Crafting a Strong End-of-Year Appeal: Unlocking Your Fundraising Potential

As we step into August, it’s the perfect time for nonprofits to start gearing up for the critical end-of-year (EOY) fundraising season. Effective EOY appeals require careful planning and a strategic approach, which is why we’re presenting a two-part series to help you craft a powerful campaign.

This series will explore the enduring relevance of direct mail in a digital world and share actionable strategies to boost your EOY giving efforts. Whether you’re an experienced fundraiser or new to the field, these insights will provide you with the runway needed to plan, execute, and maximize your fundraising potential as the year comes to a close.

PART I

It is hard to believe that the start of fiscal year fourth quarter is just around the corner. As we approach the end of the year, it’s crucial to harness the power of a well-planned end-of-year (EOY) campaign. At the heart of an EOY campaign is a strongly-crafted appeal. It may come as a surprise that despite the digital age, direct mail remains a powerful tool for nonprofits, offering a tangible connection that digital channels can’t replicate. By combining direct mail with social media and email campaigns, you can amplify your message and reach donors multiple times through various channels. Research shows that direct mail has higher response rates and often results in larger donations. According to the Data and Marketing Association, direct mail achieves a response rate of 4.9% for house lists and 2.9% for prospect lists, which is significantly higher than email’s average response rate of 1%. This can be attributed to the fact that 70% of people surveyed by the USPS agree that direct mail feels more personal than digital methods. This makes direct mail a reliable method for generating donations.

Overall, research highlights direct mail as an effective way to communicate your organization’s mission through compelling stories. One of the advantages of email and digital media is the option to integrate video into the appeal. It’s hard to beat compelling videos for storytelling. So why not combine the two methods? For your next donor communication, tie in your video to the mailed appeal by offering a QR code in the appeal letter to link to directly to your video.

When planning your EOY appeal, consider these benefits of direct mail:

• Higher open rate than email

• Higher response rate than email

• Strong donor connection to stories in direct mail

• Cost-effective communication option (the price per digital ad has increased by over 20% in the past three years, while the cost of direct mail has only risen by 1.4-1.7%)

Strong communication is key to making a lasting impression and connecting with donors. Choosing the right communication method for your donor base—both current and potential—can significantly impact the success of your end-of-year campaign. For Part II of our EOY campaign series, we’ll be sharing more soon! Be sure to check back to learn more and get tips to craft a strong EOY campaign.