Thinking ahead: readying your campaigns for the end of the year

Now that it’s fall, it’s time for nonprofits to think of end-of-year fundraising campaigns. Charitable organizations typically see a surge in donations during the holiday months. To take advantage of the spirit of giving, nonprofit organizations need to ready all communications channels and possibly update their donation management software. Effective software and processes will help yield greater returns as the year draws to a close.

What channels are nonprofits using now for campaigns?

Before diving into a fundraising campaign, it’s useful to take stock of the communications channels your organization relies on most heavily. A survey from NIFTIT found that 62 percent of nonprofit organizations thought their website was the most important channel for communication, followed by email marketing (54 percent) and social media (50 percent). Of the social media platforms in use, Facebook is the most popular, with 95 percent of organizations indicating it as the most important social network for them, followed by Twitter and YouTube.

As more donors interact with nonprofits online, it’s becoming increasingly necessary for these organizations to maintain a robust presence in the digital sphere.

Get ready to sprint for the finish line

After you’ve isolated the most vital communication channels for your organization, it’s time to determine how to deploy them effectively to reach the desired result. According to Network for Good, it’s a good idea to take another moment to assess where your organization is currently in terms of its fundraising goals. Are you close to meeting them?

Besides, take a look at other metrics related to your marketing efforts. Determine whether certain audiences are responding better to unique campaigns or channels. Also, dive into your donation management software to find out if any previous contributors have fallen off the radar.

Use the information you’ve gleaned from your analysis to engage with previous donors and others who will be receptive to the message. Taking a look at what has worked in the past will help you create more meaningful campaigns that constituents really engage with.

As donations are increasingly going digital, it’s important to have systems in place that allow you to measure the effectiveness of communications. Business intelligence platforms can help nonprofits better keep track of this kind of data and generate reports to allow them to continue to improve. A solid donation management platform is also important to enable nonprofits to communicate with donors more effectively.