As you probably know, the holiday period is an excellent opportunity for your nonprofit to generate revenue through donations. For instance, in the United States and Canada, people usually consider giving back to society at the end of the year. According to Statistics Canada, donations can approach the $10 billion mark during Christmas.
However, to exceed your fundraising goals, you must run an excellent campaign. Additionally, you must have the right tools in place.
Top Fundraising Tools
Your nonprofit should start with the best fundraising software that can engage supporters, grow your donor base during the holiday season, and raise more money during Christmas. The best fundraising software has the following essential features:
- Complete donor tracking
- Integrated fundraising campaigns
- Excellent online donation webforms
- Effective email marketing
- Concise donor and donation reporting
With one powerful system helping with fundraising outreach, donor and donation records, and payment processing, you can hit your fundraising goals while reducing mistakes. And because the software is more efficient, you may have more time on your hands to enjoy the holidays!
Excellent Donation Page
Your donation page must be ready to engage potential donors before your campaign begins. The donation page must be effective, strike confidence, and feature a prominent donation button. It should also feature your branding.
- Always use a donate button on your social media posts.
- Share donation links in your email marketing campaigns.
- Ensure that your donation button is easy to use.
- Give donors the option to pay processing costs.
- Give donors the opportunity to sign up for repeat gifting.
Steps to Run an Effective Holiday Fundraising Campaign
Your first step is to plan your fundraising campaign. The earlier, the better.
- Reach out to your staff and volunteers. Remind them that it’s all hands-on-deck during the holiday season.
- Connect with trustworthy partners from previous successful fundraising campaigns.
- Start strengthening relationships with potential and long-time donors now before requesting gifts.
Your Goal Should Be Ambitious but Realistic
Now is the time to set a goal for your fundraising campaign. You should set an ambitious but realistic target to keep your team motivated.
After setting a goal, you can adopt the best strategy. With a realistic goal, you can adjust your strategy if you’re falling behind. At the end of the campaign, you can use the objective as a milestone to measure the success of your fundraising efforts.
Work On Your Strategy
Consider the following factors to develop an effective holiday fundraising campaign:
- Your campaign’s target demographic.
- The length of your campaign.
- The branding and messaging.
- The type of content your strategy will utilize.
- The most effective platforms for your campaign.
With the right strategy, you can invest in the right marketing tools. For example, if you’re targeting millennial donors, Facebook might be your best online platform. However, TikTok might be a more useful platform if your market’s demographic cohort is Generation Z.
Develop The Right Content
Your content must effectively engage with potential donors. Use short videos, social media posts, blogs, infographics, and emails to connect with people. Focus on developing excellent content rather worrying about the content volume.
Experts say that you should use the word “gift” instead of “donate” in your donation campaigns. While “donate” may sound like an obligation, a gift sounds more generous. Statistics suggest that people are significantly more likely to give if asked for a gift than a donation.
Connect With Donors
With your goals, strategy, and content set, you need to work on your online campaign. Ensure that your campaign has a holiday theme. Colorful visuals can help attract eyes to your efforts.
When marketing your campaign on social media, use the right hashtags. Additionally, invest in social media marketing tools to connect with your specific demographics.
You can also try using a graphic like a fundraising thermometer. This tool will help motivate your staff, volunteers, and donor base. A graphic is a great addition to your landing page too.
The holiday season is an opportune time to hit your fundraising goals. Invest in the best tools and strategies to develop an effective campaign. Please also look up other successful Christmas fundraising campaigns for inspiration.
Take all necessary steps to ensure the success of your holiday comping. This final month can easily be your biggest.