Holiday Fundraising Guide: Learn How To Leverage Your Data and Level Up Your Holiday Events

The winter holiday season is the most important time of the year for fundraising. The average nonprofit receives over 30% of donations during the month of December. Organizations should plan ahead to maximize end-of-year charitable donations. Taking a strategic approach to holiday fundraising and implementing the best software for nonprofits, such as donor relationship management and nonprofit database software, can make this giving season a success.

Why Are The Holidays The Most Profitable Time For a Fundraiser

Winter is the season for gift-giving holidays in many major faiths and cultures. It is also the end of the calendar year, which is often a consideration in personal and organizational financial plans. All of these factors combine in a season ripe with fundraising potential.

Year-over-year studies of the nonprofit industry indicate that November and December are the most popular months for year-end asks, and as much as one-third of all giving occurs in December. These considerations combine to make the winter holiday season a good time for any organization to pursue fundraising campaigns and events.

This year, organizations may see higher numbers of donations and more supporter engagement in online events. Organizations that host fundraising events online or run sustained peer-to-peer or social media campaigns may be able to obtain substantial amounts of funding during this season and while enjoying opportunities to expand donor databases. Better data will prepare organizations to pursue effective, targeted fundraising efforts in the new year.

Fun & Simple Holiday Fundraising Ideas

The holiday season offers a great deal of fundraising inspiration. From P2P social media fundraisers with holiday themes to virtual events or gatherings held via video conferencing software, there are many ways to bring donors together online for a good cause.

If your organization is choosing to host an online event, you might want to consider ways to take the occasion beyond a typical group video chat. Virtual gift wrapping, movie watching and ugly sweater parties can all strengthen the association between a remote fundraising event and the holidays. Nonprofits should make sure that it is easy for participants to provide contact and donation data. When a donation is made, secure payment processing and donor data migration should take place behind the scenes. Using import management software can improve or maintain the accuracy and completeness of donor records.

Taking an extended approach to fundraising, such as a “month of giving” promotion, may draw more donations than a one-time occasion. Holiday fundraisers can run for hours, days, weeks or months. Other approaches to giving such as a charity auction or craft fair can be one-time or ongoing and are relatively easily to set up. Organizations should refer to donor information to determine whether one-off events or extended campaigns will be likely to draw the most contributions.

A data-driven approach to holiday fundraising can draw support from a wide range of donors. Virtual charity campaigns and events are likely to garner the highest levels of participation this fundraising season. An organization should plan the event itself while also focusing on ways to maximize donor analytics insights for future fundraisers.