Don’t Procrastinate—Time to Start Planning Your Year-End Appeal

Hey nonprofit leader, what’s keeping you awake at night? Now is the perfect time to start planning your year-end appeal—and guess what? It’s already October! That means Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year are sneaking up faster than we’d like to admit. For nonprofit leaders, this is the perfect moment to get ahead of your year-end appeal strategy. So, let’s dive in.

First things first: let’s clean up that donor list. It’s like organizing your junk drawer—but way more rewarding. A clean, updated list is the secret sauce to a higher ROI and happy, engaged donors. No one wants to waste postage on a donor who moved to the other side of the country three years ago. So, while you’re at it, consider using the National Change of Address (NCOA) database to tidy up those addresses. You'll thank me when your appeal actually reaches people rather than boomeranging back to your office.

Now, let's talk strategy. Did you know that over 30% of annual giving happens in December, with a whopping 12% landing in the last three days? Yep, procrastinators are real, and they’re a major part of your year-end giving. So, if you’re not sending an appeal, you’re basically letting money fly out the window. Don't let that happen!

Still rocking those Excel spreadsheets? No worries, just do a deep dive into your lists and make sure everything’s current. Need some help navigating NCOA? Find a USPS-licensed provider, and voilà, no more bounced mail.

Next up, make sure you've got enough donation envelopes ready to go. And while you’re at it, give your website a once-over. Check that those donation buttons are bold, beautiful, and easy to find on every page. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it's time to fix that, pronto. The last thing you want is for a generous donor to abandon their cart (or donation form) because your site looks like it was designed in the early 2000s.

Now for the big question: digital, snail mail, or both? Whatever your method, start drafting your appeal letter now. Need a second set of eyes? I’m your go-to person! Let’s make this year-end your most successful one yet—bring on the donations!