WEEK 52

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Happy New Year

It’s Week 52 – the final entry in this yearlong project. The last hour that you have to put toward your fundraising foundation, annual giving, happens this week. You have your end-of-year appeal messaging all in place, with the final asks hitting your social media pages and donors’ email accounts on Thursday.

The greatest return on your time now is to refresh your list of donors who gave in 2019 but not yet in 2020. Include gift dates in your report; people who gave at the very end of 2019 may well be planning to give to your organization this week. Use your time strategically to call people who gave earlier in 2019. Your cause may have slipped off their radar, or they may think they already renewed. Make it a friendly call with a program update – don’t lead with the ask. If the donor doesn’t mention that a gift is coming, try a message like, “I hope we can count on your support again this year, as we close out 2020.” You should be able to close the conversation on a high note and it’s likely the next best move is to send a quick email thank-you with the link to your online giving page.

Finish strong and enjoy a quiet week to begin the New Year!

WEEK 51

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Do This To Relieve Year-End Stress​

Today we celebrate reaching Week 51 of this project – together! With just two holiday-shortened weeks remaining in 2020, what’s the best use of your time right now?

Before I share my tactical recommendation, now is a perfect time to look out your window, breathe, and consider that we have reached the Winter Solstice. Starting tomorrow you’ll receive more light every day. Let that thought refresh you before you turn your thoughts back to all the tasks you want to complete before midnight next Thursday.

This week’s task will relieve some stress: prepare your year-end messages for the digital media you plan to use, and decide exactly when you’re going to execute. Make a meeting with yourself so you won’t be rushed when the time comes. You can absolutely repurpose, repeat, and cross-post copy. Pull out your draft copy, add your final touch for your year-end online solicitation, and block out the time on your calendar when you are going to send that email and/or post on your organization’s social media pages.

Bonus task if you have a moment to do it this week: remind your close stakeholders that they can help the cause by boosting your posts and forwarding emails to their contacts with a personal note.

It will lower year-end anxiety to know that you have given yourself the time you need to do each step. Once it’s there, you can move on with your week and not worry about whether you’re going to find the time to make sure your year-end asks are made. My recommendation is that you post and send one round of your messages next Monday or Tuesday, and again on the 31st. If you’re lucky enough that you can delegate this task, be sure to calendar a little time to support and show your appreciation for the person who will make it happen.

Wishing a merry Christmas to those who observe, and a happy Solstice to all you Druids and Earth People out there. See you next week when we can cross the finish line together.

WEEK 50

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Charge That Phone: It’s Call Time​

Congratulations to you! You’ve been climbing Annual Giving Mountain for 50 weeks straight; the summit is in sight. Pause for a moment where you are, breathe, and look back to see how far you’ve come.

Today is a new moon, a perfect time to focus on productivity as you head into the last fortnight of the year. December is when you harvest what you have planned, prepared, and produced all year. There is nothing new to learn right now, just work to be done. This week’s assignment is simple:

Call donors.

That’s it. That’s the post. Love and light to you as you move through this important week.

WEEK 49

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Year-End Giving, 2020 Edition​

Welcome to Week 49! You have arrived in the moment you’ve been preparing for all year. Schedule your time this week, either in one big block or small bites, to ensure that the people you’re counting on to give are asked and thanked, warmly and personally. Whether you will be doing most of the solicitation yourself or supporting Board and Committee members who are asking, that’s all this week is about. And it’s going to be extra intense because 2020. Consider this:

In a normal year, the second and third weeks in December are the only time of year that certain earners and businesses make their giving decisions. For prospects whose livelihood depends on a few large, irregular payments, like high-ticket commissions or portions of awards and settlements, this time of year presents your only opportunity to solicit. Businesses with unpredictable revenue and a calendar fiscal year typically take stock in mid-December to determine how much money they have for year-end distributions like bonuses and charitable gifts.

But: this is 2020, and multitudes have felt – or found — that their income is unpredictable. Donors suspended charitable giving to ensure they could cover essentials; with the election over and promising vaccine news boosting the market, more people than ever will be making their giving choices this month. Go back to your donors who skipped making their usual gift earlier in the year; they may be feeling more confident now.

Take care of yourself and be sure to show lots of appreciation to your donors and the people who are closing gifts. Stay strong so you can sprint through the tape on the 31st!