On-Line Gifts Can Put You Over the Top in the Last Days of December

In our 09 Year-End Fundraising Strategies Telesummit interviews, Kim Klein shared a great strategy for the last days of December.

She noted that 40% of on-line donors give in December. (!!!) I have to say that I did NOT know that and it is a real surprise to me. Wow, this means that we have two months, at best, to design the right kind of e-fundraising effort that will actually touch the hearts of our on-line donors right there at the end of the year.

Even more interesting, 40% – 60% of those on-line donations will come in the last two days of December, Kim says.

Can’t you just imagine all those e- gifts streaming into your account right there at year-end? What a sack of presents to greet you!

What will it take to get there?  You need to plan NOW for an email campaign to reach those donors. Start writing copy for those emails right now.  Engage a great e-marketing consultant to help you craft the right messages and strategies.

Remember, the psychology of on-line giving is quite different from donors who give through the mail.  Attention spans are far shorter. Copy must be lively.  Web sites need to be alive, and get updated often.  Just getting your folks to open your email is an art that you need to study carefully.

Lots of times a last minute challenge gift or matching gift can help inspire people to open their hearts and wallets.

And you should remember that your mail donors often check out your web site before they send that paper check in the mail. Yet another reason to have a snappy, interactive web site that has a call to action right in front.