Proven Strategies to Climb the Year-End Fundraising Mountain

Mountain climberHave you started working on your annual appeal and year-end fundraising plan?

It’s beyond time!

I worked for 30 years in the trenches, so I know exactly what this time of year feels like.

It feels like you’re at the base of a mountain you’re about to scale.

  • Exciting, but also scary.
  • Exhilarating, yet also daunting.
  • There will be good days, and bad days.

And this particular year, you may feel you’re taking two steps forward and three steps back.

That’s to be expected during times of great uncertainty.

Expected or not, I know you’re still anxious and thinking “What if we don’t reach the top?”

Don’t worry, I’m here to help.

This year you may need the equivalent of a few extra granola bars for energy. And maybe an extra tool or two to help you get a grip.

Right now I want to give you a few specific, timely tips you might not be thinking about.

Here are some strategies I hope will give you a leg up, so to speak.

Ready to Put Your Best Foot Forwards?

Here are 11 tips I’ve learned over the years.

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wooden cart

Top Secrets to Igniting the Philanthropic Fire and Keeping the Warm Glow Burning?

Gratitude. Thankfulness. Appreciation. The feels both you and a donor feel whenever someone contemplates, or gives, a gift to your organization. Acknowledgement. Recognition. These are the underlying secrets known by successful fundraisers worth their salt. At base, they’re about the obligation philanthropy facilitators carry to show supporters how much their support means. Sounds simple. And…

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Mother and child hugging

Why People Give to YOU

Mother and child huggingIn an issue of her Loyalty Letter, Lisa Sargent recently noted:

“I just wrapped up supporter survey season in my little copywriting studio. And every year, the most powerful answers come from one simple question:  

“WHY DO YOU GIVE?” 

The responses stop me in my tracks every time. I smile. I cry. I sigh. My coffee turns tepid in its insulated mug. And I remember why we’re here.”

It’s a really good idea to stop and pause, every now and then, to think about why people give to you.

In fact, you might want to do your own survey. Or you can ask people to answer this on your appeal remit piece or donation landing page. Because once you understand your donors’ motivations, you can tap into them when crafting supporter communications.

I’ve grouped some of the answers Lisa shared (in quotations). They jumped out at me because they’re emblematic of the pillar fundamentals of a successful fundraising program. People don’t just give because you ask them for money. Sure, they must be asked. But, that alone is insufficient to inspire philanthropy. There’s another, deeper reason people give.

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Making an application list

Create Impact Now: 4 Key Appeal Ingredients That Move Donors to Act

Making an application list

Let’s say you’ve done everything thus far suggested in this fundraising appeal checklist.

✅ You’ve done the groundwork.
✅ You’ve focused your message.
✅ You’ve made it about the donor—not your organization.

Now it’s time to bring it home.

Because no matter how clear or well-structured your appeal is, it won’t inspire action unless it moves the reader.

Emotion—not logic—is what compels people to give. And that emotion is sparked by how you make your donor feel.

Do they feel seen? Valued? Needed? Inspired? Uplifted?

Transform Your Appeal from a Simple Ask into a Powerful Invitation

The final four steps of this 8-step checklist are about speaking to your donor’s best self, inspiring compassion, and stirring urgency.

These are the emotional ingredients that turn intention into action.

Let’s explore them.

In Part 1 we looked at the first four:

    1. You
    2. Easy
    3. Welcome
    4. Heart-awakening

Today we continue with four more.

    1. Best Self
    2. Uplift
    3. Unconditional Love
    4. Urgency

5. BEST SELF

What if part of the reason our sector has so little understanding of our supporters is because we think we’ve done the work of understanding by slapping the activist, volunteer, donor (insert other generic label here) on people?

— Kevin Shulman, Founder, DonorVoice

Donors have their own sense of identity; they’re people first.

Trying to categorize them neatly into donor “personas” (e.g., “Wanda Widow,” “Busby Business Man,” “Suzy Soccer Mom,)” doesn’t work nearly as well as helping them express their best self or selves.

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Hand writing checklist

Fundraising Appeal Checklist: 8 Essentials to Review Before You Write

Hand writing checklist

Before you write a single word of your annual fundraising appeal, pause.

Take a deep breath.

And think about the person who will open your letter or email.

They’re not just a “donor.” They’re a person with hopes, fears, dreams and values.

  • Someone who cares.
  • Someone who wants to make a difference.
  • Someone who, in a world full of distractions, is about to give you their attention—and maybe even their trust.

When you think in this broader context, it’s clear your appeal is more than a request for money. It’s a chance to build a bridge between your donor’s values and yours. To spark hope. To remind someone of the good they can do—through you.

This Checklist Will Help You Avoid Common Missteps

Too often, well-meaning appeals are ignored—not because the cause isn’t worthy, but because the message misses the mark. Maybe it’s too vague. Too organizationally focused. Or simply doesn’t make the donor feel like they matter.

That’s where this 8-step self-test comes in.

These first four steps are designed to help you lay a strong foundation before you write. They’ll keep your message clear, focused, and deeply donor-centered—so your appeal doesn’t just get read, but truly felt.

Let’s dive in.

We’ll review the final 4 steps in Part 2.

1. YOU

“The most beautiful thing in the world is you.”

— Alvin Ailey, choreographer and dancer, (1931-1989)

This gets to who you’re writing to.

Not to yourself, program staff. or your board of directors. You’re writing to ONE donor. It’s about their ego, not yours. Their needs, not yours.

Take a good hard look at your letter. How often do you use “I,” “my,” “our,” “we,” or the name of your organization vs. “you” and “your?”

Fix this! Here’s a “you test” you can use from Bloomerang.

Here’s a “don’t” example:

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Kids sharing a secret

So You Want More Major Gifts This Year? Here’s the Secret!

Kids sharing a secretAll you’ve got to do is ask!

Seriously. The number one reason people don’t make a major gift – or any gift for that matter – is no one asks them.

But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.

Before you can ask, you have to know a few basics:

  • Who will you ask?
  • What will you ask for?
  • When will you know they’re ready to be asked?
  • Where should you ask?
  • How should you ask?
  • Why are you asking?

Let’s take these fundamentals one at a time.

Who will you ask?

Not everyone in your donor base is a major gift prospect.

Even if they were, you probably don’t have the bandwidth to cultivate and solicit all of them right now. It’s just common sense to prioritize those donors with whom you’re most likely to succeed. There’s no hard and fast rule as to how to pick this priority group.

I generally advise starting with

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Frankenstein drawing

Are These Fundraising Appeal Best Practices Holding You Back?

Frankenstein drawingFull confession: I’ve used the franken “best practice” appeal structure for years. And honestly? It works — especially if you borrow generously from the best of the best appeal writers. I’ve even taught these practices at conferences, on webinars, and through consulting engagements.

You probably know the formula:

  • Lead with the beginnings of a story illustrating your mission.

  • Introduce a compelling need or problem.

  • Offer a specific, credible solution.

  • Ask.

  • Provide more context about the need.

  • Share more details about the solution.

  • Ask again.

  • Suggest a hopeful conclusion — one the donor can help create.

This structure isn’t wrong.

It’s a well-intentioned attempt to do all the right things.

But over time, something gets lost. It becomes less of a cohesive narrative and more of a checklist — a stitched-together collection of tactics. And like any Frankenstein’s monster, it can start to look and feel… unnatural.

You Can Do Better Than Franken-Fundraising

Here’s the truth: I know better now.

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