The holidays are a time for giving. It’s also a time for nonprofit organizations to line their coffers. If you’re chairing a committee, you may find yourself in charge of the annual drive.
What can you do to get customers to open their wallets, especially after the hardships of the past two years? Here are eight tips for fundraising during the holidays to help your group reach its goals.
1. Employ Technology to Stay Organized
Modern technology makes it less cumbersome to stay on top of frequent donors. The Rolodex is now a dinosaur from antiquity. Today’s customer relationship management systems (CRMs) track who gives the most and when, making it easier to maximize your holiday fundraising strategy.
However, you must trust that your databases won’t crash during crunch time. Ensure that your system scores well in high volume resiliency, preventing system breakdowns when your patrons have their wallets open, ready to give. Run checks on all computers and review the importance of anti-malware software on all devices to access your client information.
Technology works best with a personal touch. For example, feel free to use computerized phone and text messaging systems to reach out to frequent donors. Don’t, however, send multiple alerts with no one covering the lines to give a genuine, human response should someone reply.
2. Include Gift-Matching Incentives
Depending on the size of your organization, you may be able to match your patron’s gifts. Even the mere mention of doing so results in a marked increase in marketing response rates. Fully a third of donors will give more if they believe that their contribution will double.
Matching gifts benefit your organization’s overall reputation by making it appear more of a leader in charitable giving. If you’re like many who have a for-profit and affiliated nonprofit or charity, your act generates community goodwill by showing your dedication to vital social causes.
3. Make It Competitive
Another way to hit your holiday fundraising goals is by including an element of competition. Many organizations give out T-shirts or other tokens to those who donate to the cause. Why not award prizes according to how much a person gives, perhaps starting with a sticker or postcard and going all the way up to sweatshirts and hoodies?
Remember those old “you’re the hundredth shopper” incentives stores used to use? You can utilize a twist of this idea in your fundraising. Who will put you over the top of your goal? The lucky donor who hits that magic number wins a prize.
4. Leverage the Holiday Spirit
Charities have long leveraged the human spirit of generosity during the holidays to reach their goals. Think about the Salvation Army and their prominent bell ringers in front of nearly every grocery store. The trick is to make giving a convenient act of spontaneous joy, not a burden or hassle.
If you’re a smaller group, consider partnering with local businesses, arranging to use some of their sidewalk space for fundraising. Many are amenable as long as you don’t block traffic — having you out there shows their community spirit, too.
Consider other types of partnerships as well. For example, is a local restaurant willing to give patrons a free or discounted treat if customers bring in their raffle ticket stubs from your fundraiser? The promise of a cup of hot cocoa, gratis, at the end of a long, cold day may inspire some folks to spend their spare change on your worthy cause.
5. Use Social Media Campaigns
Social media is a glorious way to spread the news of your fundraiser, especially around the holidays. Be sure to mention the spirit of the season in all your advertisements and posts.
Please don’t overlook the spending power of the younger generation. For example, many brands stick to the big markets of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. However, you may have more luck on TikTok — and a lot of fun making fundraising videos — to capture different demographics.
6. Create Opportunities for Fun
Another way to fundraise is to create opportunities for family fun around the holiday. For example, does your church host a regular bingo? Why not go all out one month and create a carnival-like atmosphere, with games and small attractions like a dunk tank to draw donations?
You could combine such an event with a bake sale. You’ll allow your talented chefs to peddle their wares while patrons can pick up that much-needed dessert for their holiday table. Please ensure that you label all products clearly with their ingredients so that those with food allergies or sensitivities can rest assured their purchase is safe to eat.
7. Customize Your Giving Pages
If you always wanted to go a little wild and wacky with your graphic design, the holidays are your chance. Now’s the time to use big, bold fonts that grab attention and colors in line with the season.
Customize your giving pages with holiday designs. Doing so reminds your patrons of the reason for the season, perhaps inspiring more generosity than they would normally demonstrate. Plus, it creates a festive, cheerful mood.
You also want to make donors feel secure. Please ensure your website has an SSL certificate — you’ll see the lock icon on the address bar — so that patrons feel safe entering their credit card information. Streamline the checkout process, keeping it to one page whenever possible. The more complex it is, the more opportunities potential givers have to change their minds.
8. Recognize Your Donors
Some people hate recognition for their good deeds, but most like to be known for their philanthropy. Find a way to recognize your donors. Many organizations publish a list of names, sometimes with different tier levels acknowledging the generosity of their contributions.
Another way to say thank you is with a small gift. If you also run a for-profit entity or your charity has a gift shop, repay donations with a coupon. Otherwise, treats like cute candy cane and pen bouquets are inexpensive ways to express gratitude to your generous patrons.
Fundraising Tips During the Holidays
Now is the time for people to give. Follow these fundraising tips during the holidays to exceed your goals.
