5 ways to prep for year-end fundraising
The end of the year is a busy time for nonprofits. You’ve got GivingTuesday, Colorado Gives Day, holiday campaigns, and everything else designed to bring in more support. You also have to do your regular everyday life stuff outside of the organization, so the end of the year unlocks Hard Mode (I’m a gamer and I make no apologies for the terrible reference).
The easy part is that you don't need a huge marketing budget or elaborate campaign to get what you need from the giving season. A little prep now makes things much easier when December rolls in.
Here are five things your organization can do to get ready.
*Some of these dates and references are Colorado-specific, but the information is good no matter where you are.
1. Clean up your donation page
Before you start sending people to your donation page, make sure everything works the way it should. A frustrating experience is the fastest way to have people leave your page.
Test your donation process. Can someone easily make a donation from their phone? Are the instructions clear?
Update your information. Check your organization description, photos, fundraising goals, and contact information.
Make your donation links easy to find. Add them to your website, email newsletter, and social media profiles. Have multiple ways to donate if you can. You don’t want to scare someone away by limiting them to one app or service.
Check your Colorado Gives profile. Make sure your organization's information is accurate and ready for early giving. You want to know this now before the giving push starts.
Optional experiment: Ask someone outside your organization to try navigating your donation page. They might spot confusing or broken steps.
2. Put together a simple communications calendar
You don't need to post every day (in fact, you shouldn’t) or send a dozen fundraising emails (in fact, you SHOULDN’T). You need a plan that helps you stay consistent and organized. Planning things in advance means less scrambling around at the last minute.
Put your important fundraising dates on that calendar, then work backward.
Plan a few social media posts to introduce your campaign and share updates. Don’t squeeze it all in one post; also guide those eyeballs to your website. The more people can learn about your organization, the more likely they are to want to support.
Draft your fundraising emails ahead of time. Include a campaign announcement, mid-campaign reminder, and final appeal as the campaign begins to wrap up. You can also draft your donor thank-you email, but it’s better to save this until after you’ve actually seen the results.
Decide who will be responsible for posting, sending emails, and answering questions. Pick your person. Then pick your backup person.
Make a few reusable graphics so everything looks consistent. Templates are your friend.
Helpful: Make your content in batches. Spending a few hours preparing several posts and emails can save you from having to try to do all this when things get busier.
3. Gather what shows your impact
Instead of focusing only on how much money you need, let people know why you need it. Numbers, stories (that you can share publicly), results. Seeing exactly how their money will be used and how helpful it’s been makes people more likely to hand it over to you.
Gather up:
A few photos that highlight your organization's work. Event and outreach photos are great too.
A success story or testimonial from someone you've helped, with their permission, or make sure to anonymize their information
A couple of meaningful numbers or accomplishments from the past year.
Specific examples of what different donation amounts can support.
You don't need a big cinematic video or an elaborate annual report. A thoughtful story, a good photo, and a clear explanation of your impact will do a lot. Alternatively, modern iPhones take GREAT video.
Helpful: Try to connect your fundraising goal to something tangible. Helping donors understand what their contribution supports makes your message more meaningful.
4. Reconnect with previous supporters before your main ask
Don't wait until GivingTuesday to start talking to folks.
Reach out and reconnect with the people who already know who you are and care about what you do. Share an update, highlight something you accomplished, or simply thank them for being part of your community. Or a combination of all three. Just keep it on the shorter side.
Easy ideas:
Send a short email highlighting something your organization accomplished this year.
Share a behind-the-scenes look at your team, volunteers, or any upcoming projects/events.
Reach out personally to longtime supporters and community partners.
Ask board members and volunteers to help spread the word when your campaign launches.
Helpful: Not every communication needs to include a donation ask. Tell people about your mission before the campaign starts so that you can build those relationships.
5. Get those thank-yous ready before donations start hitting
Don’t forget about what happens after the donations come in.
Before your campaign launches, think about how you want to acknowledge your supporters. Social media (yes)? Email (yes)?
Draft a warm, personal thank-you email or letter.
Make a social media post celebrating your supporters and showing campaign results.
Decide how you'll share fundraising progress and the final amount raised. There are some free donation trackers online that work great if you want to use them.
Plan to update donors on what their contributions helped accomplish.
Helpful: Don't make supporters wait until your next annual report (you do have one, right?) to hear about their impact. Even a brief update helps.
Don’t wait until the last minute!
Year-end fundraising doesn't have to mean weeks of scrambling with emails, rushed graphics, and trying to figure out what to post next.
Start with what you have, focus on what will make the biggest difference, and give yourself plenty of time to put together a campaign that feels thoughtful and manageable. Yes, you’re asking for money, but you’re also teaching people about your organization. This may be the first time someone hears about you. Maybe they saw a friend share one of your posts. Make sure you consider them too.
Don’t forget, you don't have to do (and you shouldn’t!) everything at once. Check off a few things little by little, and you’ll have a much easier and smoother campaign.
Important dates to remember
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November 1, 2026 - Colorado Gives Day early giving begins
December 1, 2026 - GivingTuesday
December 8, 2026 - Colorado Gives Day
December 31, 2026 - Calendar-year-end giving deadline
Need a little help with that end-of-year campaign? 👀
From fundraising emails and social media graphics to campaign messaging and donor thank-yous, I’ve got all the pieces handled so you can spend your time getting your mission and goals out there.
