Year-End Fundraising for Nonprofits - A Dozen Website and Email Tips

Donor Stewardship

1. On your homepage, donation page, and in email messages, highlight your good use of past donations, emphasizing program results. Do this clearly and succinctly, not, for example, in a PDF report.

2. Send a thank you e-card to past donors. This could be a simple email, with a compelling image and statement.

3. Recognize your donors. An easy method is simply listing the names of donors on your website.

Promote Donations

4. Promote year-end giving on your homepage. Also, promote this in a prominent position in your December newsletter.

5. Highlight your vision for your organization and make an emotional connection to donors. Also, identify one or two specific goals for the coming year that donation's will support.

6. Provide gifts in return for donations. Provide for in-honor-of or in-memory-of donations, sending a card or email notification to the honoree if appropriate.

7. Highlight the ability of a donation to provide for last minute gifts. Mention that email notification to gift recipients can go out right at the time of a donation.

8. Highlight tax write off benefit of donations.

Facilitate Donations

9. Make it a single click from your homepage and from email messages to the donation page.

10. To accommodate donors that are reluctant to enter their credit card online, consider a setting up a temporary 800 number and staffing the line during business hours.

11. Also, on the donation page provide a print-this-form option and list your mailing address.

12. Prominently provide forward-to-friend links on relevant pages on your site and in emails. Craft a compelling introduction for the forwarded messages.

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