Wrap up 2021 with Creative Fundraising & Stewardship

In the last six weeks of 2020, GiveSmart’s nonprofit partners raised $38 million using the platform for their event and fundraising needs. That accounts for 22,250 tickets sold, 47,947 donations placed, 380 new recurring donations placed, and 1,146 fundraising campaigns. 

With less than six weeks left in 2021, what are you doing to drive your fundraising efforts? Donors are more active and willing to give. Research shows that donors are still willing and ready to give an average of four times per year.

Additionally, we’re seeing exciting, promising things happening during this time of year. More bids are being placed, volunteers are active in more events, and the overall spirit of giving is highest surrounding the holidays.  

Here are some creative ways to turn warm fuzzies into $$$ raised: 

• Angel tree wish list fulfillment 
• Decoration voting competition 
• Holiday-themed bingo 
• Merch sales 
• Poinsette sales 
• Scavenger hunt 
• Secret Santa stores 
• Toy drives 

Take these ideas, customize them so they apply to your mission, and use the GiveSmart features like ticketing, order forms, voting, and more. We know you have your own creative ways! 

Year-End Stewardship Checklist

Something that always needs to be on your annual radar, but especially during this time of year is:  

What are we doing for our donors outside of the big annual events?  

More donor engagement means a happier donor base, more repeated interaction, and increased potential for return on investment. The more your donors feel appreciated and connected to your organization, the more they will be willing to donate their time and money for your mission. 

You don’t want your every outreach to be an ask for money, time, or attendance. What are some ways to reach your supporters outside of that ‘ask’ environment? 

• Holiday cards 
• Impact reports 
• Tax statements 
• Thank you’s 

How can we communicate or send these outreach initiatives?  

• Emails* 
• Handwritten cards 
• Infographics* 
• Phone calls 
• Postcards* 
• Text messages* 
• Social media posts 
• Signed letters 
• Videos* 

*This can be done creatively using the GiveSmart platform! Schedule a demo to learn more.  

This means reaching out to every person, company, or organization who had played a role in supporting your mission that year.  This includes (but isn’t limited to) donors, item/in-kind donors, companies, volunteers, partners, sponsors, anyone else who participated in the success of your organization. Even if you had a restaurant donate a gift certificate to your auction – send them a thank you and let them know how their contribution benefited your organization! 

Here’s a tip! The more handwritten or personalized you can make your outreach, the better. Even just a hand-written signature on a letter makes the recipient feel personally acknowledged and extra special! 

No one knows your supporters better than you, so take the time to cater to your audience, their demographics, their preferred outreach methods, and extend your thanks. 

At the end of the day, without their generosity, reaching your fundraising goals wouldn’t be possible!