3 Mistakes That Could Derail Your Year-End Campaign Before It Even Begins
Over 30% of all donations to small nonprofits are given during the last few months of the year- primarily in the month of December. It’s the busiest and most crucial time of year for small nonprofits- many of which don’t have the time and resources available to take full advantage of this opportunity.
To close this gap between opportunity and realistic ability, Network for Good started Jump-Start Fundraising—an initiative to make sure small nonprofits have access to the best-possible software, strategic plan, and expert team members to help you raise more this giving season.
Getting the right tools, plan, and team in place for giving season is vital, and you need to get the most out of your efforts. When you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to planning your campaign, it’s all the more important to make sure you’re not unknowingly sabotaging your success. You don’t want anything to hold you back from reaching your full potential this fall.
Make sure your organization doesn’t fall into one of these traps:
1. Not Using #GivingTuesday as Your Kick-Off
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, now known as #GivingTuesday, is the second largest giving day of the year after December 31. There’s a lot of excitement around this day, and it’s important to place it in proper context so you can harness the energy and get the most out of your time and efforts. #GivingTuesday will be most effective for you and your donors when you position it as the launch day of your year-end drive, rather than a separate event.
2. Not Asking Supporters to Fundraise for You
If you’ve never started a peer-to-peer campaign, this is the time to do it. When your supporters can create their own unique fundraising pages in support of your organization, they can share it with their friends-and the gifts multiply. Giving isn’t simply a transaction- it’s an emotional human connection. The data proves it, as donors are three times more likely to give when they’re asked by someone they know. Peer-to-peer fundraising is also a perfect way for board members and staff to reach out to their networks and bring in more support for your cause.
3. Not Optimizing Your Online Donation Page
The number one, biggest mistake that you could possibly make to sabotage your year-end campaign before it even begins is not making sure that your online donation experience is easy for donors and reinforces their desire to give. There’s nothing worse that wanting to donate to a nonprofit, going to their website, and being unable to find the donation page- or finding the page, but the lackluster PayPal transaction makes you second-guess your decision. If you do nothing else this year-end, put on your donor-hat for a few minutes and try to donate through your website. Ask yourself:
- Is the donate button clearly displayed on the homepage of your site? If the link is too small, or if you need to scroll way down to find it (or if it’s not there at all), fix this ASAP.
- When you click on the donation page, does it look and feel like part of your website? Is there a compelling picture that reinforces the importance of your cause?
- Are there suggested giving amounts, along with impact labels? Impact labels encourage donors to give by showing them a tangible way that their gift could make a real difference. The most successful giving pages make this connection clear.
Learn more about strategy, software, and extra help to make this year-end your best ever through Jump-Start Fundraising—an initiative to make sure small nonprofits have access to the best-possible software, strategic plan, and expert team members to help you raise more this fall.
