Capitalize on Key Timeframes

It’s easy to view End of Year as a December campaign, but in actuality the best End of Year programs run for two to three months with key moments being:

• Mid October to Mid November – the time to prime your audiences. Don’t overlook November in your fundraising efforts. Last year, it was the second-best month for donations, accounting for 15% of annual income. Ensure to communicate the need for support through November, so that when you make the ask, donors understand why they need to act. 
• Late November – an opportunity for early bird Giving Tuesday 2-5x match offers. Although Giving Tuesday falls in December this year, don’t miss out on early Giving Tuesday asks to prolong the giving period; maximizing exclusive Match Giving options to incentivize early donations. For one of our clients, we found Match appeals drove a 60% higher return on ad-spend.
• Mid-December – an ideal time for tangible giving. As many of your supporters are likely in the market for last-minute Christmas present ideas, offering tangible gifts or promoting swag shop offers can be an engaging way to offer donors the chance to give, in a softer and more dynamic way before the last-push giving rush in the last week of December.
• December 31st – the time for urgent midnight targets and personalized emails from your CEO or Finance Director: The last week of December, particularly December 31st, is crucial for fundraising. This 31st alone drove 5% of year-round income last year, making it the most important day of the year for fundraising. Don’t be afraid to speak with transparent urgency on the 31st, and if donors don’t open or click-through, ensure you send a kicker email on January 1st to ensure the ask lands; a direct message from your CEO or Fundraising Director can be an effective way to heighten the urgency of your ask.
• Early January – a key moment to acquire monthly donors, that’s often overlooked. During December, you will likely secure a high volume of one-off donations – and while you may be tempted to give your donors a rest, it is crucial you look to extend your End of Year push by a couple of weeks. January is the ideal time to ask for recurring gifts, as audiences are likely to be in a longer-term mindset and looking to 2025. Communicating clear targets in the first couple of weeks of January can be a prime time to drive recurring  income. Transparent messaging tactics such as telling your donors the volume of monthly donors you require to counter attrition in the previous year can be highly effective.

Charity Spotlight:

Catholic Charities partners with multiple nonprofits each year to take tangible giving to a whole new level.

Light The World Giving Machines have been springing up in key locations across the US since 2017, where donors can purchase good-will gifts just like you would from a vending machine.

Diversifying Channels

This year’s M+R Benchmarks painted a bleak picture for email fundraising, which has long-since been a cornerstone for End of Year fundraising. 

Email revenue on December 31st declined by 10% compared to 2022, and it’s a similar picture for traditional paid media channels, with Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) on Meta falling to 0.48 last year.

To counter this decline, nonprofits will need to do more to raise the same as they have in recent years – and chanel diversification is a smart place to invest your efforts for long-term gains:

• Activate an SMS program: With email addresses often come phone numbers, presenting a prime opportunity to launch an SMS program. Last year, non-profits sent a comparable number of SMS messages to emails during the end-of-year period, highlighting the growing importance of this channel. If you don’t have a vendor in place, now’s the time to get one if your SMS file is large enough. If you plan on activating telemarketing, SMS sends can also be a smart way to scrub your data and save costly telemarketing fees.
• Leverage the rising potential of Google’s ecosystem, from YouTube to Performance MAX. YouTube has emerged as a powerful platform for nonprofits, offering return on ad spend (ROAS) comparable to Meta. Consider creating compelling video content that showcases your mission and impact to engage potential donors this End of Year, and consider shifting display spend into YouTube to nurture the middle of the funnel more effectively. Performance MAX is also an approach to test in the build up to End of Year, to learn if automated placements outperform manual channel serving.
• Expand paid search beyond brand campaigns: While protecting brand searches remains crucial, expanding into non-branded search terms can be an effective way to convert audiences who are searching to donate to the issues you support at End of Year. Beyond expansion, if your data files are large enough, retargeting can be a smart way to further reach historic donors who may be searching broader terms. 

Charity Spotlight:

IRC and others are already playing in the Performance Max space

An example of the channel paths from the IRC’s digital ad campaigns leveraging Performance Max. Some nonprofits are reporting their lowest CPA ever, reduced by 37% year on year, alongside a 2.7% increase in conversion rate via Performance Max campaigns.

Maximizing Email Efficacy

Despite the dip in email performance, a well-nurtured donor file remains the most cost-effective and shortest path to income. Many nonprofits get tempted to hammer fundraising CTAs during End of Year and send the same content to their entire donor base – but this one-size-fits-all approach is a missed opportunity. To ensure you get the most from your file this year, supercharge your emails by:

• Implementing RFM Segmentation: Segment your audience based on Recency, Frequency, and Monetary value to tailor your asks and re-engage lapsed supporters. This approach allows for more personalized communication and potentially higher donation amounts. End of Year is the prime time to ask your higher value donors for higher value gifts, too; ensure you tailor your asks accordingly to maximize returns.
• Incorporating Interactive Elements and Kickers: Gamify your email communications by including interactive elements like countdown clocks. This not only increases engagement but also creates a sense of urgency around giving. And if you’re not already planning them, ensure you set up kicker emails around peak donate asks to maintain momentum throughout your campaign and avoid missing out on potential donations.
• Engaging Donors Beyond Fundraising Asks: With an average of seven emails sent per month during the end-of-year period, it’s crucial to balance fundraising appeals with engaging content to prevent donor fatigue. This year, with five fewer days between Giving Tuesday and December 31st than last year, that may feel trickier; but implementing triggers to softly prime donors based on their interactions could be a crucial way to incorporate rest periods between strong CTAs.

Charity Spotlight:
World Wildlife Fund surprises and delights with bite-size video content
 
Last year World Wildlife Fund produced a set of emotional videos inspiring a sense of natural wonder and connection to far away places and species (all in under 30 seconds!) as priming for end-of-year fundraising, which then allowed re-use across multiple platforms throughout the following calendar year. 
 
“They are so successful that we have re-edited several pieces to be shown on major broadcast channels, despite being originally made for digital audiences.”
 

In Conclusion

By diversifying channels, optimizing email strategies, and capitalizing on key timeframes, fundraisers can ensure their program is set up for success. If you’d like more tips, take a look at our Fundraising Engine to fuel your End of Year program further. Or if you’d like to chat about your winter strategy, drop us a line!
 
FWD is a strategic marketing agency dedicated to the non-profits and healthcare sectors. We work with organizations, pushing a progressive agenda in healthcare, education and international aid. If you’re looking to grow your business or non-profit, let’s talk.