ResourcesChecklist · Fundraising Marketing
Year-End Giving Campaign Checklist
Year-end campaigns fail on timing more than on copy. Here is the week-by-week plan a team of one can run.
Key Takeaways
- Start six weeks out with one goal and one story
- Write the whole email series in one sitting
- Send short emails on December 29, 30 and 31
Summarize With AI
Six Weeks Out
- Pick one goal and one story. A number donors can picture beats a mission statement.
- Test the donation page on a phone, end to end, including the receipt email.
- Tag past year-end donors so they get a thank-you first, not an appeal.
Four Weeks Out
- Write the whole series at once: a story email, an update, a deadline email and two last-day reminders.
- Swap the homepage banner and the top of the donation page to the campaign story.
- Schedule two social posts a week that point to the same page.
The Last Ten Days
- Send a short email on December 29, 30 and 31. These are the highest-giving days of the year.
- Keep subject lines plain. A deadline and a number is enough.
- Thank every gift within 48 hours.
January
- Send an impact update to everyone who gave.
- Write down what worked on one page so next year starts from it.
Questions
When should a nonprofit start its year-end campaign?
Six weeks before December 31 gives time to fix the donation page, write the series and line up social posts.
How many emails should a year-end campaign send?
Five to seven across December works for most small nonprofits, with three of them in the last three days.