From time to time in the congregation, special gift appeals are needed. This isn't quite the level of a full capital campaign. Many fail of these appeals fail because not enough people participate. This video overviews the basics of a strong appeal.

Strong Annual Funds aren't based on one-time (i.e., "annual") appeals. Instead, a healthy annual fund is a year-long (i.e., "annual") series of communications which inform, inspire, ask, and thank funding partners. Move beyond the one-and-done approach with a framework of Who, When, Why, and How you'll engage supporters to ensure your fundraising efforts are effective.

With 35% of giving in the United States occurring between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, it is critical to have a strategy for end of year gifts. We can't just get lucky, but instead need to organize our communication and pay attention to specific donors as the year comes to a close.

No letter or email should begin, "Dear Friend of Our Organization". If we know someone well enough to ask them for a gift, we know them well enough to call them by name. We can also improve their sense of connection by specifically referencing their previous support, passion issues, or other critical factors. But how do you personalize 1,000 letters? In this session, aimed at those who have not done this before, we will teach participants how to do a mail merge, start to finish.

In fundraising, one size never fits all. Coordinating your fundraising strategies for both direct mail and digital provide the best of both options – and it’s literally how people live in the world. By creating multiple touch points, you improve your stickiness with people who care – or might care – about your organization. Combining strategies also means you’ll raise more money. Isn’t that your goal? In this Roundtable session, learn why integrating these strategies is so impactful and how to do it effectively. You’ll even pick up some tips that you can use in your own fundraising appeals.

From Thank You to Help! What you say – and how you say it – matters. In this session we’ll talk about some of the pitfalls in fundraising writing, differences to consider across various mediums, and how to improve our writing and messaging for better donor engagement. Want to workshop your own written communication? Bring your letter, email, or donor invitation to talk through it together!

The letter below is an actual acknowledgment from a client that is story based. When you use a story in your appeal letter, you can match the acknowledgment letter to reflect that and reinforce that their gift transforms lives.

As we continue to navigate the realities of the pandemic, 90%??? of our revenue now comes from the generosity of camp friends like you. You have been a generous supporter of the ministry in the past, and your gift of $200, $100 or even $500 during this time will serve to create that sense of safety and belonging that campers so desperately need right now after all the isolation. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Using a gift intent card or form can help provide clarity from the donor about their wishes. It can help the organization plan their budget, and it helps maintain institutional knowledge. Here is a sample you can download and adapt for your own organization.

Nearly one third of all giving to non-profit organizations occurs in the month of December. This provides a unique opportunity to invite end of the year gifts. We will discuss what motivates these gifts (hint: it’s not your budget).

Use something like this to invite your non-donors in the congregation to make an end of year gift.

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to donor engagement. Some donors are long-time partners; some are new. We all have donors with vast knowledge and experience about the organization’s work and supporters who only recently joined on. Donors are young, old, and in every season of life. Yet, often we treat them all the same – as though the reason they support us is also one-note. In this roundtable, we’ll talk about improving donor engagement through segmentation. We’ll include some of the most common segmenting strategies as well as how to determine your own segmentation for one-time projects or unique circumstances. This session is the second in a four-week series on Annual Funds.

Social media will not save your fundraising, but it can hurt it if it isn't done well. Simply throwing a donate button out there and asking for people to give will likely damage the relationship. Social media is also more than a single post. It is a curated effort to build relationships and emotional connections to your mission. In this roundtable, we will talk about the Dos and Don'ts of social media. We will talk about how to build trust and brand. We will talk about how to cultivate followers and turn them into donors.