Organizations seem to view “running an online fundraising campaign” as an item on their annual to-do checklist. Once they organizations finish their campaigns, they cross it off the list. Online fundraising flies out of sight and out of mind until next year.
These organizations are making a critical mistake. They are viewing online fundraising as a once-a-year project.
As we approach December – the biggest month for fundraising BY FAR – organizations who opt not to fundraiser are missing opportunities to inspire their donors. They are leaving money on the table, walking away from donors.
It as if they are saying to donors, “Don’t give to us right now. We’ll make that decision for you.”
Worse yet, while these organizations sit on their hands, others seize the moment and run end-of-year campaigns that bring in thousands upon thousands of dollars.
At CauseMatch, we are witnessing a growing trend: More organizations are running multiple campaigns within a calendar year.
It starts when organizations run a flagship annual online fundraiser. Then, over the course of the next months, they run smaller online campaigns, often with a more specific focus. They refuse to let the baseless myth of once-a-year-fundraising stand in their way.
Here are FIVE reasons why running an end-of-year online fundraiser is wise, even if you’ve already run a major campaign earlier this year.
1) Donors crave that tax-deductible receipt. They aren’t saving their ma’aser money for your campaign next April. They want to give, and they want to give now.
2) Other organizations will grab their attention. There is a LOT of competition for your donors’ attention. If you don’t grab it, someone else will.
3) Smaller campaigns are easier to run than larger campaigns. It takes a village to run a large annual campaign. It’s not nearly as difficult to run a smaller one. A more modest goal means an easier mountain to climb.
4) Focus on the little things. Running a small campaign allows you to highlight specific programs within your larger organizations. Your larger campaign was about your organization as a whole. Now, you can target donors who care one specific impact area.
As one client who ran FOUR campaigns this year put it,
“Some people would like to donate to scholarships while others like to donate for the camp.”
5) Donors like to give to causes that make them feel great. If you give donors what they want in return for their donation, they’ll keep coming back for more and more. And you know what they want from you? They want to feel AWESOME about donating to your org. Make them feel like heroes, and there is no such thing as “too much” fundraising!
Annual subscribers with CauseMatch get more for less. With CauseMatch, the more you raise, the less you pay.
For more tips and guidance please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team is here to help you get it right.
Start preparing for your end-of-year campaign today!
Happy fundraising!