Answering the Top Four Charity Questions About Year-End Fundraising

The holiday season is the busiest time of year for fundraising. It can be exciting but also highly competitive and hectic. As a charity, it’s essential to make your fundraising pitch memorable and ensure it stands out. You’ll also want your fundraising appeal to be clear and motivating enough to inspire donors to give to your cause.

To help Canadian charities boost their fundraising, here are answers to four common questions CanadaHelps' receives about how to create an effective year-end fundraising appeal.

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Four Charity Questions About Year-End Fundraising

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1. How Much Should Charities Communicate During Year-End?

Year-end is the time of year to put concerns of over-communicating aside. Supporters expect to hear from you and you can’t risk your email getting lost. Plan on at least two emails between December 28th-31st, supported by plenty of social media outreach.

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2. What To Do If Your Charity is Falling Short of its Fundraising Goal?

Consider re-sending your email to donors who haven’t opened, with a new subject line or forwarding your email with a short, personal note from your Executive Director to appeal to your donors.

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3. How Should Charities Ask for Money?

All holiday-long you’ve been telling stories. Come tax-time, make a strong, hard-hitting simple and direct ask. Pair the urgency of the tax deadline with a concise message on the vital needs your organization is addressing and the impact a gift will make. Get our free Tax-time Toolkit, complete with messages and ready-to-use graphics.

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4. What Changes Should Charities Make During the Holidays?

If you haven’t yet, edit or update your existing CanadaHelps donation form to match the same content in your emails. This way it reinforces the need your charity is addressing and the impact your donors can make. Also, consider increasing your suggested donation amounts or adding a higher value amount just for the holiday period.