Four Things to Do If You Have Four Minutes to Spare

The good news is that it’s not too late to make a difference. So, what can you do in these final weeks?

 

Here are four suggestions of things that don’t take much time, but can have a big impact:

 

1. Call the donors you haven’t heard from. Not all of them, of course, but look at the ones who gave you gifts of $250, $500, or more in 2017. Haven’t heard from them in 2018? Give ‘em a call!

 

2. Call donors you have heard from! Again, not all of them – only the ones who made gifts of $1,000 or more in 2018 but gave you less in 2018 than in 2017. Many high-dollar donors may be breaking up their giving into a few smaller gifts. You can maintain your high-dollar donor value by asking for additional support.

 

3. Send an email or two … or 10! Most organizations are aggressively emailing your donors starting before Giving Tuesday and continuing all the way through December. To stay top of mind, your organization must be in donors’ inboxes, too. Countdown emails that come in the last few days of the year are particularly successful.

 

4. Boost your email open rate — find a match! A matching gift offer is a great way to create urgency before the close of the year. And if a match is not available, a challenge campaign with a specific dollar goal also works well. Both techniques will help get your emails opened by donors and add last-minute urgency and excitement before December 31st.  

 

These are techniques that will let your donors know that you still need their support and remind them that it’s not too late to give!