Year-End Campaigns: Strategies That Work

Many nonprofits raise up to 40 percent of yearly donations during the holiday fundraising season. Join us for an online session that will offer fresh ideas for your critical year-end campaigns. WeÕll share examples of approaches that worked at other nonprofits, offer tips for integrating direct-mail and online giving, and share strategies to help you plan a strong campaign to close 2016.

YouÕll learn from Susie Harrison, senior development manager at Pencils of Promise, who will explain how the charityÕs 2015 year-end campaign raised more than $1 million using a variety of tactics_including a matching grant and fundraising campaigns that enlist people to ask friends and family for money. SheÕll also discuss why the charity makes photos, videos, and storytelling a priority and how it attracts new donors and thanks long-term supporters.

YouÕll also hear from Drew Seman, director of online fundraising at the Sierra Club, which raised nearly half of all digital revenue in 2015 through its year-end campaign. HeÕll show you examples of e-mails, social-media posts, text alerts, and online ads from the successful campaign and explain how redesigning their emails sharply improved the number of people who responded.

Mr. Seman will explain several other effective tactics, including how:

Adapting high-performing direct-mail appeals for online campaigns, and vice-versa, helped maximize returns
Streamlining online donation forms in November boosted donations throughout December
Soliciting monthly donors during the holidays tripled the number of people who give each month.
HeÕll also share what didnÕt work, what his group plans to try again, and how it makes that determination.

What Will You Learn?
How to craft year-end appeals that cut through the competition during fundraisingÕs busiest season.
How to adopt smart strategies that worked for other nonprofits.
How to better plan your campaign to avoid last-minute problems or missed opportunities.

Who Should Attend?
Chief development officers, development directors, and other fundraisers
Communications directors and online marketers
Executive directors