How Will Your Donors Remember You in December?

FACT 1: 

The nonprofits that see the strongest year-end fundraising results are rarely the ones that send the best appeal letter.

They’re often the organizations that stayed visible throughout the year.

Not by constantly asking for support but by staying connected.

That’s why these summer and fall months matter so much and every newsletter you send or don’t send today is helping shape what donors will remember in December.

Unfortunately, most nonprofit leaders think year-end fundraising begins in November.

It really doesn’t.

By the time a donor receives your year-end appeal, they’ve already been deciding whether to support your organization for months.

Not consciously but through every interaction they’ve had with your nonprofit throughout the year.

Here’s a simple exercise.

Think back to the last five emails you sent your supporters.

What were they about? For many small nonprofits, the list looks something like this:

There’s nothing wrong with any of those emails. The problem is what’s missing.

Most nonprofit newsletters are built around organizational needs - events, donations, updates etc. but donors don’t wake up wondering what’s happening inside your organization.

FACT 2

Donors want to know:

When those questions go unanswered for months, donors slowly disconnect. They may still care but that will not translate into action. Because what drives action - in this case donation is how their involvement is making a difference.

You probably know this already, however you struggle with staying consistent with all the different hats you have to wear.

Would it make a difference if you knew exactly what to write and with a system to write your newsletter consistently in under 1 hour? You will finally escape the trap of wondering what to write each week/month - whatever your frequency - and skipping the newsletter altogether when you keep staring at a blank screen.

FACT 3

A good system should separate two things most nonprofits combine: A donor nurturing system and ongoing donor engagement system.

A nurturing system answers:

“What should happen after someone joins our list?”

What should they receive in week one?

Month one?

After they donate?

After they volunteer?

Without a system, every email becomes a one-off decision.

Then there’s content - which forms your ongoing donor engagement system. Most nonprofits believe they don’t have enough news to send newsletters. In reality, you are surrounded by content.

Education about the problem you are solving; Volunteer stories;  Program moments, Beneficiary highlights; Lessons learned; Client successes; Donor impact; Staff insights; Leadership updates etc.

The challenge isn’t a lack of content. It’s having a process to identify and use it consistently. That's why some nonprofits send valuable emails month after month while others only show up when they need something.

One has a system, the other starts from scratch every time. So here’s the question:

When your year-end appeal arrives in a donor’s inbox, will they remember months of meaningful communication? Or will they be hearing from you for the first time in a while?

The answer is being decided right now and can influence that decision.

Cheers to your impact

Carol

PS: Nonprofit Email Marketing Toolkit

1) Never wonder what to say in your newsletter or on social media again. Get the Nonprofit Email Newsletter Content Vault with story prompts covering ALL areas including fundraising, impact, volunteering, education, crises response, subject lines and clear calls to action, and a simple story collection form so you’ll never start with a blank screen again. CLICK HERE to access it.

2) If you want to turn your newsletter into a fundraising engine while writing less, then you need the Automated Email Sequences. Welcome your supporters, nurture them, turn them into donors and keep them engaged year round. The templates are Done-For-You. Just plud-and-play, set them up once and let them run in the background while you focus on your mission. CLICK HERE to access it.