{"id":26082,"date":"2022-10-05T08:17:22","date_gmt":"2022-10-05T12:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.donorperfect.com\/nonprofit-technology-blog\/?p=26082"},"modified":"2024-06-28T10:36:46","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T14:36:46","slug":"year-end-fundraising-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.donorperfect.com\/nonprofit-technology-blog\/end-of-year\/year-end-fundraising-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Have you started your year-end fundraising plan? Consider the donor engagement cycle"},"content":{"rendered":"

For DonorPerfect users, 37% of all giving happens in October, November, and December. The final few months of the year represent a season of giving and generosity, including deadlines for charitable giving tax incentives, creating perfect conditions for nonprofits to raise a lot of funding in a relatively short amount of time.<\/p>\n

But when just about every other nonprofit is pushing for end-of-year funding, how can you make sure your mission stands out?<\/b> Try looking at the techniques you may already know! There are five key stages of donor engagement<\/a>, often referred to as the donor engagement<\/a> cycle, that help your donors get to know your mission and organization and inspire them to give generously.<\/p>\n\"end\n

When planning for year-end fundraising, you might try plotting your course along your donors\u2019 and prospects\u2019 natural giving rhythm. That way, your year-end ask won\u2019t come as a surprise, and your donors will have already made the choice to support your nonprofit before your appeal hits their mailboxes. The following is an overview of how to use the donor engagement<\/a> cycle for year-end planning, and we\u2019ll create more specific resources for you from now through January (including this cheat sheet<\/a>!).<\/p>\n

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Identification<\/h2><\/header>\n

If you\u2019re itching to start year-end planning, you could start preparation as early as summertime. In the identification stage, you can use wealth screening tools<\/a>, marketing lists, and your own database and local resources to find potential year-end donors. This is also the right time to clean up your database<\/a>, prepare and segment<\/a> your mailing lists, and start drafting your year-end appeal.<\/p>\n

While major gift donors<\/a> each require their own unique plan, year-end is a great time to highlight their generosity as a way to encourage others to give. Do you have any major donors<\/a> or area business partners who might enjoy inspiring your community with a matching gift? Now\u2019s the time to brainstorm lists of potential matching donors and gauge interest.<\/p>\n

Finally, the identification stage includes realistic, ambitious goal-setting<\/a>. Now that you have a good sense of your donor and prospect pool, you\u2019ll be able to set goals that are both exciting and attainable to keep your team and yourself motivated without adding unnecessary stress.<\/p>\n