Interview! Darlene Duggan, Director of Operations at Tree House Humane Society
September 15, 2018
Interview! Anne Lindsay, Founder & President, Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC) – Part I
September 22, 2018
Fall is the busiest time of the year for nonprofit organizations.
This is the time of year where many organizations get most of their donations. Below are a few tips to ensure that you are making the most of this last period of gift giving.
1. Don’t forget to ask for money.
Many small groups don’t send out appeal letters or email updates to people who have contributed to their organization. Make sure to spend the time to connect with donors and volunteers to keep everyone updated on your news — it will be worth it!
2. Keep your holiday appeal simple and clean — and do be sure to send one out.
Everyone is busy around the holidays, so they don’t have time to read a four-page letter. Keep your communications short and sweet. You can do a newsletter or e-news to share the stories.
3. When looking at mail, people spend an average of 30 seconds deciding to pitch or keep.
Make your mailing eye-catching to increase the likelihood that your recipients will keep it and donate.
4. Be careful with planning year-end in-person events.
Everyone is busy and there are always lots of parties and family gatherings. Because of this, I would not recommend having an event in December. The only events that I have seen have good success in November are food drives around Thanksgiving.
5. Adoption promotions can have a fundraising component to them.
If you do a “home for the holidays” campaign, you can ask for a donation at the time of adoption and in many cases, you will get donations to help continue your programs. It never hurts to ask!
6. My good friend Julie Jacobson, who helps with the Community Cats Grants program, says “Thank before you bank.”
This is a great line to remember. You will (hopefully!) be writing a lot of thank-you letters, and you want to make sure that they are written and sent out in a timely manner. Don’t overwhelm yourself during the holidays, so be sure to allow for enough time to ensure your thank-yous get done.
7. Utilize your board members to help with thanking any leadership donations.
Board members love to thank people for donating to a cause they care about, so don’t hesitate to ask for their help with the thank-yous! Plus, it’s a great way to build relationships with your donors.
What are your best tips for navigating fundraising during the holiday season?
