Running an Effective New Year Thank You Campaign

End-of-year fundraising is a critical time for nonprofits. Why? Believe it or not, the last two days of the year are the biggest giving days, even more so than Giving Tuesday. It makes sense then that nonprofits focus so much year-end fundraising campaigns.

However, some nonprofits fail to take advantage of the end of year momentum, missing the opportunity to build strong relationships with these newly active donors.

With a New Year thank you campaign, nonprofits can ensure they’re properly thanking their donors while cultivating a long-term commitment to their organization. A thank you campaign also helps you fill a typically quiet period where you don’t have much to communicate.

Follow these four steps to run an effective New Year thank you campaign.

1. Share What You Raised

Take a moment to celebrate what you accomplished together during your fundraising campaign. Help your donors feel a part of something bigger than themselves by showing what you all raised together. Brag a little!

Besides helping your donors see the bigger picture, transparency builds trust and is a key part of the accountability you owe your supporters.

Share your results with simple infographics and include whatever you can: total amount raised, number of people who donated, average donation, number of posts shared on social media and number of new supporters. Did you do significantly better this year than last? Share it!

You can also share a simple and impactful thank you video with your supporters. It’s as simple as showing the impact and personalizing the message to your audience.

2. Describe How You’re Going To Use The Funds

You always tell a donor what you’re going to use their gift for when you ask for their support. Once you have the funds, share the immediate ways you’re utilizing the money. Many parts of nonprofit spending aren’t particularly exciting, but they’re each critical to your organization.

If you designed your year-end fundraising campaign around a specific program, share the actions you’ve taken towards executing that program. Help your donors see what their gift is accomplishing.

3. Deliver A Special Thank You

An automatic thank you letter or email is, as always, the bare minimum. Since your year-end campaign is special, create a special thank you.

Consider sharing hand-written notes with as many people as possible, perhaps setting a gift threshold. For those you can’t write individual notes to, personalize your thank you as much as you can, adding in places in your letter to use their name, and to share any specifics about their gift you know.

Ask your president or a staff member who works closely with your beneficiaries to share a message of thanks as well.

4. Encourage your donors to stay active.

Giving to your year-end fundraising campaign is the first step a donor takes. Build upon their gift by pulling them further into your organization.

Ask your donors to take a small action in the new year, whether it’s sharing about your organization on social media or asking their friends to join your email list. Taking action will build momentum and ensure they’re further involved in the future.

As you design your year-end fundraising plan, consider what comes next. Take advantage of the momentum of a successful fundraising month by running an effective new year thank you campaign. Your donors deserve it!