3 simple steps to boost your year-end major giving
You may already have a clear action plan outlining what you need to do between now and the end of the year…
But if not - I’ve written these practical tips just for you.
This week, I’m sharing three simple steps you can take to boost your major gift fundraising by the end of the year.
I know how precious your time is right now, so let’s dive right in!
1) Set aside time to focus on your top priorities
My first tip is to make sure you're being proactive and setting aside the time you need to focus on your highest priorities between now and the end of the year.
Now, I know what you’re thinking - I don’t have any time to set aside!
Here’s the thing: we all MAKE the time for that which is important to us - the real question is: is this important for you?
If so, open up your calendar right now, and block out the time you need to connect with your top donors.
Time-blocking is a game changer. It's something I’ve been personally practicing daily for many years now, and it can have a huge impact.
The key here is to really schedule time into your calendar, ideally at the time you're most productive. I like to do this in the morning, and I like to use time blocks of 60 or 90 minutes.
And when I create a time block in my calendar for something that I’ve identified as one of my highest priorities, that is a commitment I have set in stone. It's a commitment that's just as important as a meeting with a big donor, or a client.
Don’t try and strive for perfection here! If you can't manage a full hour, maybe you can get started by blocking 30 minutes - whatever it is, get that into your calendar and protect that time so you can focus on your highest level priorities.
2) Pick up the phone and call your donors
If you’re wearing many hats, and being pulled in a lot of different directions, it may be hard to even determine what priorities to time block.
I’ll make it easy for you - if you want to raise more major gifts for your mission, your highest priority right now is to have more meaningful conversations with your donors.
You are going to be tempted to send an email instead - email has its place, but don’t forget, having a conversation is a much more valuable opportunity for you to create social bonds with the person you're communicating with.
Want to boost your year-end giving? Pull a list of your major donors or your mid-level donors who have not yet given this year, and then pick up the phone and call them.
(And if you need help with this, make sure you read all the way to the end!)
3) Don’t make assumptions about your donors
The best way to find out what donors think, feel, and want to do...is to ask them!
Instead of making assumptions about what donors are wanting to do, please talk to them instead.
If in-person meetings are still off the table for your organization, use video meetings and phone calls to do that relationship building.
We are entering one of the most important year-ends of our lifetime. I know this has been an incredibly tough couple of years for all of us, but please do not sit this one out - your work matters too much to be left to chance!
If you can follow those three simple steps to boost your year-end major giving, I think you will see incredible results between now and the end of the year.
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