Year-End Countdown (Day 90): 3 Things to Do This Week

It’s official: there are only 90 days to go until year-end. Start getting ready now by checking these three things off your to do list:

1. Assemble your #GivingTuesday and Year-End Ambassadors.

Especially for a giving day like #GivingTuesday, your campaign success depends on having a group that is actively rallying their friends and social networks to help hit your fundraising goal. Furthermore, these ambassadors can help keep the momentum going through December 31. Engaging team members works best when they are asked to bring their talents or networks to the table. There are lots of talents needed for a successful campaign, so there should be a job for everyone who wants to participate.Start recruiting your board, staff, and loyal volunteers to fill these roles:

Giving money

Direct donating
Challenge gifts
Matching funds

Raising money

Personal fundraisers launched on your behalf
Outreach to friends and family

Skill sharing

Marketing
Design
PR
Writing
Technology
Videography
Photography

Social Ambassadors

Sharing through social channels
Online or offline events

Planning

Goal setting
Campaign management
Database management

Networking

Outreach to community partners
In-kind support
Corporate support
Volunteer recruitment

The hardest part of building your team is asking people to get involved in one more thing. But, if you communicate the importance of year-end fundraising that kicks off with a virtual party for your cause (#GivingTuesday) it creates a spark for building your team.

2. Start setting up your P2P campaign.

With a peer-to-peer campaign, your board, staff, and volunteers can set up individual giving pages and share them with their networks. You’ll reach new donors and raise more money—and it’s extremely easy to do. And, with Network for Good’s peer-to-peer fundraising software, you have the option to approve a fundraiser’s page before it goes live so you can ensure your nonprofit’s message is consistent across all pages.

3. Make sure staff is trained on fundraising software.

December is coming, and it’s going to be crazy. You want to make sure you have the right infrastructure in place now to send appeals, accept donations, record donor data, and thank your donors.To help share the load during the busy season, make sure your staff is fully trained up on everything they need to know to make changes to your donation page, send an email appeal in your donor management system, and find the information they need so they can answer questions from your donors.