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There’s something about the end of the year that nudges people to act. Maybe it’s reflecting on what matters most, setting a New Year’s resolution, or donating to a favourite cause. For charities, this window is especially significant: 30-40% of annual donations come in during the final six weeks of the year. But those gifts don’t show up on their own. If you want a slice of that year-end giving (pumpkin) pie, you’ll need more than a last-minute social post on December 30th. The real secret? A clear plan, a story that resonates, and a little persistence. Here’s our recommendations for setting up your campaign for success and finishing the year strong.
1. Plan Ahead
Strong campaigns don’t materialize overnight. Ideally, preparation begins in early October so your team has enough time to draft messaging, design materials, and map out a strategy. You don’t need every detail nailed down. Instead, think of this stage as building a framework that you’ll flesh out as you go.
One of the simplest ways to start is to sketch a campaign timeline. Key moments to highlight should include:
- Giving Tuesday, which takes place the Tuesday after American Thanksgiving, has become a global movement for generosity. In Canada, donations on this day reached $16.2 million in 2024 (a 19.5% jump from the previous year).
- The first 10 days of December when inboxes aren’t yet overloaded with appeals.
- The week before Christmas when many supporters are in a giving mindset.
- Post-Christmas through New Year’s is a surprisingly strong window for last-minute gifts.
- Late January as a final reminder to donors who may have forgotten to give during the holiday rush.
Pro Tip: Post regularly on your social channels over the next two months. Sharing updates, behind-the-scenes stories, and program highlights early builds familiarity and keeps your charity top-of-mind so supporters are ready to engage when your campaign launches.
2. Review Past Campaigns
Before dreaming up new ideas, pause to reflect on what’s been tried before. Look at the numbers from last year’s giving campaign: how much you raised, who contributed, and when. Dig into the data to see which emails were opened, which posts were shared, and which tactics fell flat.
Tap on stakeholders (your team, board members, or volunteers) to discuss successes, challenges, and brainstorm improvements. Collaborative reflection ensures everyone learns from past experience and can contribute fresh ideas for this year’s campaign.
Ask questions like:
- Did last year’s campaign meet expectations?
- Which messages or channels resonated with supporters?
- Were there any surprises in donor behaviour or timing?
- What would we do differently with the same resources?
Pro Tip: Check metrics from previous campaigns to determine the best times to post on social or send messages this time of year. Many supporters may be checking email less frequently, so adjusting timing can make a big difference in engagement.
This type of reflection is great for revealing specific patterns in donor behaviour. For instance, you might discover that late-night emails outperformed morning ones, or that a heartfelt story outshone a generic appeal.
3. Reflect on Current Resources
A campaign can only be as ambitious as the resources behind it. Take stock of your staff capacity, volunteer support, and budget. Do you have someone who can manage social media consistently? Are there existing graphics, photos, or videos you can repurpose? Can your board commit to making thank-you calls?
Being honest about what’s available will save headaches later and ensure your goals are realistic. Sometimes, scaling back to focus on fewer, higher-impact actions makes for a stronger campaign overall.
4. Set Clear, Measurable Goals
With your resources and budget in mind, it’s time to get goal setting. Review your fiscal situation and any opportunities, such as outstanding grant proposals or potential matching gift partnerships, to ensure your targets are realistic.
Define specific objectives, for example:
- Total donation target: Raise $50,000.
- New donors: Acquire 75 first-time supporters.
- Recurring gifts: Increase monthly donors from 120 to 150.
- Matching gift participation: Secure three corporate partners to match donations.
Clear, attainable goals will give your campaign direction and make it easier to evaluate success so you can celebrate milestones along the way.
Read More: The Charity’s Guide to Building Powerful Business Partnerships
5. Visualize the Campaign Scope
This step is also where your rough timeline turns into a detailed plan. Assign responsibilities clearly: one person for content creation, another for donor outreach, another for monitoring metrics. Defining roles upfront prevents the December scramble where everyone is trying to do everything at once.
Pro Tip: Consider anchoring your year-end campaign to an existing event. For example, if you’re a BSF Charity Partner and have hosted The Grand Parade in September or Ride for Refuge in October, these can be natural launch points.
6. Understand Your Audience
Once you’ve solidified campaign goals, it’s time to focus on your donors. Segmentation (dividing your audience into smaller groups to tailor your messaging) is an extremely helpful practice. Professional donor management tools simplify this process, but even basic software allows you to track giving history, engagement, and personal preferences, making segmentation easier without manually digging through spreadsheets.
Did you Know? After each event, Blue Sea shares relevant donor data with participating charities, enabling them to follow-up with both new and existing donors.
For example, donors might be grouped by:
- Giving history: Monthly donors, one-time donors, or lapsed supporters.
- Engagement level: Frequent email openers or event attendees versus less active supporters.
- Interest areas: Donors most passionate about specific programs or initiatives.
Understanding these patterns allows you to personalize appeals and improve retention. Even small charities can use segmentation in simple ways, such as sending slightly different emails to first-time versus long-time donors, building on the momentum and goodwill from your P2P fundraising events to strengthen connections, or tailoring social posts to highlight programs that specific groups care about most.
7. Think About Your Messaging
Messaging is where the heart of your campaign lives. Donors want to know that their contributions make a difference, and the best way to show that is through storytelling. Share real names, photos, and videos (with proper permissions). Paint a picture of how a gift changes lives.
Tailor suggested donation amounts based on a donor’s past giving, and explain exactly what each gift will achieve. For example, “Your $50 gift provides meals for five children this month” is more compelling than a vague appeal. Some donors may respond better to higher suggested amounts, such as $100 or $250.
Board members and volunteers can also play a role. Consider drafting a short script for thank-you calls or outreach to help deepen relationships while keeping messaging consistent.
Pro Tip: To avoid donor fatigue, map out your posts and emails so they’re a mix of thank-you messages, impactful stories of your work, and timely donation appeals.
8. Make the Ask
Now comes the part charities often hesitate with most: actually asking for donations. As mentioned above, personalization is key to help donors understand exactly how their donation will have an impact.
This is also the time to coordinate your channels thoughtfully:
- Begin with direct mail or email to deliver your main message.
- Follow up with social posts that reinforce the story or appeal.
- If using text messages, save them for later in the campaign and keep them brief.
Finally, ensure your messaging is consistent across all channels. A cohesive story and clear call-to-action build trust, demonstrate impact, and encourage supporters to give with confidence.
Pro Tip: Make giving as easy as possible by testing your donation process and ensuring it works well on all devices.
9. Follow Through
Executing your charity’s campaign is all about rhythm and timing. Monitor engagement closely, and be ready to adjust if something isn’t landing.
Reminders are also key: as mentioned in the first step, this means reaching out to donors at strategic intervals such as the week before Christmas, just after Christmas, and a final push on December 30th or 31st.
Many donations pour in at the very end of December, so don’t be shy about sending a “last chance” reminder. Board members can help here too, especially by calling lapsed major donors to thank them for past gifts and invite renewed support.
Pro Tip: Once you’re over halfway to your fundraising goal, mention how much is left to raise. If possible, announce a matching gift to propel additional gifts.
10. Show Appreciation
A personal thank-you note is one of the most powerful donor retention tools you have. Aim to send these within 24–48 hours of receiving a gift. Where possible, personalize your response: a short phone call or video message can leave a lasting impression.
Think of appreciation as part of your campaign strategy rather than an afterthought. Social channels can also be a great place to recognize donors (with permissions) and thank the staff and volunteers who made it all happen. Public recognition fosters community, while private thanks deepen individual relationships.
Read More: 7 High Impact Thank You Ideas for P2P Fundraisers
11. Review and Learn
Once the campaign is wrapped, resist the temptation to move on immediately. Take time to review the results and document lessons learned. Did you meet your goals? Which tactics worked best? What would you change next year?
Creating a short internal report ensures insights don’t get lost. It also sets you up for stronger planning next year, turning this campaign into a learning opportunity as well as (hopefully) a fundraising success.
Final Thoughts
Year-end giving is one of the strongest opportunities for Canadian charities to connect with donors and inspire generosity. With thoughtful planning, meaningful storytelling, clear asks, and genuine appreciation, your organization can not only raise more but also deepen donor relationships that sustain your work year-round.
