fundraising

Toolkit: Build a Content Calendar for Nonprofit Campaigns

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, fundraising, multichannel, planning, stories, website , , , , , ,

Use this toolkit to create a content calendar for your nonprofit’s campaign season, fostering stronger donor connections and enhancing your fundraising efforts.

By Anne Stefanyk

Alt Text: Concept image of a calendar, with a pin on the 30th of the month

When building a nonprofit campaign, planning your fundraising strategies is only half the battle. You also need a clear plan for getting the word out about your fundraising efforts, and that begins with a content calendar.

A strategic content calendar is the single best tool for shifting your pre-campaign planning efforts from chaos to control. Research indicates that 69% of the most successful marketers have a documented content strategy, compared to just 16% of the least successful marketers. A calendar unifies your communication into a consistent, powerful message that helps engage and retain your audience members.

This toolkit provides a practical, step-by-step framework for building a content calendar. We will focus on anchoring your strategy to your website, integrating all your channels, and using targeted storytelling to inspire action.

Step 1: Map out your campaign phases.

Before you plan any specific content, you must map out the emotional and tactical journey you want your supporters to take. To ensure your team is aligned, use a shared tool for collaboration. A spreadsheet, a simple document, or a project management tool like Asana works perfectly.

Begin by outlining the key phases of your campaign. Most fundraising campaigns have four distinct stages. Let’s use a hypothetical “Giving Day” campaign for a wildlife sanctuary raising funds for its veterinary hospital as our example.

  1. The Priming Phase (Building Awareness). This is your educational warm-up. The goal is to set the stage and demonstrate your funding need without making a hard ask just yet. For example, two weeks before the Giving Day, you could publish a “Day in the Life of Our Sanctuary Vet” blog post. This article should include compelling photos and storytelling to illustrate the complexity and cost of daily animal care, subtly highlighting why a fully funded wildlife hospital is so crucial.
  2. The Launch Phase (The Big Push). This is the official kick-off. Your content shifts from education to a clear, direct, and exciting call to action. All your channels should activate at once with a unified message. For example, at 8 a.m. on the Giving Day, you can send an “It’s Live!” email blast. Simultaneously, your website’s homepage changes to a Giving Day “hub” with a live-tracker, and your first social media posts announce the start of the 24-hour campaign.
  3. The Momentum Phase (Maintaining Energy). This is the long middle of the campaign, where you need to fight a dip in attention. Demonstrate progress made to donors and use social proof to encourage others to join in. For instance, at 3 p.m., you could post a short, celebratory video saying, “We just passed the 50% mark! Your gifts have already funded the purchase of a new X-ray sensor. Thank you! Can we get to 75% by dinner time?” This type of message shows real-time impact and creates a new mini goal.
  4. The Final Call Phase (Creating Urgency). This is your final, high-energy push to close the gap. Your messaging must be clear, direct, and time-sensitive to motivate supporters who have been waiting to make a donation. For example, at 9 p.m., you may send a “Final 3-Hour Countdown” email that clearly states: “We are $5,000 away from our goal. If you haven’t given yet, now is the time. Don’t wait—your gift before midnight will be a lifeline for our animals.”

Defining these core stages will give you the overarching structure you need to pepper in specific content types and messages throughout your campaign.

Step 2: Layer in content streams.

Your strategic content calendar should help you visualize how you can repurpose one piece of content across your entire ecosystem. This is the key to a robust multichannel strategy that reaches donors where they are.

Focus on your website content first. Your website is the one digital platform you own completely. It is the central hub where all action, donation, and deep engagement should happen.

Place your “pillar” pieces, like blog posts, video uploads, and testimonial drops, on the calendar. Then, build your email and social content around them.

Think of your website as the “hub” and your other channels as the “spokes.” For example, one long-form testimonial published on your blog (the hub) becomes the source material for many other pieces. It can become a quote graphic for Instagram, a “story of the week” feature in your email newsletter, and the emotional hook for a targeted social media ad.

For each phase, define the content needed for each channel. Create columns in your calendar for:

  • The date when the content should be published
  • The content topic or headline
  • The primary channel (e.g., blog, email, Facebook)
  • The task owner

For instance, during your momentum phase, you might have one team member post a “progress update” blog post by 2:45 p.m. Then, another staffer will have the green light to share that blog post’s key message, like a new animal photo or quote, across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, at 3 p.m. sharp.

This step is where a comprehensive project management system will be your best friend. You can use it to automatically send email or text notifications when it’s time for each team member to complete their tasks, ensuring seamless communication throughout the campaign.

Step 3: Populate with your stories and segments.

Stories make your campaign feel more urgent, personal, and real to donors, especially when you personalize them to each individual’s interests. Review your donor segments and assign specific stories or messages to different email segments.

For example, in the Momentum phase, you might send Email A (featuring an impact story) to your list of brand-new donors, but Email B (featuring a financial breakdown of impact) to your major donor segment. Major donors will appreciate greater transparency into the inner workings of your campaign and its anticipated outcomes, while new supporters will benefit from learning more about the purpose of your fundraising.

Bloomerang Fundraising’s donor segmentation guide also recommends using donor segments to send donors messages on their favorite communication channels. For example, a supporter who prefers text messages is more likely to respond to a campaign text than an email. Your calendar helps you plan for this, sending the right story to the right person on the platform they choose.

Step 4: Review for gaps and accessibility.

Evaluate your calendar from a higher level to ensure you haven’t overlooked any key necessities. Ask yourself questions like: Are you posting too much on one channel and neglecting another? Is there a week with no website content? Are your calls to action clear?

This is also the final check to ensure all planned materials, especially website assets, are accessible. Accessibility is crucial to creating an inclusive nonprofit campaign that enables everyone to participate. Your mission is for everyone, and your campaign content should be, too.

Key accessibility elements to check for include:

  • Readable fonts
  • Alternative text for images
  • Video captions or transcripts
  • Clear website navigation
  • Hierarchical web page design
  • Keyboard navigability

Kanopi Studios’ nonprofit website design guide recommends using both automated and manual checks to ensure you don’t miss any accessibility issues. Automated tests use tools like Lighthouse or Axe to help identify accessibility issues. Manual testing involves someone engaging in user testing, often with the help of assistive technology like a keyboard or screen reader tool, to evaluate your site’s usability.

Step 5: Measure, adapt, and improve.

Your content calendar should be a living document, not a rigid set of rules. The launch of your campaign marks the beginning of your next discovery process, involving constant testing and iteration.

Use a combination of tools such as Google Analytics and your website builder to track key campaign metrics such as:

  • Website traffic
  • The time visitors spend on core web pages
  • Landing page conversion rates
  • Email click-through rates
  • Social media engagement (likes, comments, shares)

If one type of content clearly resonates with your audience, adjust your calendar to capitalize on that success. For instance, if your “Meet the Animals” testimonial series is leading to major donation conversions, center your social media and website content around that to maximize your outreach efforts.

This continuous improvement model ensures that your strategy gets smarter with every campaign you run. Additionally, you can apply this approach to major, multi-year campaigns, such as a capital campaign. These longer fundraising initiatives offer an incredible opportunity to test your messaging and organization efforts, taking you from a novice planner to an expert communicator over the course of the campaign.

Build on what works, and discard what doesn’t—that’s the key to long-term fundraising communications success.

A well-planned content calendar does more than just organize your posts. It frees your team from the daily panic of “what do we post?” and empowers you to focus on what truly matters: building connections.

With this mindset, you can transform your nonprofit website from a simple digital front door into a dynamic hub for promoting both your current campaigns and your mission as a whole.

Anne Stefanyk is the Founder and CEO of Kanopi Studios, a leading digital agency that designs and builds websites for mission-driven organizations. With deep expertise in strategy, user experience, and open-source technologies, Anne has guided Kanopi to become a trusted partner to nonprofits, higher education, and healthcare institutions.

Since launching Kanopi in 2010, Anne has fostered a people-first culture and a strong commitment to accessible, sustainable web practices. Her team creates inclusive digital experiences that help organizations make meaningful impact.

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Don’t Turn Giving Tuesday Into a Money Grab

Ann Green donor engagement, donor relations, donor retention, email, fundraising, gratitude, planning , , , , , ,

Your email inbox can look like a hot mess. Even though we only had a few elections in U.S. this fall, I received a multitude of email messages requesting donations. Pretty soon we’ll be bombarded with Cyber Monday and Black Friday ads. And then there’s Giving Tuesday. All of this can be too much, too much, and many of these messages look like spam.

In an ideal world Giving Tuesday wouldn’t be associated with political emails and Cyber Monday ads. According to the Giving Tuesday website, “Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity.” In theory, that sounds nice, but in reality, it’s a day when nonprofit organizations unleash an onslaught of transactional fundraising appeals by email, text, and social media. It feels like a money grab.

No one likes being barraged with transactional messages. Those of us in the U.S. are feeling overwhelmed because of the government shutdown and the chaos and uncertainty it brought. Your donors deserve better. Focus on generosity and building relationships. 

Beginning in 2012, Giving Tuesday has taken place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This year it will be on December 2.

I’m not going to tell you whether or not you should participate in Giving Tuesday. Perhaps you’ve participated in the past and it’s been successful (one way to measure if it was successful is if those donors give again), or maybe it wasn’t. Perhaps you’re planning to participate for the first time. Maybe you’re on the fence. 

Whether you participate or not, Giving Tuesday is part of the nonprofit landscape and if you’re doing a year-end appeal, you’ll need to factor it into your campaign. If you do participate, you want to make it a better experience for your donors instead of the usual barrage of generic, transactional appeals. And, you don’t want your messages to resemble spam.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as Giving Tuesday approaches.

Lead with your need – Just because it’s Giving Tuesday isn’t a compelling reason to give

I see so many messages that say donate because it’s Giving Tuesday. Many donors don’t care if it’s Giving Tuesday or if it’s your “annual appeal.” That’s often not why they donate. They give because they care about your cause and want to help make a difference. 

I give a lot of monthly donations. Around Giving Tuesday, I’ll give additional donations to food pantries and other service organizations. This year I’ve already given some of those donations because people weren’t receiving their food stamps due to the government shutdown. If your clients/community are among those affected by the shutdown and funding cuts, it makes more sense to request donations now instead of waiting until Giving Tuesday.  

Your work is important. Focus on your need and the impact of your donor’s gift. Let them know that with their help, Tina can feed her family or Bobby doesn’t have to sleep on the street tonight.

People and communities are struggling, and it’s going to continue for a while. You need to acknowledge this in your appeals.

It’s not just about the money

A successful Giving Tuesday campaign is about more than just raising a lot of money. You also want to build relationships and make your donors feel good about supporting your organization. This is where it often falls short.

I’m not a huge fan of Giving Tuesday or any giving days, for that matter, because they focus too much on getting donations. Many of these donors are first-time donors who don’t give again. The end result is you’ve just spent a lot of time and effort on getting one-time gifts. That’s not what you want. You need donors who will support you for many years.

Make it personal and segment your donors

Don’t just blast a bunch of generic, transactional appeals that resemble Cyber Monday ads or those relentless requests for political donations. I receive so many political emails, which are just “noise” that I end up ignoring. You don’t want that. You want to attract your donors’ attention in a good way. A more relationship-oriented subject line can help.

You also don’t want to send all your donors the same appeal. If someone donated last year on Giving Tuesday, this is the perfect opportunity to thank them for that gift and ask them to donate again this year. If they donated two weeks ago, maybe they shouldn’t get an appeal right now.

Segment your donors. Acknowledge past donors and make a connection with potential donors. 

Focus on building relationships with your donors instead of just begging for donations.

Also, if you’re sending an appeal to your monthly donors, recognize them as monthly donors and ask them to give an additional gift (many of them will). They get their own thank you, too. Monthly donors are one of your most loyal types of donors. Be sure to make them feel special.

If you’re one of the few organizations that sends more personalized appeals, then kudos to you because that’s what everyone needs to do.

Use Giving Tuesday as a way to follow up with your donors

If you don’t want to launch a full Giving Tuesday campaign (understandable), it can be a great opportunity to follow up with people who haven’t donated to your year-end appeal. You should be sending regular reminders anyway.

Send email, text, and social media messages before and on Giving Tuesday, encouraging people to donate. You can use the Giving Tuesday logos, etc., if you’d like. Obviously, you’ll want to keep following up with anyone who didn’t donate on Giving Tuesday.

Remember, your donors will be barraged with messages on Giving Tuesday. Make yours stand out and be prepared to keep following up.

Put gratitude front and center

Let your donors know how much you appreciate their generosity.

Make sure you have an engaging thank you landing page and thank you email for your online donors. You could even create ones especially for Giving Tuesday. Then you need to follow that with a phone call, handwritten note, or thank you letter.

Do something special for your new donors, but don’t ignore any repeat donors. 

Go the extra mile and do a good job of thanking these donors – both right after they’ve made their donation and throughout the year.

You could skip Giving Tuesday 

Maybe you’ll decide to skip Giving Tuesday altogether. If that’s the case, you may want to hold off on sending email on Giving Tuesday. You may also want to avoid sending email on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Remember, other organizations will be participating and any messages you send will be competing with the onslaught of Giving Tuesday appeals. 

Before and after Giving Tuesday, use this opportunity to stand out by keeping your fundraising campaign focused on gratitude and relationship building. Year-end is a good time to ramp up your donor communication (examples include thank you messages, holiday greetings, and updates) so people don’t think you’re only asking them for money.

Give back to your donors

I think you’ll find your Giving Tuesday campaign, or any fundraising campaign, will be more successful if you focus on more than just the giving part. And a big part of a successful campaign is getting repeat donations. This means giving back to your donors, as well.

Always focus on generosity and building relationships, and don’t turn your fundraising campaign into a money grab.

How To Plan a Mulitchannel Fundraising Campaign

Ann Green appeal letters, fundraising, multichannel, planning, year-end appeal , , ,

Year-end fundraising season is here. I’m already seeing appeal letters in my mailbox and this is just the beginning.

Speaking of appeal letters, you should send one by mail. I know email is easier and less expensive, but people respond better to mail and it’s well worth the investment. 

However, if you just send one fundraising letter and wait for the donations to come in, prepare to be disappointed. Your donors have a lot going on and may put your letter aside to handle later, and then never get to it.

Of course, you can also send email appeals, but you’ll need to send more than one appeal due to the enormous volume of email people receive. Some donors will respond to the first appeal, but most are going to need a few reminders.

Your fundraising campaign will be more successful if you use a combination of mail, email, social media, texts, and phone calls. Some donors may respond to your direct mail piece but will donate online. This is what I usually do. Others will see your email message but prefer to send a check. You could also include a text to give option and send reminders by text.

You’ll have a lot of competition since you’re not the only organization seeking year-end donations. Most nonprofits rely on year-end for the bulk of their fundraising.

This is why you need a multichannel fundraising campaign with a series of asks.

BEFORE YOU START

Clean up your mailing lists/database

If you haven’t already done this, clean up and organize your mailing lists/database. Do you have both postal and email addresses for all your donors? Be sure to segment your donors into different groups (current, monthly, etc), as well. Having good donor data is essential.

Make it easy to donate online

You need to have a donation page that’s engaging and easy to use on all platforms, including mobile. Test all links in email messages, texts, and social media posts. The last thing you want is a donor contacting you about a broken link or needing to hunt around on your website for a link to your donation page. You also run the risk of someone not donating at all.

When you’re ready to launch your campaign, include a blurb on your homepage that says your year-end campaign is underway. Make sure you have a prominent Donate button.

Which channels do your donors use?

Don’t spend a lot of time on channels your donors aren’t using. Figure out in advance where you want to focus your efforts.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE AND STRATEGY

Come up with a schedule of when the appeals will go out. I’ve created a sample schedule below. Of course, you can adjust the time frame as needed and use this for campaigns at other times of the year. 

I recommend starting your year-end campaign sooner rather than later to get ahead of your competition. If you’re still working on your appeal and thank you letters, be sure to get those done soon.

Finally, if you haven’t already done this, you could send your donors a warm-up letter or email before you launch your campaign. I highly recommend that.

October 29

Give your supporters a heads-up by email and social media. Let them know your year-end campaign is about to launch and they should receive a letter from you soon, provided you have their mailing address. Encourage them to donate online right now. This means your donation page needs to be in great shape.

Keep in mind that the fact your year-end campaign is going on will matter to some donors and not to others. Use an enticing subject line such as  – How you can help local families put food on the table.  

Make sure it’s obvious your message is coming from your organization so you have a better chance of getting it opened. 

Week of November 3

Mail your appeal letters.

Week of November 10

Send an appeal by email. You could also reach out by text and social media if your donors are receptive to those. Use the same messaging as you did in your appeal letter.

And, here’s a friendly reminder to thank your donors as soon as the donations come in.

Week of November 17

Start sending follow-up reminders via email, text, and social media. Weekly or regular reminders are a proven way to help you raise more money. If possible, don’t send reminders to people who have already donated. Otherwise, be sure to thank your recent donors. You can even phrase your reminders as more of a thank you or an update.

Thank you so much to all of you who donated to our year-end appeal. We’re well on our way to serving more families at the Eastside Community Food Pantry. This is crucial. We’re seeing more people coming in because they’re having trouble affording groceries, and we expect this to continue for a while.

If you haven’t donated yet, please help us out today by visiting our website (include a link to your donation page) or sending us a check (provide address).

Week of November 24

November 27 is Thanksgiving in the U.S. I would recommend pausing your fundraising this week and focusing 100% on gratitude. Send your donors a Happy Thanksgiving message, preferably by mail, but an electronic message is fine. Your donors are going to be busy getting ready for turkey day and may not have time to donate that week, but would appreciate a heartfelt thank you from you.

For those of you outside of the U.S., this can also be an opportunity to show some donor appreciation. Even though you’re focused on year-end fundraising, you also need to communicate in other ways right now. 

And, if you’ve been holding off on sending those thank you letters, now would be a good time to get caught up.

Week of December 1

December 2 is GivingTuesday so you could tie that into a reminder message. You may already have a campaign planned.

Love it, hate it, or somewhere in between, your donors’ inboxes will be bursting at the seams on GivingTuesday and your messages can easily get lost in the chaos. Make your messages stand out and remember to show some gratitude, too. If you’re not participating in GivingTuesday, you’ll want to send a reminder on a different day.

Also, not all of your donors will care that it’s GivingTuesday. Focus on how they can help you make a difference.

Make sure your reminders, as well as any GivingTuesday messages, don’t look like spam. And, keep it positive. Don’t make your donors feel bad because they haven’t donated yet.

Week of December 8

Start making reminder calls, along with sending electronic messages. If time is an issue, you could just call people who have donated before. That’s probably most effective. Leaving a voice mail message is fine. 

Sending a text message as well as an email can improve your chance of getting a donation.

It’s a busy time of the year and your donors may need a gentle prompt.

The rest of December and beyond

Keep sending reminders throughout December. It’s tricky because you want to get your messages across without being annoying. This is another reason why you should only send reminders to people who haven’t donated yet.

Be sure to keep up with your donor communication (newsletter and other updates). Remember, you don’t want the only messages your donors receive to be fundraising appeals. December is also a great time to show some appreciation and send holiday greetings.

The end of December is the busiest time of this already busy fundraising season. Send a reminder email on December 29th, 30th, and 31st. This is also proven to be an effective strategy. It’s especially relevant if your fiscal year ends on December 31 or your donor wants to give before the end of the calendar year. According to NextAfter, more people donate on December 31 than on GivingTuesday.

Even though you’re trying to raise money, don’t forget about building relationships, too. That’s just as important.

Look to see who hasn’t contributed yet. Concentrate on people who are most likely to donate, such as past donors. You may need to send another letter or a reminder postcard to donors who don’t use electronic communication. The more you can personalize it, the better.

You can continue following up in the New Year when your donors aren’t as busy.

Once is not enough. Your fundraising campaign will be more successful with multiple asks and by using multiple channels. Good luck!

Why It’s Important to Segment Your Donors

Ann Green appeal letters, Communications, database, donor relations, donor retention, fundraising, thank you letters , , , , , ,

Segmenting your donors is important in many ways. If you’re running a campaign, you can send different letters to different types of donors or segment by gift amount and encourage them to upgrade. You can also create a new donor welcome series, a special thank you mailing for monthly donors, or reach out to lapsed donors.

Your donors are not the same. Some donors have given for at least five years (these donors should get a lot of attention). Some are monthly donors. Yet, many nonprofit organizations fail to recognize that and send everyone the same messages. 

I often receive generic, one-size-fits-all communication from organizations that don’t acknowledge I’m a longtime donor or recognize that I’m a monthly donor. How do you think that makes me feel?

Besides creating a personal connection, another benefit of segmenting your donors is it can help you raise more money and boost your retention rate. If you haven’t been segmenting your donors and have been struggling with meeting your revenue and retention goals, that may be why. In this time of economic uncertainty, both for your nonprofit and your donors, segmenting could make a difference.

Isn’t it time for you to start segmenting your donors? If you’re already segmenting your donors, kudos to you!

You may be worried about how much time this will take. Plus, you don’t think your current CRM/database can handle it and it will cost too much to get a better one. 

In reality, it may cost you more not to segment. A good CRM/database is worth the investment because segmenting your donors will help you with retention, which costs less than trying to find new donors. 

Your appeals and thank you letters will stand out if you can personalize them and not send everyone the same generic letter. You don’t need to create a 100 different types of letters, though. Four or five should be sufficient. 

Here are a few different types of donor groups to help get you started. Remember, investing in a good CRM/database will help you with this.

Current single gift donors

An appeal letter to current single gift donors (Monthly donors get their own appeal. More on that below.) must acknowledge their past support. You can segment donors by gift amount and use this opportunity to ask for an upgrade. Many organizations don’t do this, but it’s a good way to increase your revenue.

Your donors will be more receptive to upgrading their gifts if you’ve been doing a good job of thanking them and staying in touch throughout the year.

If these donors give again, they should get a handwritten note, phone call, or letter letting them know how much you appreciate their continued support. If they’ve upgraded their gift, be sure to acknowledge that, too. 

Potential/new single gift donors

If you’re sending an appeal to someone who’s never donated to your nonprofit before, what is your connection to them? Are they volunteers, event attendees, or people on a list you purchased?

The more you can establish a connection, the better chance you have of getting a donation.

The retention rate for first-time donors is terrible. One of the reasons is poor communication. You can help boost your retention rate by making your new donors feel special.

New donors should get a handwritten note, phone call, or letter welcoming them as donors. Invite them to connect with you in other ways, such as signing up for your newsletter, following you on social media, and volunteering.

Then a week or so later, send them a welcome package by mail or email. Personalization is crucial for new donors.

One of the biggest hurdles nonprofits face is ensuring first-time donors give a second time. If they keep giving after that, they’re showing their commitment to your organization. That’s why the second gift is called a golden donation. Don’t blow it by ignoring this.

New monthly donors

Brand new donors who opt for monthly or other recurring donations get the same special thank you treatment mentioned above. Welcome them to your family of monthly donors. 

Your current monthly donors must get their own appeal that recognizes them as monthly donors. In this appeal, you can either ask them to upgrade their gift or give an additional gift. 

When your donors give an additional gift or upgrade their monthly gift, they, of course, get an amazing thank you.

Current donors who become monthly donors

Your current donors who decide to become monthly donors are also showing their commitment to you. They get a handwritten note, phone call, or letter thanking them for their continued support and for joining your family of monthly donors. From now on they should receive specialized appeals and other communication targeted to monthly donors. 

Segment as much as you can

While I’ve suggested a few ways you can segment, there are many more options. You can segment by gift amount and the number of years someone has been a donor. You can segment volunteers, event attendees, lapsed donors, and non-donors. You can also use segmentation in other types of communication, such as creating a special newsletter for monthly donors (or at the very least including a cover letter for monthly donors with your newsletter) and sending handwritten notes to people on their donor anniversary.

Segmenting your donors makes a difference
Spend some extra time segmenting your donors into different groups. Unfortunately, if you don’t, you’re missing out on opportunities to connect with your donors, raise additional revenue, and boost your retention rate.

How to Create a Fundraising Appeal That Will Help You Raise More Money

Ann Green appeal letters, direct mail, donor retention, donor-centered, fundraising, writing, year-end appeal , , , , , ,

September is here. It’s back to school for the kids, pumpkin spice is everywhere, and depending on where you live, the humidity and hot weather are out of here.

September also brings us to the start of the busiest time of the year for nonprofit organizations, especially if you’re doing a year-end appeal. 

Even though you may not launch your campaign until later in the fall, you should get started on your appeal letter now. If you haven’t even started thinking about your whole campaign, don’t wait any longer. Everything always takes more time than you think. 

You need to create an appeal that will stand out and resonate with your donors. If you’ve been using the same boring, generic template for years, it’s time for something new. 

You need a letter that takes into account what’s going on in 2025. How are the everchanging current situations affecting your clients/community?

Your appeal also needs to be personal – both for your donors and when you write about your clients/community. 

Here are some ways you can create a better appeal that stands out and can help you raise more money. 

Your envelope matters

You may not think your envelope makes much of a difference, but it does. You need to get your donors to open your letter. If you can’t get them to do that, then all your hard work has gone to waste.

Make it look as personal as possible. Use something other than the standard #10 white business envelope and steer clear of a window envelope because that makes it look like a bill. Think about using an oversized or colored envelope. 

Perhaps you’d like to include a teaser on the outer envelope. Fundraising experts are mixed on whether this is a good idea. It makes it look less personal, but a good teaser can capture your donor’s attention. This doesn’t mean one that says 2025 Annual Appeal. That’s not inspiring. Instead, say something like – Find out how you can help kids learn to read. Remember, your goal is to get your donor to open the envelope. 

A hand-addressed envelope will look more personal. If that isn’t feasible, print directly on the envelope. You could also use mailing labels. Use some nice stamps if you can.

Create an inviting piece of mail.

Share a compelling story

A good appeal letter should open with a compelling story. Focus on a person or family and not your organization. Your donors want to hear about the people they’ll be helping. 

Here’s an example – Melanie, a single mother with three kids, has gone through a lot over the past few years. It’s been hard to find work that pays enough and groceries are so expensive. Sometimes she’s forced to choose between buying groceries and paying the heating bill.

But thanks to generous donors like you (or because of our generous donors if you’re writing to people who haven’t given before), she’s been able to get boxes of healthy food at the Eastside Community Food Pantry. At first, Melanie was embarrassed that she had to rely on a food pantry to feed her family, but she’s always treated with respect and dignity when she visits. 

We want to continue providing Melanie and other members of our community with healthy food when they need it. We’re seeing more people coming in right now because of rising food costs and cuts in benefits.

You could also share a first-person story from a client/program recipient. 

Include a photo

Include an engaging color photo in your letter or on your reply form. Photos can tell a story in an instant.

Next comes the ask

Ask for a donation at the beginning of the next paragraph (after the story). Make sure it’s prominent and clear. Also, ask your current donors if they can give a little more right now. Don’t be afraid to ask your donors to upgrade their gifts. I realize some donors may be feeling pinched financially and won’t be able to give as much or at all, but some will give more. People want to help if they can.

Phrase your ask like this – We’re so grateful for your previous gift of $50. We’re continuing to see more people coming into the food pantry right now. Would you be able to help us out a little more this time with a gift of $75?

Asking for an upgrade can help you raise more money. Also, if you’ve been doing a good job of engaging your donors throughout the year (and I hope that’s the case), they shouldn’t mind if you ask for a larger gift. Including the amount of your donor’s previous gift is helpful since people don’t often remember what they gave before.

Be sure the ask is the only call to action in your appeal. Don’t distract people with information about an upcoming event or volunteering. Save that for a different message.

It’s not about your organization

Focus on your donors and your clients/community. Keep your organization in the background. 

Show your donors how they can help you make a difference for your clients/community and how much you appreciate their role in that. Make your donors feel good about supporting your nonprofit.

At the same time, respect your clients/community by not undermining them when you use terms like at-risk youth or underserved communities. They are people, after all.

Share your successes and challenges

Highlight some of your accomplishments, but you can share challenges, too. Show how you plan to continue your work with your donor’s help. 

Personalization is crucial

Don’t send everyone the same appeal. Try to send different letters to current donors, monthly donors, lapsed donors, people on your mailing list who haven’t donated yet, event attendees, volunteers, and friends of board members. 

The more you can segment, the better, but at the very least, you must do these two things.

Send a personalized appeal to your current donors. They’re your best bet for getting donations. Let them know how much you appreciate their support. 

Also, send a specific appeal tailored to monthly donors, giving them the recognition they deserve. For your year-end appeal, I would thank them for all their generous support and ask them to give an additional gift. You can ask them to upgrade at a different time.

Don’t send a generic, one-size-fits-all appeal letter. Go the extra mile for your donors, so they’ll continue to support you.

Your appeal letter should also have a personal salutation (first names are best) and not be addressed to Dear Friend or Dear Valued Donor. How much do you value this relationship if you can’t even use a person’s name?

If this sounds like a lot of work, then give yourself plenty of time. This is important. Personalizing your letters can also help you raise more money.

Make it easy for your donors to give

Include a reply envelope with amounts to check off or a reply form and a return envelope. Create donation tiers that show what each amount will fund. Do this on your donation page, too.

If donors have given before, you can include that amount on the reply form and also customize their giving strings.

Some donors prefer to donate online. Direct them to a user-friendly donation page on your website. You could create a QR code for your letter and reply device. Make sure your donation page is mobile-friendly, too.

Offer a monthly or recurring giving option

Monthly gifts can generate more revenue, give you a steady source of income throughout the year, and improve donor retention. Encourage your donors to give $5, $10, or even $20 a month. This may be a more viable option for some of them. 

Be careful and don’t send an appeal to your current monthly donors that invites them to become monthly donors. That’s one reason why they need their own appeal.

Your letter must be easy to read (and scan)

Use short paragraphs and bulleted lists, along with bold or color for keywords, but keep it tasteful. Make it easy to read and scan. Most people won’t read your letter word for word. Use a simple font, such as serif, and at least a 12-point type (14 is even better).

Human attention spans are less than 10 seconds. But go figure, longer fundraising letters (four pages as opposed to two) have been shown to perform better, especially for prospective donors.

Resist the temptation to create a one-page letter. This often means cramming a bunch of tiny text on the page. With a longer letter, you’ll have more space to tell a story and repeat your messages. You can also break up the text with a photo, testimonials, and short paragraphs. Printing on both sides of the page is fine, too.

Quality and readability are essential here. Make every word count. 

Think of your letter as a conversation with a friend

You can create a better, more personal appeal if you think of your letter as a conversation with a friend. That means not using jargon like at-risk youth and underserved communities. Be specific and use everyday language. Your goal should be for your reader to understand you.

Refer to your reader as you and use you a lot more than we.

Too many editors spoil the appeal

Your entire staff doesn’t need to be involved in writing your appeal. Generally, the more people you involve in writing your letter, the worse it becomes. Fundraising Consultant Tom Ahern refers to this as letter writing by committee.

Your best writer should craft it and then turn it over to your best editor. Whoever signs the letter (your Executive Director?) can take a quick look at it, but don’t send it to a committee.

If you don’t have someone on your staff who can write a good fundraising appeal, then hire a freelancer or consultant to do it.

Besides weakening the content, involving more people takes extra time.

Make a good lasting impression

Repeat your ask at the end of your appeal. Don’t forget to say please and thank you.

Be sure to add a P.S. People often gravitate to the P.S. as they scan the letter, so include something that will capture their attention. It may be the only thing they look at. It should include information that’s already in your appeal – Please donate now to help us feed more families in the community. Don’t distract people with information about volunteering, an upcoming event, etc.

Get your pens out

Include a short handwritten note, if you can. Make it relevant to each donor, such as thanking someone for a previous donation or hoping a potential donor will support you. You could also stick on a handwritten Post-it note. Hand-sign the letters in blue ink.

Spend some time writing a better, more personal appeal letter that will stand out and help bring you the donations you need. Good luck!

Image by Howard Lake

Why You Need to Start Planning Your Year-End Fundraising Campaign Now

Ann Green database, direct mail, donation page, fundraising, gratitude, planning, year-end appeal , , , , , ,

Wow, it’s already August. And it won’t be too long until September rolls around. I know it’s hard to think about fall when it’s been sweltering for most of the summer. Even so, September will be here before you know it, and we’ll be seeing all things pumpkin spice.

If you’re doing a year-end fundraising campaign, you’ll want to start planning it now, hopefully in an air-conditioned space. You don’t want to wait too long, especially if you’re behind in your revenue goals.

I’ve put together a checklist to help you get started. You can also use this for fundraising campaigns at other times of the year.

How much money do you need to raise?

You may have already set a goal for your year-end campaign in your 2025 fundraising plan (at least I hope you did), and maybe that has changed. 

You must determine how much money you need to raise before you start your campaign and raising as much as we can is not a goal.

Do you have a campaign plan?

Put together a plan or brief for your campaign that includes a timeline, a task list that includes who will do what, and the different channels you’ll use. Make it as detailed as possible.

I strongly encourage you to mail an appeal letter. Direct mail appeals are more successful. You can also send an email appeal and follow up with email, as well. 

When do you want to launch your appeal? If you’ve experienced funding cuts and are behind in your fundraising goals, you might want to start your campaign earlier – maybe in October. Make sure your goal is to have the letters done at least a week before that, because things always take longer than you think they will. Work backwards to figure out how you can get to your proposed send date.

Keep in mind you’ll be competing with many other organizations that are doing appeals. Think about how you can make yours stand out.

Also, how are you mailing your appeal? Do you use a mail house or get staff and volunteers together to stuff envelopes? Either way, plan ahead, so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.

Do you have a good story and photo to share?

If you’ve been using the same boring, generic appeal letter template for the last few years, it’s time for a refresh. It’s a good idea to revise your templates at least once a year. Situations keep changing and usually not for the better, so you need to take that into account.

A good way to start is to create an engaging story for your appeal. What challenges are your clients/community facing? Many people are struggling right now. Focus on them, not your organization. Each year is different and this is why you need new stories.  

You’ll want some good photos for your letter and donation page, too. Quotes and testimonials from clients will also enhance your appeal.

How can your donors help you make a difference?

Your appeal letter should focus on a need and let your donors know how they can help you make a difference. You might want to start by creating an outline.

You may be seeing more people at your food pantry because of rising food costs and cuts in benefits. Maybe your clients are struggling to find affordable housing.

You can also highlight some of the accomplishments you’ve made recently and state what you would like to do in the coming year, although these are usually more appropriate for a newsletter or impact report. 

One way to frame it is to describe a situation such as this. You run a tutoring program in your community and work with students who are falling behind in school. You can describe how thanks to your generous donors, your one-to-one tutoring program has helped students get better grades and are now less likely to be held back a year. You want to keep that going and serve more students.

Remember to focus on your clients/community and don’t brag about your organization.

Are your mailing lists in good shape?

Make sure your mailing lists are up to date. Check for duplicate addresses and typos. Your donors don’t want to receive three letters at the same time or have their names misspelled. Take a little time to do some data hygiene. Give your email list some attention, too.

Also, now is a good time to segment your mailing lists – current donors, monthly donors, lapsed donors, event attendees, etc. This is so important. Your current donors are your best source of donations. You should have more success if you can personalize your appeal letters. Acknowledge if someone has donated in the past or is a monthly donor. Donors like it when you recognize them for who they are, so don’t send everyone the same appeal.

Do you have enough letterhead, envelopes, and stamps?

Don’t wait until September or October to check your supply of letterhead and envelopes. Make sure you have enough. 

Speaking of envelopes, something besides the standard white business envelope can improve your response rate. Think about using an oversized, colored, or embellished envelope. If that’s not possible, don’t use a window envelope because it resembles a bill. A general rule is that you don’t want any of your direct mail pieces to look like a bill or junk mail.

Even though many people donate online, you want to make it easy for donors who prefer to mail a check. Include a pledge envelope or a return envelope and a preprinted form with the donor’s contact information and the amount of their last gift.

Stamps are more personal, so you could find some nice ones to use. 

Is it easy to donate online?

Be sure your donation page is user-friendly and consistent with your other fundraising materials. Using a branded donation page and not a third-party site is best. Highlight your year-end appeal on your homepage and include a prominent Donate Now button.

One way to ensure a good experience is to have someone on your staff or, even better, someone outside of your organization make a donation on your website. If they want to run out of the room kicking and screaming, then you have some work to do.

Do you offer a monthly or recurring giving option?

I’m a huge fan of monthly giving. It’s a win-win for your organization. You can raise more money, boost your retention rate, receive a steady stream of revenue, and allow your donors to spread out their gifts.

If you don’t have a monthly giving program or have a small one, don’t wait any longer to start one or grow the one you have. Be sure to highlight it as a giving option.

Do you want to find a major funder who will give a matching gift?

Another good way to raise additional revenue is to find a major funder to match a portion or all of what you raise in your year-end appeal. If you want to go down this route, now would be a good time to reach out to these potential funders. 

How will you thank your donors?

Be sure to spend as much time on your thank you letter/note as you do on your appeal letter and write them at the same time. And if it’s been a while since you’ve freshened up your thank you templates, I think you know what you need to do. It’s so important to thank your donors and thank them well as soon as you receive their gifts, so have a thank you letter/note ready to go. Don’t treat thanking your donors as an afterthought.

Handwritten notes and phone calls are much better than a preprinted letter. Create or buy some thank you cards and start recruiting board members and volunteers to make thank you calls or write notes. 

You’ll want to put together a welcome plan for your new donors and that also needs to be ready to roll after the donations come in.

How will you keep up with your donor communication?

Even though you’ll be busy with your fundraising campaign, you want to ramp up your donor communication this fall. Keep engaging your donors and other supporters (who may become donors) by sharing updates and gratitude. Pour on the appreciation! 

Send at least one warm-up letter or email. I’m a big fan of postcards. You could create a thank you video or a video that gives a behind-the-scenes look at your organization. Maybe you could hold an open house or offer tours. Just don’t disappear until appeal time. 

Yes, we’re in a period of economic uncertainty. Some donors may not give as much or at all, but others will give more. They won’t give anything if you don’t ask.

There’s still plenty of time to go to the beach and get ice cream this summer, but right now find that air-conditioned space and start planning your year-end campaign.

Best of luck!

Photo by creditscoregeek.com/

Go Above and Beyond With the 5 C’s of Good Nonprofit Communication

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, donor-centered, fundraising, gratitude, writing , , , , , ,

A lot of nonprofit communication is mediocre at best. Is that the case for you? Don’t settle for just okay. You’ll raise more money and have better donor engagement if you can go above and beyond.

The remedy I like to recommend is the 5 C’s of good nonprofit communication. Keep these in mind when you’re writing a fundraising appeal, thank you letter, update, or any type of donor communication.  

Is it Clear?

What is your intention? What message are you sending to your donors? Are you asking for a donation, thanking them, or sharing an update? 

Whatever it is, make sure your message is clear. If you have a call to action, that needs to be clear, as well. You also want to stick to one call to action. Don’t distract your donors with too many choices. If you ask them to make a donation, volunteer, and contact their legislators in the same message, you run the risk of them not doing any of those.

You want your message to produce results. Plain and simple, your fundraising appeal should have a prominent ask and entice someone to donate. Your thank you letter should thank your donors (no bragging or explaining what your organization does), and make them feel good about donating.

Use language your donors will understand (no jargon). Avoid terms like food insecurity and underserved communities. Just because something is clear to you, doesn’t mean it will be clear to others. 

Is it Concise?

Can you say more with less? Eliminate any unnecessary adverbs, adjectives, and filler. Make your point right away. Concise writing doesn’t mean you need to be terse or all your print communication has to be one page. Sometimes it will need to be longer, but the same rules apply. 

Nonprofit organizations like to pack a lot of information into their monthly/quarterly newsletters and impact reports, but many donors won’t read something if it looks like it will be too long. 

Shorter, more frequent communication is better. This applies to the example I gave above about not putting more than one call to action in a message. You’ll have better results if you send separate messages for each call to action.

Also, most people skim, so use short paragraphs and lots of white space, especially for electronic communication.

Make all your words count.

Is it Conversational?

Write as if you’re having a conversation with a friend and be personable. Use the second person – where you refer to your donors as you and your organization as we. Remember to use you much more than we. 

Avoid using jargon, clichés, multi-syllable words, and the passive voice. Is that the way you talk to your friends? I hope not.

You may think you’re impressing your donors by using jargon and big words, but most likely you’re confusing them or even worse, alienating them. Connect with your donors by using language they’ll understand.

Is it Compelling?

Is whatever you’re writing going to capture someone’s attention right away and keep them interested? The average human attention span is eight seconds, so the odds are stacked against you. It’s an understatement that there’s a lot of stuff competing for our attention right now. If you can’t stand out, your donors are going to move on to something else.

Start with a good opening sentence. Leading with a question is often good. Stories are also great. 

Put a human face on your stories and keep statistics to a minimum. Start a fundraising appeal with an engaging story that leads to a call to action.

Are you establishing a connection?

Donors are drawn to your organization because they feel a connection to your cause. You also need to establish a connection with them. You can start by segmenting your donors by different types, such as new donors, current donors, and monthly donors. 

Get to know your donors better and give them content you know they’ll be interested in. Hint – it’s not bragging about your organization. They want to know how they’re helping you make a difference for your clients/community. They also want to feel appreciated. Focus on building and sustaining relationships.

Go above and beyond and improve your donor communication by practicing the 5 C’s.

6 Unique Volunteer Opportunities to Offer Supporters

Ann Green fundraising, in-kind donations, planning, volunteers , , ,

Volunteer opportunities come in all shapes and sizes, and unique positions can keep your supporter community engaged. Discover these six unique volunteer roles.

By Kyle Payton

Volunteers make the nonprofit world go round. From helping out on mission-related projects to participating in fundraisers and making sure events run smoothly, volunteers lend their time and energy to see a wide range of tasks to completion. 

While many volunteers are happy to lend a hand to important but run-of-the-mill opportunities, others might be intrigued by more unique offerings. While volunteer roles vary from nonprofit to nonprofit — after all, a thrift store, healthcare organization, and animal shelter likely all have very different offerings — there may be opportunities to provide new and interesting roles at your organization. 

To keep your nonprofit’s volunteer program lively and accessible to all supporters, consider whether you can offer unique volunteer opportunities like these:

1. Remote positions. 

Double the Donation’s volunteer statistics report found that 49% of individuals feel that work obligations are their biggest obstacle to volunteering. For potential volunteers with a typical 9-5 schedule, heading to your volunteer site after a long day at work is the last thing on their minds. 

Fortunately, you can engage these would-be volunteers by enabling them to volunteer remotely. This way, they can volunteer whenever it’s most convenient for them from the comfort of their own homes. Plus, by taking volunteering online, your nonprofit can provide a range of unique virtual opportunities. 

For example, environmental and research-based nonprofits engage thousands of volunteers through initiatives like Zooniverse, where online volunteers are encouraged to catalogue as many photographs and audio samples as they desire. If your nonprofit has vast data sets that can’t easily be analyzed by automated tools, consider setting up a similar online volunteer offering for your supporters. 

Additionally, volunteers can help out online in a variety of more typical but still useful ways. For instance, they might help clean up your database and mailing lists by identifying duplicate and outdated information or chip in to help your marketing campaign by creating copy and images remotely, then sharing the finished assets with your team.

2. Translation. 

The more audiences your nonprofit can reach, the more donors you can engage and constituents you can serve. Volunteers with translation skills can lend their talents by translating a range of your nonprofit’s key documents into other languages. For instance, you might ask volunteers to translate:

  • Your website, focusing specifically on core pages like your homepage, contact information, and services pages
  • Program information documents that explain what services you offer and how individuals can seek help or enroll in programs
  • Outreach materials, ranging from your email newsletter to social media posts to video transcripts

While some nonprofits rely on automatic or machine translations, these often have errors or lack the nuances that a human translator will pick up on, making these volunteers invaluable. If your nonprofit serves multilingual communities, a translator can help connect with new constituents and supporters in a way they can understand, helping build trust. 

3. Donation organizer and cataloguer.

In-kind donations keep many types of nonprofits going, from homeless shelters to thrift stores. However, after you collect donations, you’ll need someone to sort through what you received and catalogue it. 

Volunteers managing in-kind donations need to:

  • Catalogue all items by writing a detailed description that explains what the item is and what condition it’s in.
  • Enter items into your database — this will likely be an inventory management system where your nonprofit keeps track of supplies.
  • Communicate with donors, such as confirming their donation was received, thanking them for their donation, informing them when their donation receipt will be available, and answering any questions they may have.

When it comes to accepting in-kind donations, some steps in this process might require unique skills. For instance, to properly issue donation receipts, you’ll need to calculate the fair market value of the items donated. Nonprofits that run thrift stores might receive rare, unique, and high-value items that only a specialist can properly appraise.

4. Peer-to-peer fundraiser. 

Hosting fundraisers that cut through the noise of daily life can be a challenge. However, while it’s easy to overlook a fundraising request from a nonprofit you’ve never heard of, you’re far more likely to open a message from a friend discussing a cause they feel passionate about. 

Peer-to-peer volunteers fundraise on your nonprofit’s behalf. All your nonprofit needs to do is set them up with an individual fundraising page. Then, the volunteer reaches out to their friends, family, and followers to facilitate donations from individuals your nonprofit might not have otherwise ever contacted. 

5. Greeter or tour guide. 

Volunteers do a lot of work behind the scenes, but they can play an important role in presenting your nonprofit to the general public. Sociable, energetic volunteers can be the face of your nonprofit by serving as greeters and tour guides. 

To get the volunteers up to speed and ensure they present your nonprofit in the right light, be sure to:

  • Recruit individuals with people skills. All volunteer roles require their own unique skill sets, and any position that involves interacting with the public requires friendliness and patience in addition to listening, conflict de-escalation, and leadership skills. 
  • Conduct training. Greeters and tour guides are expected to be knowledgeable about the ins and outs of your nonprofit. While you can’t train for every possible situation, conduct onboarding so volunteers know what their responsibilities include and have a strong understanding of your nonprofit and its mission. 
  • Provide expectation guidelines. As they are the faces of your nonprofit, implement guidelines for how these volunteers are expected to behave and represent your organization. For example, you might have a dress code for greeters and a uniform for tour guides. 

Greeters, tour guides, and other public-facing roles are tasked with creating a positive supporter experience for your audience. Ensure they have the tools to help your organization make a good impression, build connections, and encourage future engagement. 

6. Donation drive coordinator.

Some of your experienced volunteers might be looking for a bit more responsibility, and you can provide it by giving them the tools and support they need to run donation drives on your behalf. In-kind donation drives are often mass collaborations between your nonprofit and a range of organizations, so having individuals step up to build those connections can be invaluable. 

Donation drive coordinators will do everything from reaching out to businesses and other organizations in your community to marketing your drive to overseeing and retrieving items from your donation drop-off sites. 

ThriftCart’s guide to inventory management advises nonprofits to use collection bins, which can be branded to your organization, so supporters know exactly who they’re donating to. Your volunteers will then need to frequently check these bins to collect donations and ensure the bins and their surrounding areas remain clean and organized.

Volunteers can accomplish a wide range of odd jobs around your nonprofit that are vital for your organization’s continued success. Promote unique roles and recruit more volunteers by listing interesting opportunities on your website and letting your base of recurring volunteers know whenever any out-of-the-ordinary positions come up. 

Kyle Payton is the general manager of ThriftCart, an all-in-one point-of-sale product assisting nonprofits and small businesses in navigating the complexities of retail.


How Is Your Nonprofit Doing This Year, and How You Can Make Improvements If You’re Behind In Your Goals

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, fundraising, gratitude, planning , , , ,

It’s hard to believe we’re halfway through 2025. It’s been a tumultuous year so far, especially in the U.S. The midpoint of the year is a good time to see if you’re meeting your fundraising and communications goals. For this post, I’m assuming your fiscal year is the same as the calendar year. If you’re on a different fiscal cycle, you can make the appropriate time adjustments.

Your fundraising revenue may be down. You might have lost some federal funding, and cuts in federal funding can trickle down to the state and local levels.

Yes, we’re in an uncertain economy, but that doesn’t mean you should stop fundraising. Never stop fundraising! Donors will give if they can.

You may need to make some changes to your fundraising plan and other goals. And, if you never made a fundraising plan for this year, stop right there and put one together now and use it for the remainder of the year. Always have a plan.

Take a look at what’s working and what’s not. It will be different for every organization. If you’re doing okay, keep it up, although your circumstances could change. If you’re falling short, figure out where you need to make changes.

If you’re relying too much on grants and events, and those aren’t bringing in the revenue you need, focus more on individual giving. Many nonprofits raise the most money from individual giving. Summer is usually a less busy time for nonprofits. Take advantage of that with these suggestions to help you stay on track this year.

Start or enhance your monthly giving program

Monthly giving is doable for all sizes of nonprofit organizations, even small ones. It’s a great way to raise more money, as well as your donor retention rate. Retention rates for monthly donors are much better than other retention rates. You’ll have a steady stream of income and it may be more feasible for your donors, especially if they’re feeling pinched financially. It’s also one of the few types of fundraising that’s growing right now.

If you don’t have a monthly giving program, start one now. To get more monthly donors, send a special targeted letter to current donors inviting them to become monthly donors. This is a good opportunity to upgrade smaller dollar donors, or any donors for that matter.

Small gifts of $5 or $10 a month can make a difference. You could also get larger gifts of $10 or $20 a month. Again, this can be more appealing than giving a bigger sum all at once.

Also, do something special for your current monthly donors. Send them a thank you postcard or email. They’ve made a commitment to you – now make a commitment to them.

I’ve always been a big fan of monthly giving, even more so over the last few years. They’re one of your most committed donor groups. 

Having a strong monthly giving program is going to be a big help if you’re worried about meeting your fundraising goals.

Get in touch with your lapsed donors

This could be a good time to reach out to donors who haven’t given for a year or two. There are many reasons for that. Maybe they can’t afford to give right now. Maybe you’re doing a poor job with your donor communication. Maybe they were busy and forgot. Send them an engaging, personal appeal saying how much you’ve appreciated their support, state your need, and ask them to give a gift.

Don’t assume donors aren’t going to give right now.  Although if you hear from a donor who says they can’t give at this time, respect that. Most likely, your need is growing, and remember, many donors will help if they can. 

Look into higher levels of giving

Another advantage of monthly giving is that these donors are more likely to become mid-level and major donors. Starting a major gift program will take time, but it’s doable even for small organizations. Look into starting one soon. Organizations with strong major gift programs tend to do better financially. 

Ramp up your donor engagement

Since summer is usually a slower time for fundraising, it’s a good time to show some donor appreciation and plan for fall. Don’t disappear over the summer.

Some donors will pull back on their giving, but that doesn’t mean ghosting them. Keep engaging with them to help ensure they’ll give again, if they can. Remember the ask, thank, report, repeat formula, with a focus on thanking and reporting. 

Make improvements to your donor communication

Many nonprofits can do a better job of communicating with their donors. Are you one of them?  Look at metrics such as website visits and email open rates. I know these don’t always tell the whole story, but if you’re not seeing a lot of engagement, figure out why.

Often, it’s because your content isn’t great or it’s too long. Maybe it’s layout and design. You could also be targeting the wrong audience. Summer is a good time to make some changes. Do a marketing audit to see where you’re falling short.

It’s not too late, yet

If you’re falling behind in your goals, you still have time to do better, but you need to make an effort.

Be sure to keep evaluating your progress for the rest of the year. Remember, even if you’re doing okay now, circumstances can change. I would recommend monitoring your progress more frequently (once a month instead of once a quarter) so you can try to stay on track. You don’t want to get caught off guard. 

Keep monitoring your progress to help ensure a successful year.

Event Ideas to Strengthen Donor-Beneficiary Relationships

Ann Green donor engagement, donor relations, events, fundraising, gratitude, stories , , , , ,

Explore top event ideas to strengthen relationships between donors and beneficiaries, enhance engagement, and maximize fundraising success for your nonprofit.

By Jen Wemhoff

Nonprofit fundraising is about more than just dollars—it’s about connections. Strong relationships between donors and beneficiaries can deepen donor engagement, build trust, and generate more meaningful support for your organization’s mission. For smaller nonprofits, these relationships are incredibly powerful. They humanize your work, turn statistics into human-driven stories, and can help transform one-time donors into long-term supporters.

When donors have the opportunity to see and hear the real-world impact of their giving and meet the people whose lives have been changed because of their contributions, it cultivates a deeper sense of purpose. One of the most effective ways to do this is through events that bring donors and beneficiaries together in intentional ways. Here are four event ideas that can help your nonprofit foster deeper connections between donors and the people they’re helping.

1. Charity Golf Tournament

A charity golf tournament offers a relaxed setting centered around an enjoyable event where meaningful conversations and connections happen naturally. Unlike more structured events, golf tournaments provide plenty of downtime between holes and during post-golf activities like a cocktail hour, reception, or banquet, which provides an organic interaction between donors, beneficiaries, volunteers, and staff. 

Why It Works:

  • Participation opportunities for beneficiaries. Invite beneficiaries to join foursomes or serve as event speakers. Their presence adds authenticity and helps donors connect their support to real stories.
  • Informal setting. The laid-back nature of the day encourages casual, authentic conversations that can’t be achieved with a formal program. 
  • Multi-purpose. You can integrate storytelling, donor recognition, and fundraising opportunities into one event.

Golf Tournament Pro Tips:

  • GolfStatus recommends getting creative by adding a theme to your tournament that helps drive home your mission to participants. 
  • Invite a beneficiary to share their story during opening remarks or the awards ceremony. 
  • Set up a casual “Meet and Greet” session over breakfast or lunch before the tournament begins or over drinks and appetizers after the round finishes, where donors and beneficiaries can connect.
  • Add additional fundraising elements like a raffle with items or experiences tied to your mission to spotlight beneficiary needs or milestones.

2. Storytelling Event

Storytelling events, whether hosted in person or online, center on experiences. Beneficiaries share their personal journeys, and donors see the direct results of their support. Both groups get to witness the people behind the mission.

Why It Works:

  • Emotional connection to your nonprofit. Stories humanize your work in ways that data and numbers simply can’t. Hearing someone describe how a program changed their life is more powerful than any campaign report.
  • Clarity and transparency. When donors hear directly from organizational beneficiaries, it reinforces your mission and impact in a tangible, memorable way. 
  • Flexibility. A storytelling event allows you to choose how and when to hold it. You might fold it into another event (like your golf tournament) or host a series of online sessions once a month.

Storytelling Events Pro Tips:

  • Use video, photos, and music to amplify the emotional impact of the beneficiary stories and your mission. 
  • Tie each story to a specific call to action, such as making a donation, volunteering to help with an event or initiative, or participating in an advocacy effort. 
  • To foster meaningful connections, make the event as interactive as possible. Offer live Q&A, breakout rooms, or discussion prompts to allow donors and beneficiaries to talk directly with one another.

3. Community Dinner or Picnic

Want a high-impact way to bring people together? Host a casual community dinner or picnic. These types of relaxed events invite people to gather together in a friendly, informal atmosphere to forge genuine connections and relationships. 

Why It Works:

  • Authenticity. A potluck or BBQ can feel more like a family reunion than a fundraising event. That kind of setting opens the door to real, heartfelt conversations.
  • Accessibility. These events are typically less expensive than a formal gala or corporate gathering, and are easy to host at a local park, community center, or even someone’s backyard.

Community Dinner Pro Tips:

  • Create a “meet the beneficiary” table or booth where willing beneficiaries can chat with attendees and share their experiences.
  • Include a special “thank you” segment at the dinner where beneficiaries personally express appreciation to donors. This could be as simple as a few brief testimonials or even thank-you cards distributed at tables.

4. Workshop or Educational Panel

Consider hosting a workshop, discussion panel, conference session, or series of open-table conversations where donors and beneficiaries participate. Center the discussions around topics relevant to your nonprofit’s mission and work, allowing both groups to engage with and learn from each other.

Why It Works:

  • Shared learning. These types of sessions position donors and beneficiaries as co-learners, fostering empathy, respect, and shared purpose of your organization’s mission.
  • Dialogue and insight. Donors hear firsthand about lived experiences from those who have benefited from the nonprofit’s services, and beneficiaries gain visibility and confidence by sharing their story and letting their voices be heard.

Discussion Event Pro Tips:

  • Choose discussion topics that matter to both audiences. You might invite representatives from each group to collaborate on designing the agenda and topics.
  • Use a skilled moderator to guide the discussion and ensure equal participation from both donors and beneficiaries. 
  • Consider hands-on workshops where beneficiaries and donors collaborate. For example, you might offer a session on financial literacy or resume writing led by a donor with expertise in those areas, which gives donors the chance to learn more about a beneficiary’s journey. 

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a huge staff or a big budget to pull off events like those mentioned in this guide. Think about strategic ways to stretch your resources, such as:

  • Leveraging partnerships. Tap into community organizations, schools, or local businesses that might donate space, catering, or supplies in exchange for recognition.
  • Securing sponsorships. Local businesses are often willing to sponsor nonprofit fundraising events, especially when they earn positive brand exposure and appreciate the community impact.
  • Aligning with corporate social responsibility goals. Reach out to companies already committed to giving back through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

The key to meaningful donor engagement isn’t just showing impact—it’s creating opportunities for donors to feel it firsthand. When donors and beneficiaries connect, it dissolves the distance between giving and receiving. For smaller nonprofits, these events are more than just good ideas, they can be powerful tools for transformation. So, whether it’s on the golf course, around a picnic table, or inside a community hall, start planning your next event with relationships in mind!

Jen Wemhoff came to GolfStatus in 2020 after 20 years in the nonprofit industry. Her favorite things about golf are its ability to bring people together and its capacity to raise money for important causes, and she is one of the co-founders of the Putt Putt Fore Puppies mini golf tournament. She can be found listening to the Interstellar soundtrack while writing content for GolfStatus’ educational guides, templates, blogs, case studies, webinars, and more. She likes to brag about sinking a 25-foot putt at Victoria National Golf Club during her first round of golf in years. Jen and her husband, Mark, have two daughters, Anna and Elsa (who are not named for the movie Frozen), and love to cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs and Nebraska Cornhuskers.