December is fast approaching, and most people are feeling extra charitable towards the end of the year – as they say, ‘tis the season of giving. If you belong to the non-profit sector, it’s high time to start rethinking ways to reach out to your supporters in order to achieve and possibly even exceed your donation goals. Here are some useful fundraising statistics to help guide you:
- Nearly one-third (31%) of annual donations happen in December.
Statistically, people tend to give more during the holiday season due to year-end and holiday bonuses. Create a formidable list of recipients made up of active donors and prospective ones and don’t forget to follow up on lapse donors.
- 12% of all giving occurs in the last three days of the year.
Don’t lose hope because donors typically send their last-minute donations a few days before the year wraps up. Make sure to follow up with a thank you letter. A good one will ensure maximum retention and possibly even an increase in future contributions.
- As much as 53.8% of nonprofits start planning their year-end appeal in October.
Let things run smoothly in December by carefully planning and executing your donations campaign as early as October. This allows donors to have ample time to save up and possibly give a larger amount.
- While November (46.2%) and December (30.8%) should be your target months for making year-end asks as they’re the most popular, 7.7% of nonprofits start as early as September.
You can start sending out your donation appeals in November and December, but it would be wise to send them reasonably early to give supporters time to prepare.
- A whopping 28% of nonprofits raise between 26 – 50% of their annual funds from their year-end ask.
According to figures, nearly half of donations come in around the end of the year, so it’s best to concentrate your plea efforts during these pivotal months. What’s more, nonprofits often rely on these year-end funds to pay for operational costs, so go all out if you want your organization to stay afloat.
- 36% of nonprofits raise less than 10% of their annual funds from their year-end ask.
Unfortunately, things don’t work out well for some organizations. If this happens to you, carefully evaluate your donations drive to see what went wrong and tweak future endeavors.
- Two-thirds of donors don’t do ample research when choosing a cause to support.
They would often rely on the recommendations of friends and families or word-of-mouth. That is why it is important to create a truly worthy cause and a strong donation page. Aim to have donors who really champion your mission so that they’ll subsequently influence others.
- A huge 79% of volunteers also donate to their nonprofit.
The people who really get behind your cause are actually donors themselves – they invest their precious time and skills without expecting anything in return. So, take care of them by treating them like family. Chances are your volunteers would also donate to your fundraising.
- 59.9% of nonprofits make between 1-3 donor “touches” for their year-end campaign.
The average number of touches, which is the industry term for donor correspondences, per year should at least be 7, 1 to 3 of which should come at the end of the year. A touch is a way to make your donors feel connected to your organization and let them know that they are valued.
- Direct mail remains the most popular and effective way medium for year-end asks, followed by email, a nonprofit’s website, and in-person asks.
The good news is, Compu-Mail specializes in direct mail printing, creative design and campaign conceptualization. What’s more, we go the extra mile by digging into a nonprofit’s existing data to segregate active donors from lapsed donors and first time appeals. We do this to ensure a more personalized approach for each. Partner up with us today and see similar or even better results for your year-end fundraising campaigns.
Source: Year-End Giving Statistics Every Fundraiser Should Know – Neon One
