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titleThe Basics Broken Down
  • Stop and pray. Then plan. 
    The old adage is true; We don't plan to fail, we fail to plan. December can be a very valuable time for fundraising, if it's approached thoughtfully and in a way that helps your messaging stand out. If you're going to do an end of the year ask, take the time to ask the Lord for His wisdom on whom to contact. Then plan it out. 

  • If you need the funds, plan to follow-up voice-to-voice or face-to-face. 
    People have great intentions, but tasks get lost in the shuffle of life; especially around the holidays! A follow-up plan will greatly increase follow-through from those who desire to give. Effective asks include written communication (letter, card, email, etc), followed up by a phone call or face-to-face meeting. This can be done in small batches over a number of weeks. 

  • Determine your distribution list. 
    Who will receive this ask? Definitely send to those who don't give on a regular basis. Don't send to anyone who has been recently asked (either for an increase or special gift) or those who just started giving monthly within the last 6 months.

  • Consider snail-mail, including a hand-written a note. 
    Printed mail has far more staying power than electronic and it allows you to add a personal, hand-written note. These notes build relationship and show you care. We've found this to be true especially for donors who primarily receive correspondence electronically throughout the year because it stands out!

  • Determine timing.
    Plan to have it hit mailboxes the weekend after Thanksgiving. You’ll want to beat the deluge of Christmas cards (and Christmas spending). Some recommend putting the letter in the mail on Black Friday. 

  • Affirm the relationship & your donor’s generosity. 
    This is where that hand-written note comes into play. This small gesture helps build relationship. 

  • Anchor your ask in vision. 
    Show them the impact they're making and invite them to go deeper. Tell them how the Lord is moving within your ministry then invite the donor to come alongside that work through leveraging their finances. When following up your ask with a call or a meeting, your ask is more about learning how God is challenging the donor toward radical giving. It is less about you and your ministry. Your ministry is the vehicle by which the Lord is discipling your donor into a deeper relationship with Him through the leveraging of their finite resources to build an infinite and lasting Kingdom. You're the mouthpiece God uses to deliver this message. Yes, lives within your ministry will be impacted as a result of this gift. But, if the donor's life and heart is not being impacted for Christ as well, then you've missed out Then, paint a picture of your ask; why it's important and how lives will be changed as a result. Avoid these terms: need, shortfall, lack of funding, low support, backpay, deficit. Those are not compelling reasons for people to give. Your ask should be vision-driven, not need or crisis-driven.  Remember, people give to people, justified by the cause.

  • List your financial need and what those finances will help accomplish. 

  • Make a clear ask.

  • Include how to donate
     Not everyone gives online. Provide a way for people to easily send a check in the mail (include the How to Start Giving Form and a self-addressed envelope in your mailing). 

  • Follow up 
    Phone call, email, or texting is all appropriate ways to follow up on the ask. Consider following up 3 times per donor. 


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titleThanking

When people respond to your opportunity to make an impact through giving, the next step is to thank them. Donors give to multiple causes. An average donor will see 10-20 thank you's a year and promptly forget them all. You want to be the thanks they can't forget.

The general standard is a hand-written thank-you card and a phone call. (Other ideas HERE.) A welcome packet sent to a new donor or a small gift for a particularly impactful gift can go a long way! 

Develop the art of flattery in your thanks. Don't be shy about it! Tell your donor often, loud and clear, in the big type, just how great they are (because they are!) and remind them of the impact they're making. 

Do not include a financial ask or additional giving opportunity in your thanking process. 

See Annual Stewardship Plan & Timeline for how to follow-up with donors after the Year-End giving season with a THANK, SHOW, CONNECT, OFFER progression. 

Sample Timeline

September - OctoberThrough prayer, ask the Lord to determine your need and what you will ask for. Usually appeals for one-time gifts (vs monthly support, gifts in kind or service projects) are most effective this time of year. (Sample asks are displayed below.) Begin praying over your donors by name. 
October - Early November

Review your data from the past 3 years. Look for: 

  1. Donors who usually have given by this time of year but haven't.  
  2. Reactive Givers: Those who don't give on a regular basis because they like to give more infrequently and only when asked. These donors tend to like to be the hero and give a larger lump sum toward a specific need. End-of-year appeals (vs monthly giving) tend to minister to this type of giver.
  3. Lapsed donors (non-current), donors who have stopped their regular recurring giving, and those who may be at risk of leaving your team. While monthly or quarterly giving might not fit with this donor's current situation, sometimes a special gift does. 
  4. Anyone who has given a one-time gift in the past 3 years. 
Early - Mid NovemberID The Top 20. Through prayer, ask the Lord to help you make a list of the top 20 people you should contact one-on-one with your ask (either face to face or voice to voice). Typically, it's best if this group is made up of different people than those you usually contact with special asks; your regular end-of-year givers being the exception. *However, if anyone falls into all 4 categories above, they should probably be on your Top 20 list. *Who not to ask: Those you've asked for a special gift or increase in regular giving in the past 3-6 months (your discretion). 
Mid-NovemberSend a paper Thanksgiving card to your Top 20* along with a short, handwritten note about why you’re thankful for them. This should be a meaningful message of gratitude. The goal is to remind donors how valuable they are to you and the impact they are helping to make in the Kingdom. Bonus points for including your picture on or in this card! Please consider hand-addressing the envelope. A simple way to mail a card to your Top 20 is to pick up a pack of cards at the store and print 20 photos (of you or you + the people you minister to) at the photo center. Keep it simple so you're more likely to do it. If you have the time, you can send to more than just your Top 20, but make sure your first priority is reaching your Top 20. 
First week of DecemberFollow up the Thanksgiving card with an email containing your end-of-year needs info. Encourage your donor to pray about how the Lord may have them respond to this need. Then let them know you'll be calling in a few days. Consider batching the emails in groups so you're not trying to make follow-up calls to 20 people all on the same day. Manageability is key.
A few days laterFollow up your email with a phone call to make the ask. Remember, your most effective asks are going to be face-to-face (even over a video call). If that can't happen, then the second best is voice-to-voice. An ask in a mass email that's not followed up with a one-on-one ask is the least effective. 
December-JanuaryThank with a personal touch-base + snail-mail.

Is this schedule not your flavor? Want to do something different? Go for it!  Just be sure you're including best practices into your ask.