For many of you this is your fiscal year end.  That means making sure you don’t lose any of those donors you took such pains to acquire last year. It also means tying up loose ends to assure you don’t leave money on the table. For those of you on a different fiscal year, save this checklist for whenever the time is right for you.

Fiscal Year-End Action Tips

1. Create a list of LYBNTs (gave last year but not this). Sort them according to dollar range, so you can prioritize contacts with the largest donors. You’re going to want to remind these folks of their generous past support (thank them!) and let them know they’ve still got time to renew and make a difference this year.

2. Call your most important lapsed donors. Who you call, and how many you call, will depend upon your own resources and the makeup of your donor base. Begin with those who’ve given the most, as well as those you believe have the greatest potential to become more major donors. Also take a look at those who’ve given consistently over a period of years. These are your most likely future planned giving donors – the ones who might leave you a bequest. You don’t want to lose these folks, so find out why they may not have yet renewed.

TIP: Strapped for resources and folks to make calls? You can organize this as a phonathon and enlist your board and other volunteers to help. If you need help to organize this, grab an Hour of Power.  No band width this year? Put it on your calendar for next year as a ‘must do.’ It’s much more cost-effective to renew an existing donor than to acquire a new one.

3. Send a “we miss you” letter to lapsed donors you can’t call. (Also send this letter to donors you called, but were unable to reach). Make it brief and direct and as personal as you can manage (e.g., if you called and left a message, reference the fact that you’re sorry you missed them). And stay upbeat and positive. Praise your donor.

TIP: Tell them you know they intend to give because you know how much they care. Assume in the tone and language that your donor simply has forgotten/just not got around to it due to the busyness of daily life (based upon my own experience, this is often true; many folks think they already gave and just need a reminder). I used to send a short note (in an envelope emblazoned with a finger tied with a little red reminder ribbon) that said “Did you forget?”

4. Send an email. An exclusively online campaign can be executed much faster than a traditional direct mail campaign. Since this is not the end of the tax year, don’t try any “last chance to give” subject lines. This might be considered donor-centric in December, when donors are thinking about personal tax deductions, but in June it’s really all about you and your timeline.   Your job is to think about how you can make it about the donor.

TIP: For those who’ve given in the past, how about a simple “Did you forget you made this possible?” This has the subtle psychological benefit of reminding them they already did something. And people are more inclined to keep doing what they’ve already done (In fact, this is one of Robert Cialdini’s 7 principles of persuasion: consistency and commitment).   Grassroots fundraising guru Kim Klein suggests “Is it all over between us?” Also create a branded donation page that reflects the same message featured in your appeal.

5. Call donors who’ve not yet paid their pledges. Don’t worry about appearing pushy. Usually I find folks have simply forgotten, and truly appreciate the reminder.

6. Review the status of all your major donor asks. If you pulled folks from the “normal” cycle of appeals because they were “special” enough to warrant a personalized approach, make sure you haven’t neglected to ask them at all! These all important donors can often slip through the cracks. Confer with every solicitor who was given prospect assignments to confirm that solicitations were made.  If not, give these folks a phone call pronto.

NOTE: Even if you run on a different fiscal year, the summer is still a great time to take stock of where you are with the folks in your major donor portfolio.  How close are they to being ready for an ask? What types of ‘moves’ do you need to make to get them there?

7. For folks on your ‘house list’ who’ve not yet supported you, get creative. Maybe they’re volunteers, clients, parents, alumni or otherwise connected to you in some way. They haven’t responded to any of your fundraising appeals thus far, so try a different approach.

TIP: Maybe try a challenge email for a specific project. Make it simple and to the point. Ask for a specific amount, be clear why you’re asking for this amount, and make it an attainable goal. Then make it super easy for folks to click and give.

8. Send year-end reports reminding donors how they helped. Every donor should get something, even if just a brief email with a photo of someone they helped and a quick “You’re our hero!” or “You did it!” Also considering sending a special thank you gift to donors and volunteers who really helped you out a lot during the year. I don’t mean anything expensive (that could backfire). I mean tokens of appreciation that just say “I’m thinking about you.”

TIP: One terrific idea from my friend and colleague Pamela Grow over on SOFII is: “Dear Dave Donor, Are you wondering why I’ve enclosed a packet of gum with this letter? Well, I just wanted to say thanks and I was thinking how ‘sweet’ you were to give a gift earlier this year and giving you something sweet seemed appropriate. Enjoy! I’ve actually done something similar, sending just a stick of gum with a note saying “Thanks for sticking with us.” It’s so light it doesn’t even increase the mailer’s cost, it makes the interaction with your donor fun, and it isn’t a ‘give me money’ communication. As a result, your donor will likely see you in a more favorable light when it comes time for your next solicitation.

9. If it’s been awhile since your monthly donors got a real thank you, consider a ‘thankathon’ this month and recruit board members, development committee members and/or other volunteers to help. If you’re a school, ask students to help.

Clean Up Your Prospect Database

1. Get rid of the dead weight. Begin to plan to clean up your database so you’re ready for calendar year end fundraising. I recommend purging any donors who haven’t given for five years and any prospects who haven’t given for three years. You can archive them for historical purposes if you wish, but stop paying to mail to these folks.

2. Do some prospect research for foundation and business funders. Sometimes this gets put on the back burner. That’s a mistake, because you may be missing out on some potentially significant grants. New fiscal years are about to begin for many of them as well. So get those lists in order so you can get your proposals delivered in a timely manner! Also, securing this type of funding is often a matter of who you know. So, don’t forget to run your list by your board, committee, donors, volunteers and staff to see if anyone has connections with any of these prospects.

TIPS TO MAKE IT EASY for them:

Ask your board members to review the list of potential foundation and business supporters you’ve put together. Who do they know that works there? Or who serves as a trustee? How might they be able to help? Do any of the suggestions on the list you prepared inspire them to provide additional suggestions (e.g., another prospective funder in the same industry)?

And Don’t Forget to Calendar Items You May Want to Piggy-back On:

  • June is Gay Pride month, National Adopt a Cat month and Aquarium Month
  • World Ocean Day is June 8.
  • Flag Day is June 14 in the U.S. and World Blood Donor Day.
  • Father’s Day is June 18 in the U.S.
  • World Refugee Day is June 20.
  • International Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking is June 26.
  • Independence Day is right around the corner, July 4 in the U.S

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