The giving season is a great opportunity for nonprofits to meet their fundraising goals. Crafting a good end-of-year giving campaign can be complex. Check out these steps to help you make the most of your year-end appeal.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!An end-of-year giving campaign is a major fundraising strategy used by nonprofits like yours to hit annual fundraising goals. These campaigns rely on the increased generosity of donors during the holiday season.
In 2025, nonprofits raised 37% of all their online revenue during December alone, with the last day of the year accounting for 4% of annual revenue.
Crafting and executing a solid end-of-year giving campaign can be complex. Below, I’ll share a step-by-step guide to help you plan and execute a successful year-end appeal.
The increase in end-of-year donations is tied to the holiday season, which inspires more generosity and goodwill. Many nonprofits like yours leverage Giving Tuesday – the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. – as the kick-off of their end-of-year giving campaigns.
Also, many donors choose to give their last donations for the tax year before the cut-off to increase their tax deductions. All donations made before midnight on December 31st count.
52% of nonprofits start planning their year-end fundraising campaign by October.
Plan, strategize, and steward your donors early on so you’re well-prepared for the Giving Season. Planning early is critical to ensuring the success of your year-end campaign and to helping you and your team accomplish your objectives.
Here are some basic tools you should have in your toolbox for end-of-year giving:
Bonus resource: Download this customizable 2026 Giving Season calendar and use it as an end-of-year giving campaign checklist to help you successfully plan and execute tasks.
Before working on your 2026 fundraising strategy, review your 2025 efforts to understand what worked and what didn’t. Leverage the data you have on hand to guide you toward the direction you should take and which tools to use.
Consider the following questions:
Get as many relevant stakeholders as possible on board with this review. Discuss successes and challenges, and brainstorm how to improve this year.
Bonus resource: Use this free Rose, Bud, and Thorn worksheet to evaluate your previous end-of-year giving campaigns and provide a solid foundation for your 2026 year-end giving campaign.
Once you review your past campaign’s performance, look at where you’re at in this present moment.
Consider the following:
To succeed and progress, set SMART goals for your end-of-year giving campaign to provide clarity and keep you on track and motivated.
SMART is an acronym for:
Remember to highlight your fundraising goal on your donation page to let supporters know how much you need and create a sense of urgency among them to help you meet the goal.
See how Fresh Lifelines for Youth highlighted their fundraising goal and surpassed it with only 68 donations!
Before you start brainstorming ideas for activities and tactics, recap which resources you have access to at the moment:
Once you understand what resources you have at your disposal, it’s easier to create a more informed and realistic plan for your 2026 year-end giving campaign.
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the activities (e.g., designing your social media posts or creating a promo video), look at the scope of your campaign to figure out the big picture.
Don’t go into too many details just yet. This step is only meant to provide an overview of your end-of-year giving campaign.
To execute the most effective and successful end-of-year campaign, think about your audience first. Segment your donors based on their giving behavior and traits to personalize your outreach so it resonates.
Use a donor management tool like Donorbox Donor Management to segment supporters by location, donation amounts and frequency, donation date, donation type, campaign, and more. Then, personalize your messaging to appeal to them specifically.
During this process, you may identify major donors, but don’t forget to reach out to supporters who usually give in smaller amounts.
Pro tip: If your nonprofit has many donors who show their support with smaller gifts, consider running a crowdfunding campaign for lower-level donors as part of your end-of-year giving.
Targeting the right audience can greatly benefit your end-of-year campaign. Who you target will depend on your current donor base, the local community, and your prospective donor research.
Before you create specific messages and targeted appeals, decide on a theme that will shape the narrative in all of your end-of-year fundraising appeals.
Keep your appeals and other messaging short, clear, and interesting. Your messaging must also clearly articulate how donors can make an impact and why their donations matter.
Use storytelling to humanize your content, engage supporters, and inspire generosity.
Kathleen Costa-Daniels, Senior Project Manager at Whole Whale, shares how to leverage storytelling effectively:
Next, personalize your messages – including letters, emails, thank-yous, and surveys – to ensure your appeals effectively bring in more donations.
Address your donor by his or her name in your appeal letter, and include how much they’ve donated in the past and the impact of their gifts. Use suggested amounts that match their giving ability so donating feels accessible.
Pro tip: Remember to personalize your scripts if you’re going to ask volunteers to make appeal calls or host a phone-a-thon.
Now is the time to start working on your timeline. Ensure your end-of-year giving campaign does not exceed six weeks.
#GivingTuesday extends the year-end giving period slightly, so use it as a benchmark for when to start your year-end campaign appeals. Most giving happens in December (especially during the last three days), so consider that when creating your timeline.
Start with Giving Tuesday.
If you’re worried that the Giving Tuesday campaign will distract from the year-end push, work through different channels and address various audiences. For example, promote your Giving Tuesday campaign solely through social media and target recurring donors with small gift sizes.
Give your entire team access to the end-of-year campaign timeline. Responsibilities and deadlines should be clearly indicated. Consider having weekly check-ins – daily towards the final push – to review progress and check in.
Now is the time to select your communication channels. Depending on your target audience and theme, choose appropriate channels for delivering your end-of-year fundraising appeal.
Here are a few communication channels you could consider:
Whatever channel or combination of channels you end up choosing, triple-check that they’re appropriate for your audience, and then start crafting the channel-specific asks. Don’t use the same content across all channels, as each one has a different target audience and style. Instead, repurpose your content to save time and adjust it for each channel.
Also, be sure to select KPIs (metrics) to track for each of the communication channels you selected to help you measure success during and at the end of your campaign.
Remember to ensure that your website and donation page is sleek, responsive, and trustworthy. Use a fundraising platform that enables you to offer multiple familiar payment methods on your form to inspire donor trust and generosity.
Donorbox OmniGive™ Donation Forms support 25+ payment methods donors already know and trust. Payment methods automatically appear based on their device, location, and donation amount, as shown below.
Part of your end-of-year fundraising strategy should include making the most of any in-person events or activities you have planned. Collecting donations in person is a great way to convert event attendees, volunteers, and others interested in your mission into donors.
Place donation kiosks in high-traffic areas at your end-of-year events to accept cashless in-person gifts quickly. Use a donation kiosk app like Donorbox Live™, which turns your tablet or smartphone into a giving kiosk. Donors can then give quickly and conveniently using credit/debit cards and digital wallets.
Text-to-Give is another great tool for fast, in-person mobile giving in an increasingly cashless world.
Plus, use QR codes to quickly connect your in-person donors with your end-of-year giving campaign online. All they have to do is scan your QR code and make their donation.
After you send out your initial year-end fundraising appeals, it’s time to start following through.
Donors need to be reminded throughout the campaign to donate. Include a call to action in every message you send via your selected communication channels.
However, pay attention to the number and frequency of your asks to avoid overwhelming your donors. Experts suggest a ratio of five to one (five ‘touches’ maximum towards one person) during the year-end campaign.
Focus on those donor segments that are the most likely to give, and constantly measure the return on investment of your efforts.
Continue your follow-up appeals throughout your end-of-year campaign – even down to the last minute – since a lot of donations pour in on the last day of the year.
Ideally, have your thank-you materials created before the start of the campaign. Acknowledging your supporters makes them feel valued and appreciated, and shows them that their actions have a positive impact.
Giving out thank-yous also increases the chances of your supporters donating again and helps build lasting relationships.
No matter the size of the gift, send a personalized thank-you as soon as possible, and don’t include an additional ask. Simply reiterate the impact of the donation and express your gratitude.
Consider publicly recognizing your donors who give their consent – either on social media or during various PR opportunities.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to thank your staff and volunteers. End-of-year campaigning can be very labor-intensive and stressful, so make your team feel recognized and appreciated, regardless of your year-end campaign results.
After a lot of hard work, you’re finally at the finish line.
Now that the campaign is over, you’ll want to:
Debrief the results with your team and reflect on the campaign. Think about what you learned and what you can implement in next year’s campaign.
Record your findings, data, and discussions so they’re accessible for next year’s planning. This is how you’ll learn, improve, and become more successful each year.
Tune in to this podcast episode, where Jena Lynch, Head of Community Engagement at Donorbox, walks us through a month-by-month roadmap for year-end fundraising.
You’ll learn how to maximize donor engagement, plan strategically, and hit your year-end fundraising goals with confidence.
Even the most well-executed year-end campaign can lose momentum if certain mistakes occur. Here’s what to be careful of:
Blanket messaging will drive donors away and be counterproductive to your fundraising efforts. Segment your audience and personalize your appeals to new donors, returning donors, and long-term supporters.
A successful year-end fundraising strategy builds momentum over several weeks and prioritizes stewardship long before the initial gift is made. Giving Tuesday should be treated as your kick-off, not the finish line.
Waiting until November or December to start planning your year-end campaign leaves little room for planning and creating your content, segmenting and stewarding your donors, and testing your fundraising tools.
Start as early as September so you have enough time to plan the most successful campaign.
The end-of-year giving campaign is one of the most important initiatives your nonprofit will tackle. However, remember to spread out your fundraising efforts throughout the year and use your year-end campaign as the cherry on top.
Platforms like Donorbox provide helpful fundraising features to take your year-end fundraising to the next level.
If you haven’t already, sign up to start fundraising today.
Looking for more resources? Visit the Nonprofit Blog for expert fundraising tips and insights to enhance your fundraising efforts.
Ilma is a content writer with over eight years of experience, specializing in nonprofits and social impact, marketing, language, and psychology. She draws on years of volunteering in the nonprofit sector to craft thoughtful, research-informed pieces. Ilma is also a therapist passionate about mental health and often weaves this perspective into her writing.
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