The end of the year is quickly approaching, and if you’re staring at the calendar and realizing you haven’t finalized your year-end appeal, don’t panic. There’s still time to pull off a successful campaign, but you’ll need to prioritize, simplify, and take action quickly. Here are some tips to help you get your appeal out the door without losing effectiveness.
Things to Focus On:
Prioritize Personal Outreach to Major Donors
If you’re pressed for time, skip the form letter for your major donors. These relationships are critical to your year-end success, so a personal touch is essential. Pick up the phone, schedule a Zoom meeting, or even send a personalized video message. A personal connection is far more meaningful than a standard letter when time is short.
Use Email to Your Advantage
Email is fast, efficient, and can generate immediate results. If you’re behind schedule, lean on email as a primary tool for your year-end appeal. Craft a compelling message with a clear call to action, and don’t be afraid to send multiple reminders in the final days of the year. Segment your email list to ensure the right message reaches the right people, but don’t overthink the details — getting something in front of your audience is better than nothing.
Not sure how to segment? You can take a look at this blog post for easy tips and tricks.
Keep Your Messaging Simple and Direct
Your appeal doesn’t need to be long or overly complex. Focus on your key message: why your organization needs support now and how donors’ contributions will make a difference. Share a compelling story, but keep it concise. Time is of the essence, and a short, direct ask will have more impact than a multi-page letter.
Leverage Social Media
Use your social media platforms to get the word out fast. Social media is perfect for quick updates, reminders, and direct links to your donation page. Create urgency with countdown posts, highlight matching gift opportunities, or post stories of impact that inspire followers to give before the year ends.
Things NOT to Overthink:
Design and Layout
When you’re short on time, good enough is good enough. You don’t need a perfectly designed letter or email template to have an impact. Focus on clarity and ensuring that your ask is front and center. If it looks professional and the message is clear, it’s ready to go. Don't waste valuable time tweaking the font or color palette — content is what counts.
Perfection in Your Storytelling
If you’re worried your appeal story isn’t perfectly polished, don’t let that slow you down. A heartfelt, genuine story about the people you serve or the difference donors have made is powerful enough, even if it’s not “perfect.” Your audience wants to know that their gift matters — focus on getting that message across rather than agonizing over every word.
Mailing Logistics
Sending out printed letters at the last minute can feel stressful, but don’t overthink your timeline. Even if your mailers arrive later in December, donors can still give through the end of the year (and January gifts are always a nice beginning-of-the-year boost). Use digital follow-ups (email and social media) to keep your audience engaged while waiting for mailed appeals to land.
Things NOT to Worry About:
Late Timing
If you’re feeling behind, remember that most donors make their gifts in the final days of December. There’s still time to capture those last-minute gifts. Be sure to emphasize the year-end deadline in all your messaging, and send reminders as December 31 approaches. The sense of urgency will encourage procrastinators to give.
Missing Every Donor Touchpoint
You might have wanted to do multiple touches with your appeal — letters, emails, calls, and social media — but it’s okay if that didn’t happen. Quality over quantity is key here. Focus on ensuring that your core message gets in front of your donors, even if it’s just one email or one phone call. Don’t stress over what you missed; instead, concentrate on what you can still do.
Things You Can Do to Maximize Impact:
Make It Easy to Give
Ensure that your donation page is simple and mobile-friendly. Include direct links in every email and social media post, and don’t forget to highlight any matching gift opportunities or incentives that could encourage donors to give before the deadline.
Offer a Sense of Urgency
Emphasize urgency in every piece of communication. Remind donors that the year-end deadline is approaching, and this is their last chance to make an impact this year. Use countdowns in emails and on social media to reinforce the limited time left.
Send a Follow-Up Reminder
If you’ve sent your initial appeal, plan to send a reminder email in the final week of December. People are busy, and a gentle nudge will help those who intended to give but didn’t yet get around to it. You’ll be surprised at how many donations come in from a simple, well-timed reminder.
Acknowledge Donors Quickly
Even if you’re rushing to get your appeal out, don’t forget to thank your donors quickly and sincerely. Set up an automated thank-you email for online gifts and plan for personal thank-you calls for major donors as gifts come in and in early January. Gratitude goes a long way in building donor loyalty.
Looking for a way to make your thank you letter stand out from the crowd? We have the perfect blog post for you! Click to find out how you can create compelling thank you notes.
Avoid Having Too Many Editors
In the rush to get an appeal out, getting input from everyone on the team is tempting, but too many cooks in the kitchen will slow you down. Everyone will have different opinions, and you’ll find yourself stuck in an endless cycle of revisions. Limit your reviewers to a key program person, your communications staff, and/or the Executive Director. Think carefully about whose voice needs to be represented and whose signature will be on the appeal. Once you know who the final decision-maker is, send it to them first and move forward confidently.
If you’re behind on your year-end appeal, don’t panic — just focus on what’s most important and get it out the door. Prioritize personal outreach to your top donors, leverage email and social media, and don’t get bogged down in perfection. Remember, good enough can still be great. The key is to act now and make the most of these final weeks to inspire generosity and meet your year-end fundraising goals.
So, what are you waiting for? Start reaching out, pressing send, and calling your donors — there’s still plenty you can do to make this year’s appeal a success!
Feel like you need more help? Fundraising Sol is here for you! Schedule a 30-minute consultation with founder Frances so that you can breathe a sigh of relief this year-end.
Frances Roen is a Georgia girl at heart, and has been graciously adopted by beautiful, snowy Minnesota. She is a forty-something daughter, friend, mom, wife, and entrepreneur, and is always on the look-out for a perfectly
fried piece of chicken.
Frances is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) with nearly 20 years of experience fundraising and has raised over $200M for nonprofits. She has held fundraising positions at The Bakken Museum, Augustana Care Corporation, and YouthLink and consulted with dozens of nonprofit clients across the globe. In these roles, she has been responsible for all aspects of fundraising including comprehensive campaigns, major and planned gifts, annual funds, events, communications, corporate partnerships, and volunteers.
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