Summer tends to be a slower time for fundraisers. Many donors and staff are away on vacation.
However, fall fundraising will be here before you know it. That’s why it’s a good idea to take advantage of quiet time in the office to prepare for the mad dash to year end.
6 Things You Can Do to Prep for Fall Fundraising
With that in mind, here are six things you can do RIGHT NOW to help you prepare for fall fundraising so you absolutely crush it when autumn arrives.
1. Draft your fall fundraising letter today!
Honestly, there’s no reason to wait until September or October to write this letter. Send it to the printer before Labor Day and you will feel so much better.
2. Test your online giving platform.
When was the last time you donated to your own organization via the website? If you haven’t done so recently, it’s time. Can you make a recurring gift? Is the process intuitive? Does it look how you want it to look?
3. Write some new “thank you” language.
When was the last time you changed the standard thank you letter? What about your online thank you email? Are donors seeing the same old, same old? Is there a new story to share or some new statistic to quote? What about including a testimonial or two?
4. Prepare for #GivingTuesday.
Will you participate in #GivingTuesday? If so, your campaign/efforts should not be last minute. Plan out your effort, draft your emails, etc.
5. Plan a Thank-A-Thon.
There’s no time like the fall to thank donors. A thank-a-thon is a great way to engage your volunteers in thanking donors. Volunteers can write thank you emails, notes, and make phone calls.
6. Make a firm commitment to raise major gifts.
There’s a time-tested methodology when it comes to asking for major gifts. Sharing that methodology is a big part of my work. It’s why I created Mastering Major Gifts — an excellent way for you to learn the ropes from mentors and peers.
Join Mastering Major Gifts — Your First 30 Days are Free!
I designed MMG as an ongoing monthly program that shows you, step-by-step, everything you need to do to raise major gifts consistently and successfully. It takes the process and breaks it down into bite-sized steps, while providing continuous support from me, and your peers.
Learn more about Mastering Major Gifts »
As an added benefit, you’ll earn 5 CFRE credits each month you stick with the program. On top of that, when you join this summer, you’ll get your first 30 days FREE. So if it’s not your cup of tea, simply cancel and you won’t have lost a thing.
Get Ready Now; You’ll Thank Me Later
Be prepared for fall fundraising. Don’t let the summer fly by without doing one or more of the six items above. In addition, during the peak of the COVID crisis, I wrote about 5 summer actions you can take to bolster your fall fundraising. While the worst of the virus may be behind us, all five of these actions remain relevant and helpful.
Fall will be here before you know it, and you have a golden opportunity RIGHT NOW to get ready in advance — don’t let it pass you by.
What else will you be doing to prepare for fall fundraising? Drop me a line in the comments below…
Right on! Especially #5! Keep your donors feeling appreciated, you’ll reap the rewards later in the year.