make the most of your year-end fundraising, have a strategy. Here are some key take-a-ways:
- Create a campaign, not a single solicitation
- Tell a compelling story, in multiple formats
- Find your voice, share a little vulnerability, and invite the reader into the mission
- Involve and empower others with-in the organization.
For help with your year-end campaign, feel free to reach out to our strategists at PB&J marComm.
