Every year in November, National Philanthropy Day would roll around and I’d sigh and say to myself: “Next year, I’m going to be ready.” I’d swear that I would plan ahead, write the emails, prep the social media graphics, and really celebrate the day with our donors.

Then February would roll around and I’d see adorable Valentine’s Day posts from other schools – “We ❤️ our donors!” – and then again on St. Patrick’s Day – “We’re lucky to have you!” And I’d think: Next year. Definitely next year.

Finally, last summer, I had had enough.

We blocked time, pulled out the project management software, and started building a full philanthropy calendar – complete with stewardship moments, giving day content, and awareness-based messaging. And now? We don’t miss those chances to talk about philanthropy. We show up with intention. And the best part? Once this year is done, we’ll already have an entire year’s worth of content ready to refresh and reuse next time around.

Honestly – it’s one of the best things we’ve done.

If you’re in higher ed advancement (and especially if your fiscal year starts July 1), now is the time to build your calendar for the next year – before you're juggling events, campaigns, and year-end appeals.

When you plan your giving-focused content in advance, you give your team the time and space to tie fundraising to moments that matter – national observances, cause-based awareness days, and your own institutional milestones. You stop scrambling. You start seeing results.
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Digital fundraising isn’t just about being visible. It’s about being intentional.

Start with the obvious ones: your founding date, commencement, homecoming, or the birthday of a beloved former president with a named scholarship fund. Then build out from there.

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

• World Gratitude Day (Sept 21) – a lovely touchpoint to show donor appreciation
• National Philanthropy Day (Nov 15) – a perfect moment to thank donors and highlight giving’s impact
• National Estate Planning Awareness Week (3rd week of October) – opens the door for gentle legacy giving education
• National Scholarship Month (November) – great for student stories, recruitment, and stewardship

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The more your calendar reflects your organization’s story, the more it will resonate with your community. These aren't throwaway posts – they’re meaningful messages that reinforce your mission and make giving feel timely and personal.

Use scheduling tools like Buffer, Later, or Hootsuite to plan ahead. Build Canva templates you can reuse year after year. And make sure someone on your team is tracking which content types drive engagement – not just likes, but actual clicks, gifts, or email signups.

Once you get into the rhythm of planning ahead, the content starts to build on itself – and pretty soon, you're not starting from scratch every year. You’re refining, reusing, and getting stronger with every cycle.
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You don’t need a massive team or a fancy agency. Just a plan, a few tools, and a commitment to showing up for your donors in meaningful ways.

I’ve done the heavy lifting for you  –  get your free Year-Round Philanthropy Calendar with dates organized by theme and by month and ideas for implementation.
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This curated list of dozens of dates is tailor-made for fundraising, stewardship, and storytelling – including giving days, mission-aligned observances, and the quirky holidays that make for surprisingly great donor content.

Just drop your email, and you’ll be able to download it instantly. Easy.
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One calendar. A year’s worth of opportunities to show up, connect with your donors, and tell the story of your mission.

What dates are important for your messaging and content throughout the year? Let me know in the comments.
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Cheers,

​PS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my e-newsletter, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity, and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you!

If you liked this…

• The Responsibility Calendar: The Best Way to Execute Your Fundraising Plans
• Why Nonprofits Can’t Afford to Sleep on IRA Rollovers
• What Should Your Strategic Fundraising Plan Contain?
• Leveraging National Estate Planning Awareness Week for Planned Giving Success
• Kickstart the Year: Setting Annual Giving Projections for Success

I learned the power of recurring gifts when I ran a faculty/staff giving campaign. I saw how quickly even $5 payroll deductions added up across the year when dozens upon dozens of donor participated. When I arrived at a much smaller institution that really needed unrestricted gifts, I knew they needed a strong monthly giving program that would help us reach our annual goals.
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Recurring giving is a powerful strategy that can transform your nonprofit’s fundraising model. A successful recurring gift program provides steady, unrestricted income and builds a loyal donor base that supports your mission long-term. Here’s how to build a thriving recurring gift program from scratch.

A recurring gift program allows donors to give smaller, automated contributions on a monthly basis, typically via credit/debit card or bank draft. These "set it and forget it" donations make giving simple and budget-friendly for donors, while providing nonprofits with reliable revenue.

Why You Should Launch a Recurring Gift Program:

• Cost-Effective: Solicited only once, recurring gifts reduce acquisition costs.
• Predictable Revenue: Monthly gifts offer a consistent income stream.
• Higher Lifetime Value: Studies show that recurring donors give more over time compared to one-time or annual donors.
• Increased Donor Loyalty: The regular engagement helps deepen the relationship with your organization.

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Why Donors Love Monthly Giving
Monthly giving resonates with donors for several key reasons:

• Convenience: Automated payments make it easy to maintain their support without additional steps.
• Budget-Friendly: Smaller, regular donations are easier to fit into monthly budgets.
• Eco-Friendly: Recurring gifts reduce paper usage and reliance on direct mail, aligning with donor values around sustainability.
• Impactful: Donors feel a deeper connection, knowing their consistent support enables ongoing projects and growth.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to creating a sustainable recurring gift program that will drive long-term success.

Choose a donation platform that securely stores donor payment information and processes automated monthly contributions. Key features to consider include:

• Mobile Optimization: Ensure the sign-up process is seamless on all devices.
• Security: Look for Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance and encrypted data storage.
• User-Friendly Maintenance System: Make sure the system is easy for staff to manage, update, and integrate with your CRM.

Pro Tip: The ability to automate receipts and acknowledgments in your software will save staff time and maintain a consistent donor experience.

Engage your team and leadership early. Present a clear case for why a recurring gift program is a strategic priority using data and examples:

• Highlight the benefits of consistent revenue and lower acquisition costs.
• Address any concerns about additional workload or technology investment.

Share a short executive summary and draft donation page copy with key stakeholders to secure buy-in and streamline implementation.

Develop a unique brand identity for your recurring giving group to create a sense of community. Consider naming the group and designing a logo (e.g., "The [Organization] Sustainers"). This branding helps build a strong identity and a feeling of belonging among donors.
Examples:

• Charity: Water’s "The Spring" 
• The Adventure Project’s "The Collective" 
• Starr King School for the Ministry’s "The Starr King Sustainers"

Begin by reaching out personally to a select group of 25-50 loyal donors, volunteers, or board members. These individuals are likely to be early adopters and provide valuable feedback for refining your program.
Action Steps:

• Make personalized calls or set up Zoom meetings to introduce the program.
• Explain the benefits of becoming a founding member and gather testimonials from these early donors.

Once you’ve piloted your program, it’s time for a full launch. Use a multi-channel approach to reach your audience:

• Email: Highlight the ease and impact of monthly giving.
• Social Media: Share testimonials and visual stories of impact.
• Direct Mail: Include a simple option to sign up for monthly giving on reply cards.
• Phone Campaigns: Engage donors directly and answer any questions they have.

Keep the momentum going by regularly reporting progress. Consider using a thermometer graphic to illustrate growth in monthly donors and total contributions.

While your main goal is sustainable support, offering small perks can enhance donor loyalty without significantly increasing costs:

• Access to an exclusive Facebook group or early event registration.
• An annual Zoom Q&A with your CEO or program director.
• Personalized thank-you notes or recognition on your website.

These gestures help make donors feel special and connected to your mission.

Ongoing maintenance is key to the success of your program. Be proactive about updating expired credit cards and follow up with donors whose payments fail. In January, send timely letters for tax purposes covering all of the gifts the donor made in the previous tax year. I’ve always liked to send monthly donors a sticker and/or car decal for every year they are in the program. 
Upgrade Strategy:

• Every 12-24 months, ask existing donors if they’d consider increasing their monthly gift. Even a small increase can have a big impact over time.

Persistence is crucial when building a recurring gift program. Plan an annual campaign to recruit new donors and replace any who have lapsed.
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Case Study: When we started "The Starr King Sustainers" program in 2016, we had just 11 donors giving under $1,000 monthly. By 2024, we grew to over 110 monthly donors contributing nearly $6,000 each month, providing a stable base of support for our mission.

​Building a successful recurring gift program takes time and effort, but the payoff is substantial. With a thoughtful approach and consistent stewardship, you’ll create a loyal base of donors who are passionate about supporting your mission month after month.

As we turn the page to a new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the incredible impact your donors have made on your organization. Donor appreciation isn't just about wrapping up last year's success - it’s about laying the groundwork for lasting relationships that will sustain your mission well into 2025 and beyond.
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In nonprofit fundraising, donor retention is key. It’s much easier (and more cost-effective) to retain a donor than to acquire a new one, which is why a thoughtful approach to showing gratitude can be a game-changer. Starting the new year on a note of appreciation can make all the difference in keeping those relationships strong. Here are six creative and practical ways to show your gratitude this New Year:

Instead of sending out traditional holiday cards, why not opt for a New Year’s card? It’s a great way to stand out, especially since January mail isn’t competing with the December rush. At my current institution, where we serve a multi-religious community, we steer clear of specific religious holiday cards, but New Year’s cards offer a respectful and inclusive option.

This isn’t just about sending a card; it’s about showing donors they’re valued as you enter a fresh chapter. By sending a message of gratitude and well wishes for the year ahead, you remind them that their support is crucial to your mission’s success.

Why It Works: A New Year’s card avoids the crowded December mailbox, acknowledges diverse traditions, and sets a positive tone for the year ahead.

Giving Tuesday 2024 is officially in the books, and I’m thrilled to share what worked for us this year! The seminary I work for has participated in Giving Tuesday on and off for almost a decade, but this year, we took bold steps that paid off in a record-breaking campaign.

​Spoiler alert: We set a $20,000 challenge match - our highest ever - and not only met it but exceeded it, raising $40,000! (We even used a strategic extension to cross the finish line - more on that later.)
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Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas or want to refine your strategy, here’s what made our campaign a success:

Challenge matches are a must-have in your Giving Tuesday toolbox. This year, our $20,000 match created a sense of urgency and gave donors an irresistible reason to give.

Why It Worked: It answered the critical question, “Why should I give today?” A generic “it’s Giving Tuesday” doesn’t cut it anymore because every nonprofit is vying for attention. A match is specific, exciting, and makes donors feel like their gift has double the impact.

If you are not as chronically online as I am, you might not be familiar with TikTok Shop. However, as a nonprofit fundraiser, you should be. The nonprofit sector can learn many valuable lessons from this feature of TikTok about how to engage online with our supporters.

TikTok officially launched TikTok Shop in the U.S. in November 2022, marking a significant expansion of TikTok's e-commerce capabilities. The feature allows users to browse and purchase products directly within the app, integrating shopping with the platform's popular short-form videos.

But that doesn’t quite capture how seamless it really is. Picture this: You are scrolling through funny cat videos after all the work of the day is done. Before you notice it, you’ve stopped to watch someone apply moisturizing oil to their skin. You scratch a rough spot near your elbow and find yourself nodding as the person giving the video testimonial bemoans how much they dislike normal lotion, which leaves their skin feeling sticky. Suddenly, without leaving TikTok, you are on a sales page and two days later, your moisturizing oil arrives in your mailbox.
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Even as I was scrolling through my FYP (For You Page), my brain was wondering how we as nonprofit fundraisers could craft an online experience like this for our donors and, even more importantly, for future donors. Here are some defining features of TikTok shop that I believe could be incorporated into our nonprofit marketing and fundraising plans.

• ​TikTok Shop: TikTok Shop integrates e-commerce directly into the app, allowing users to browse and purchase products without leaving the platform. This seamless shopping experience reduces friction in the buying process, making it easier for users to make impulse purchases while still engaging with the content.
• Nonprofit Application: While currently there is no way to give directly to a nonprofit via the TikTok app, we can reduce the friction (number of clicks and starts and stops that it takes to complete a transaction) of our giving forms. Ensure that your donation process is as seamless as possible. A smooth, user-friendly donation process reduces barriers and makes it easier for viewers to support your cause on impulse.

Nonprofits can take inspiration from the world of e-commerce, such that making a gift of $50 becomes as easy and natural as buying a hair straightener on your phone. If we want a world where folks see a video about our cause and make a gift right then and there, we need to learn from businesses that have proven practices to make impulse purchases happen. The most important takeaway from researching TikTok Shop is that nonprofits should push beyond their strict branding guidelines to lean harder into authenticity. Produce fun and inspiring content featuring voices and faces that are relatable and authentic supporters of your nonprofit’s cause.
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I predict that nonprofit organizations that successfully adapt the strategies of TikTok Shop will thrive in the ever-changing digital landscape. This will happen by tapping into the power of real-time engagement, authenticity, and community-building. By leveraging live fundraising events, interactive content, and social proof techniques similar to those used in TikTok Shop, nonprofits can create dynamic and compelling donor experiences that resonate with modern audiences. These organizations will not only increase their reach and visibility but also foster deeper connections with supporters, leading to more immediate and sustained giving. As digital trends continue to evolve, nonprofits that embrace these innovative approaches will be better equipped to meet fundraising goals and maintain relevance in a fast-paced, online-driven world.

QUESTION FOR YOU? Have you utilized some aspects of TikTok Shop in your nonprofit's online marketing? We found that during the pandemic Facebook Live was a wonderful way for our president to continue to connect with our constituents in real-time. I'd love to try it soon for fundraising purposes specifically. What ideas do you have after reading more about TikTok Shop? Let me know in the comments.

​Cheers!

PS - If you’re loving the resources on Real Deal Fundraising, wait until you see what’s in my Etsy store! I’ve created a collection of digital products designed to save you time and help you bring in more money for your nonprofit. From ready-to-use templates to creative campaign ideas, these tools are crafted with your success in mind. Head over to Real Deal Fundraising on Etsy and take your fundraising to the next level - because you deserve to work smarter, not harder!

PPS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my monthly newsletter email, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is weekly curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you!

If you work for a small nonprofit like I do, you probably know that it's hard to find time to work on planned giving. Planned gifts don't usually help you reach that all-important year-end fundraising goal, and there's a lot of technical terminology that, as a new fundraiser, you may not feel confident in discussing with donors. In this article, I will give you lots of reasons why you should be promoting planned gifts, a feasible plan to get started, and help demystify some of the basic terminology.
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National Estate Planning Awareness Week (NEPAW), held annually during the third week of October, is a prime opportunity for nonprofits to highlight the importance of estate planning and the opportunities of estate gifts. The goal of NEPAW is to increase public awareness of the need for proper estate planning, which can benefit individuals and their chosen charitable organizations significantly. My hope is this article will spur you to prepare now to fully leverage National Estate Planning Awareness Week so planned giving leads come to you!

Donors make annual gifts from income. Donors make planned gifts from assets.

The connection comes because planned gifts usually come from your most loyal supporters not necessarily the wealthiest. This is why you should never undervalue annual gifts and you should have a consecutive year giving society to cultivate those donors and encourage loyalty.

Planned gifts are usually much significantly larger than annual gifts because they are made from assets accumulated over a lifetime. In fact, according to industry reports, planned gifts are typically 200-300 times the size of an average annual donation, underscoring their importance for long-term financial health of the nonprofits we work to support. Cultivate your annual donors and you will be surprised how willing they are to discuss a planned gift with you. That is their legacy to a cause that they have shown through many years of generosity means much to them.

Larger planned gifts rarely fall out of the sky from mysterious anonymous donors. The donors who will make the largest planned gifts your organization will ever receive are already in your database! And they are giving at much more modest levels than you expect. Strong stewardship of annual donors is the key to planned giving success. It takes a while, but the payoff is extraordinary. These are the folks that are here for your mission and invested in your organization’s long-term success.
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Now that you know who your planned giving prospects are, you can target educational messages about planned giving opportunities to them, meeting them where they are. Knowing that our best planned giving prospects are your nonprofit’s most loyal annual donors and fans, take the messaging to them on the same platforms you use for annual giving: mail, email, your website, and social media.

Many folks are unaware of the substantial benefits that planned giving can offer both to themselves and to the nonprofits they support. NEPAW provides an ideal platform to educate donors about the various forms of planned giving, including bequests and beneficiary designations. Planned gifts often provide significant tax benefits to the donor while offering a critical revenue stream for nonprofits. By focusing on the dual advantages of planned giving, nonprofits can attract more interest and commitment from potential donors. 

Demonstrating a well-organized planned giving program can significantly enhance a nonprofit's credibility. By displaying their expertise and commitment to planned giving during NEPAW, nonprofits can build trust with potential donors. This confidence is crucial, as donors are more likely to include organizations they trust within their estate plans. Providing clear, accessible information can demystify the process of planned giving and encourage more donors to consider it as part of their estate planning.

Whatever content you create for National Estate Planning Awareness Week can be repurposed throughout the year by designating another time as <<Your Organization>>’s Legacy Giving Week! Simply choose a date or week that resonates with your organization—perhaps a meaningful anniversary or milestone—but don't feel limited to that. You can pick any week that works best for your team and your supporters. Once you have those dates, swap out "National Estate Planning Awareness Week" with "<<Your Organization>>’s Legacy Giving Week” in your plan. This simple tweak allows you to maximize the impact of your carefully crafted materials and engage your community in planned giving conversations multiple times a year!

Tactic #1: Planned Giving Landing Page
Having a landing page on your website about planned giving opportunities doesn’t have to be complicated. You can start by just highlighting the two simplest, most common vehicles for planned gifts: bequests and beneficiary designations. But having some resources available on your website signals that you accept and encourage these kinds of gifts.

Tactic #2: Educational Campaigns
Nonprofits can launch educational campaigns during NEPAW to inform donors about the benefits of planned giving. These campaigns can include webinars and workshops but can also be as simple as informative content distributed via newsletters, emails, and social media. These campaigns can push your prospects to your landing page for more information and to contact your staff. Bringing the planned giving leads straight to your inbox.

Tactic #3: Partnerships
Forming partnerships with financial advisors, estate planners, and legal professionals can enhance the nonprofit's planned giving program. These partnerships can provide donors with the expert advice they need to make informed decisions about their estate plans. While there are lots of potential benefits, this strategy can be time-consuming if you don’t already know one of these professionals. It is worth putting these sorts of skills on your wish list for board members and volunteers though.

Tactic #4: Testimonials
Highlighting success stories and testimonials from planned giving donors can be a powerful way to inspire action. The absolute BEST way to do this is by crafting a donor profile of someone who has already set up a bequest or other planned gift to your nonprofit.

If you have a generous supporter in mind, reach out and ask if they’d be willing to share their story during National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Send them a few thoughtful questions and ask for permission to highlight their journey. Most donors will be thrilled to express their love for your mission and inspire others to give. Don’t forget to ask for a photo or two to accompany their story, and make sure they’re comfortable with sharing not just that they made a planned gift but also the amount. (Some donors are comfortable with one but not the other.)

Use this story strategically during NEPAW: share it as an extra social media post on Monday, include it in the Tuesday email blast, and feature it in the final Monday recap email of your campaign. Here are some questions to guide the testimonial:

• What do you love about <<your nonprofit>>?
• How did you start giving to our cause?
• What made you decide to set up this planned gift?
• What do you hope this gift will accomplish in the future?

​This approach personalizes your campaign and underscores the impact of planned giving through heartfelt, real-life examples.

BEQUESTS
Bequests are the simplest, most flexible, and most versatile way to ensure that donors can help nonprofits continue our work for years to come. There are numerous options when it comes to bequests:

• General Bequests are legacies left to certain people or causes that come from the general value of the estate, and are made by designating a specific dollar amount, a particular asset, or a fixed percentage of your estate to the cause of your choice.
• Specific Bequests are made when a particular item or property is bequeathed for a designated purpose. For instance, a donor could designate their bequest to fund a scholarship at a school or college.
• Residuary Bequests are made when a person intends to leave the residual portion of their assets after other terms of the will have been satisfied. (Residuary bequests can be general or specific.)
• Contingency Bequests allow a person to leave a portion of their estate to a particular charity if their named beneficiary does not survive them. (Contingency bequests can be general or specific.)

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS
Making a nonprofit the beneficiary of some of their assets is an easy method for donors to support your organization. All they need to do is name your organization as a beneficiary to receive assets such as retirement plans and life insurance policies after the donor’s lifetime. The donor would simply fill out a form that is entirely separate from their will—which makes this approach an uncomplicated way to give.

Not only are beneficiary designations an easy way to give, but they are also flexible — donors aren’t locked into their choices today. Donors can review and adjust beneficiary designations anytime they want. They can make your organization a sole or partial beneficiary of a retirement account or an insurance policy.
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Beneficiary Designation Checklist:

• Defined Contribution Plans: For instance, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457s, Simplified Employee Pension, etc.
• Defined Benefit Plans: Such as pension plans
• Individual Retirement Accounts: IRAs
• Life insurance plans: all types
• Accidental death and dismemberment insurance

Donors can choose to make your organization the sole beneficiary, the beneficiary of a specific percentage, or the contingent beneficiary after a spouse or other loved one. The funds realized from this legacy gift can be given as unrestricted or restricted for a specific purpose (scholarships, for example). Donors can also stipulate that the funds become part of your endowment and the proceeds from that investment be used for your chosen purpose, meaning their legacy will last in perpetuity!

Educating donors about planned giving opportunities, like bequests and beneficiary designations, can be highly beneficial for nonprofits. The reality is that nonprofits cannot afford to ignore planned giving, whether we feel we have time or not. Here are some key points to emphasize:

• Bequests, or planned gifts, can provide nonprofits with a reliable source of long-term funding. By educating donors about including the organization in their estate plans, nonprofits can build a pipeline of future support that helps ensure financial stability and sustainability.
• In 2024, Giving USA notes that more than $42.68 billion was given via bequests, an increase of 4.8% from 2022 (remaining relatively flat, with a small increase of 0.6% when adjusted for inflation). Due to generational shifts (Baby Boomers and Generation Xers aging), bequests are projected to grow for the next couple of decades at least. Nonprofits must find time to promote these giving opportunities with their constituencies.

By keeping it simple while showing donors the benefits and the process, and providing clear information and resources, nonprofits can encourage donors to consider including the organization in their estate plans, thereby securing future support and ensuring the organization's mission continues to thrive.

QUESTION FOR YOU? Do you utilize National Estate Planning Awareness Week or have some other routine educational campaign about planned giving for your supporters? What have you found that works best to generate interest about planned giving? Let me know in the comments!

Lastly, I understand the complexities of time with a small nonprofit staff. Maybe you are a solo fundraiser for an organization or perhaps you are a CEO or founder, or board member and your organization doesn’t yet have a dedicated fundraiser on staff?

If that’s you, I’ve designed a way to enhance your planned giving program with minimal effort. With National Estate Planning Awareness Week just around the corner (October), I've got the perfect solution to save you time and effort without sacrificing your nonprofit's unique branding and voice. Check out my Celebrate National Estate Planning Awareness Week Bundle for only $84.99! Read the PS on this post to see what’s included.

​Cheers!

PS - What's Inside the Celebrate National Estate Planning Awareness Week Bundle?:

• Planned Gift Landing Page Web Copy: Plug-and-play customizable language to create an informational landing page where donors can learn about planned giving options.
• Planned Gift Letter of Intent: A ready-to-use template that allows donors to easily declare their planned gifts.
• Sample Bequest Language: Clear and concise bequest language for donors to include in their wills.
• NEPAW Promotional Plan: A detailed plan to keep your social media and email buzzing all week long.
• Social Media Post Templates: 10 Customizable, attention-grabbing templates to make your posts stand out.
• Bonus: Email Header Templates: 3 email headers make your educational email blasts catch your donor’s eye

Total Value: $89.99 | Save 26% as a Bundle!

Why You Need This Bundle:

• Time Saver: Skip the hassle of creating materials from scratch. Our bundle has everything ready to go, letting you focus on engaging with your donors.
• Consistent Branding: Customize our templates to match your nonprofit's voice and style, ensuring your communications remain authentic and on-brand.
• Maximize Impact: Follow our detailed plan and use our professional templates to run a knockout campaign during National Estate Planning Awareness Week, securing your organization’s future with increased planned giving leads.

Visit our Etsy store now and get ready to rock National Estate Planning Awareness Week with confidence and ease! If you’ve read this far, you clearly need this product. Here’s a coupon code to help you make it happen for your nonprofit. Get $10 off this product using the code: NEPAW10. This code makes the entire bundle only $79.99!

PPS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my monthly newsletter email, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is weekly curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you!

If you liked this post, you may also like these:

• Why Nonprofits Can't Afford to Sleep on IRA Rollovers
• How to Keep Donors Connected in a Crisis: Near, Dear, and Clear
• Applying to be a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE)
• The Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) Exam
• Spoilt for Choice: Why Giving Donors Direction Works

If you’ve found yourself rewriting the same appeal three times -- or wondering if it’s even okay to make an ask right now -- you’re not alone. In a year marked by economic uncertainty, political tension, and donor hesitation, fundraisers are feeling the weight of every word.

The solution isn’t silence. It’s clarity. And that’s where Near, Dear, and Clear comes in.

How can we keep our donors connected to our organizations in this unstable environment?

Back in 2020, when it became clear that I would not be allowed to travel anymore for work, I fell back on a maxim I heard somewhere early in my fundraising career. It rhymes so that’s convenient and an aid to memory.

Near
Dear
Clear

In any circumstances where rapid change is taking place, we must take great pains to keep our donors near, dear, and clear. What does that mean as a guide to practical action?

Let’s take each part of the maxim in turn:

PS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my e-newsletter, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity, and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you!

PPS - Want more messaging tools that build trust and drive giving - without gimmicks? Inside my Smart Start Fundraising System course, we unpack the words, frameworks, and mindset shifts that actually move donors to action. [→ Get on the list here.] Course launches 06.03.25!

What if I told you that there was a source of annual fund dollars out there that could cost you 18 cents to raise a dollar and raise those funds very quickly in a short period of time?
 
And what if I told you that you probably were not currently utilizing this particular source of revenue for your institution? You would be interested, right?
 
Let me tell you what the secret source of revenue is . . . Facebook ads.
 
Yep, Facebook ads. Believe it or not, I recently did a test in which I ran Facebook ads for year-end fundraising and the cost to raise a dollar was as low as 18 cents.
 
In all honesty, this test grew out of the fact that I work for a very small shop and I’m the only fundraiser. I needed to come up with a calendar year-end giving campaign for our social media. Last year I spent a lot of time crafting unique messages to be used for each day in December. This year I was just running out of time and had no real creativity left in me.
 
So instead, I decided to craft three very targeted year-end promotional messages and boost them significantly with Facebook ads. I had a little bit of extra money in my budget that I re-purposed in order to do this. Not a ton. I'm talking less than $1,200 to experiment with.
 
So I divided my ad dollars up between three boosted ads. The first two were to promote general giving. One was targeted to those outside of our normal constituency on Facebook (people who don’t currently like our page). The second I boosted specifically to people within our community (who currently like our page).  
 
The third leg of this campaign was a specific boost to encourage our constituents to become “sustainers” (recurring monthly donors). All three of these campaigns were successful.
 
First, our campaign outside of our normal constituency reached over 44,000 people who may or may not have ever heard of the school before but had our affinity with the religious community that we serve. We also garnered 14 new page likes.
 
In the general year-end giving part of the campaign, over 500 people clicked on our giving website. We got 24 gifts out of this campaign, totaling almost $5,000. The results came out to only $0.18 to raise a dollar! This was revelatory to think that we could not only do public relations and communications work, developing our constituencies on social media, but at the same time raise some serious money
 
The monthly sustainer campaign was also quite successful. We did not spend very much on that campaign, only about $100 but we got 4 new sustainer donors. These new donors represent $65 monthly (or $780 more per year). That doesn’t even fully represent the lifetime value of those monthly donors. If you just take the first year of value from those monthly donors then it was 34 cents to raise a dollar for this micro-campaign. I would argue it is well worth it when you consider that most of these donors will roll on from year to year as ongoing monthly donors
 
I was surprised that something like Facebook ads could actually work for fundraising. I think my bias against it is because we want these digital mediums to be a free way to reach people. We know they have power to reach people but don’t want to pay for it.
 
And yet, we know that mail and phone are worth the investment. Why are we not willing to invest real money in the digital mediums yet?
 
Facebook (at least) is here to stay. It’s a reliable way of reaching people and we should start thinking about Facebook (and other forms of social media) with the same mindset we use when we think about phone to mail.

Namely, that you have to spend money to make money.
 
We need to start being smart about spending part of our fundraising budget on social media. Run some tests. Look at them with an eye to return on investment. Track the same kind of statistics that we track for phone and mail fundraising, including cost to raise a dollar.
 
If you haven't been utilizing Facebook ads in order to grow your constituency on Facebook and raise real money, I would encourage you to undertake a test. Maybe run your fiscal year-end campaign or use it around a day of giving or some other point of urgency.

​You can gain new donors, new Facebook fans, and real money. You can do all those things to the tune of 20 cents to raise a dollar. I would argue it is worth the investment. Can you lobby for a little extra money in your budget ($500 or $1,000 or $2,000) to experiment with this medium? If it works, put it into your plan for next fiscal year.

Do you already do Facebook ads? If not, is this something you could try? Let me know how it goes.

As always, comments and questions are welcome and encouraged!

Cheers,

Jessica

PS - If you liked this post, you might also like these: 

• 5 Steps to Promote Your Video
• All About Giving Days
• The 30 Minute Fundraiser
• Crisis Communication
• Getting Communications and Development Staff to Function as a Team

​
PPS - If you found this article helpful, please comment and let me know. Also subscribe to Real Deal Fundraising so you don't miss a post! You'll get my  guide to Call Center Games for Free!​​

Video is more and more a huge part of the storytelling process for fundraisers. It's a great way to communicate the impact of philanthropy in the world. But, most fundraisers aren't video professionals. Once you have your video done, what are the best practices to get your constituents to watch it? I asked my friend and colleague, Ndlela Nkobi, that question. Here are his 5 best tips for getting your message seen! Enjoy! -- Jessica Cloud, CFRE

Congratulations on finishing your organization’s video! After weeks (sometimes months) of planning, shooting, and editing, you have finally uploaded your film to YouTube. Now what?  How do you make sure that your video gets the views it deserves and has its intended impact? Though there are no guaranteed ways of making your video go viral, here are some steps to make sure the people who need to see the video actually see it, watch it and take action.
 
1. Reinforce Your Call to Action

Videos are generally created to get people to take some action (sign a petition, donating, joining a mailing list . . .) and your call to action in your video is where you ask your audience to take that action.   Make sure you reinforce that call to action whenever you get a chance (your website, YouTube, your platforms).  The ultimate success of your video will be based on how many people take you up on your call to action.

2. Have a Great Thumbnail

Pick an engaging still image to give your audience a quick snapshot of your video. That thumbnail is also the image that is generally automatically used when the video is shared on social media and on platforms like WordPress.  Consider creating a custom thumbnail that could also includes words that would further draw the viewer in.

3. Pay Attention to your YouTube Descriptions, Titles, Tags

The title, description and tags you use on YouTube will not only help people find your video when they search for related content but they should also draw people in to watch the video. Not everyone is going to see the video on your website so give your viewer all the information they need to take the next step in your video description.

4. Place Video on Your Website

Placing your video on your website gives you much more control over how the video is presented to viewers with things like the call to action, video placement and supporting text/images/graphics. 

5. Promote the Video on Your Platforms

Once the video is ready on YouTube and on your website, share it widely on your various platforms (Facebook, Twitter, mailing lists, . . . )  Your platforms will be one of the main ways that the people in your community find out about your video.   Don’t be afraid to repost content (especially on social media) to make sure as many people see your post as possible. 

Bonus action: Check Your Analytics

Here is another area where you get to define what success looks like for your video (or campaign). Whether you are looking at Google Analytics or YouTube analytics (ideally you are doing both) this is where you get to see how successful you were with things like page views, videos views and how long people are looking at your video. It is also important to look at engagement (likes, shares, comments  . . .)  Analytics and engagement are matrices you use to help you plan for the next videos you are working on producing. 

About the author: Ndlela Nkobi is a filmmaker and online video content creator based in New York City and Johannesburg. He works with small businesses, nonprofits, consultants and artists to connect with their clients through the use of video. You can see his work at ndlela.tv. 

Ndlela Nkobi has worked for Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (Columbia University) and Third Sector New England (Boston, MA).  He has worked with Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (Columbia University), New York City Department of Education, Nonprofit Consultants Network (Boston, MA) and Starr King School for the Ministry (Berkeley, CA).

Hi readers, I hope you enjoyed this guest post. Do you have additional tips for how to get the most reach on promotional videos? Comments and questions are, as always, welcomed and encouraged!

Cheers, 

Jessica Cloud  

PS - If you liked this post, you might also like these: 

• Create Memorable Web Addresses
• All about Giving Days (Interview with Jake Strang)
• Canva for Graphic Design

PPS - If you found this article helpful, please comment and let me know. Also subscribe to Real Deal Fundraising so you don't miss a post! You'll get my  guide to Call Center Games for Free!