The year-end season at nonprofits is a beautiful jumble of holiday cheer and urgency. And at Doing Good Digital, we live for it! It’s a time to reflect on the year, have fun, and raise money for missions that are changing the world.

Year-end fundraising emails are one of the best ways to connect with your audience and reach your fundraising goals before the year comes to a close. They’re a way to bring your organization’s voice to your donors (on whichever device they may be on!) and how to maximize year-end donations.

Why is Year-End Fundraising so Critical?

It’s not just the end of another year; it’s a critical time for fundraising. Some nonprofits even report receiving up to a third of their annual donations during December alone. Folks are in the giving spirit during the holidays and motivated to be generous and sentimental. Plus, when they give before midnight on December 31, they can write it off as a tax deduction. A combination of emotion and logistics creates a robust giving environment that nonprofits can’t miss being part of.

The Key to Maximizing Year-End Donations

Email is an incredible way to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. Between the resource-heavy direct mail approach and strategizing the ever-changing landscape of social media, email is a sweet spot. Email is and will continue to be a powerhouse in digital fundraising.

Here are 5 of our favorite emails to consider:

1. Giving Tuesday email – Always the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving (December 3, 2024, this year), this is one of the biggest fundraising days of the year. Not only will communities expect your message, but they’ll also be ready to give. 

2. Holiday email – Whatever holiday is on your calendar, a message of celebration and gratitude easily makes the list of our favorites. This is a fun way to break up appeals with and bridge the larger year-end campaign that includes Giving Tuesday and the final push on December 31. 

3. Last Chance email – Don’t leave the party early! Whether you embed a countdown clock or call out exactly how much time is left to give (only 12 more hours!), it’s critical to communicate that the final push to give has arrived.  

4. Impact report email – Don’t just tell; show. Show why folks should give to your organization with an impact report. This can be as simple as three successes from the year, all made possible by donations. Storytelling can also be especially compelling.
   
5. Matching Gift Challenge email – Whatever the size, integrating a matching gift challenge drives year-end giving even further. It evokes a sense of more significant impact, a community of giving, and an incentive to donate at that very moment.

There are so many ways to ring in the year-end season in digital fundraising. While relationships with donors are essential year-round, year-end emails can make or break your annual revenue goals. We can’t wait to start on these (and more!) with our incredible clients. If you want to work with us to elevate your digital fundraising program, let’s get in touch!

By: Monica Schmidt