As the year comes to a close, many people are thinking about how they can make a meaningful difference. For nonprofits and community organizations, year-end giving is one of the most important times of the year to benefit from the generosity of others and strengthen your mission. Whether you’re a fiscally sponsored project operating during the holidays or an established 501c3 organization, this is the perfect time and opportunity to connect with supporters, share your impact through the previous year, and encourage donations that continue to drive your work forward. With the year-end giving season quickly approaching, we wanted to share some tips and insight into ways that you can optimize your year-end fundraising, connect with donors, and set yourself up for success.

What is year-end giving?

Year-end giving refers to charitable donations that are made during the final months of the year, typically from November through December. These donations peak between Giving Tuesday (the Tuesday following Thanksgiving) and the last day of December. Many donors choose this time to give back because of the holiday spirit encouraging generosity, tax-deductible opportunities, and ending the year on a positive note having made a difference for causes they care about. According to national statistics on charitable giving, 50% of nonprofits receive a majority of their annual donations in the last three months of the year, and 30% of all annual giving occurs in December. With this being such a critical time for nonprofit funding, it is important to have a clear strategy for donor outreach, telling the story of your organization, and engaging with your audience.

Planning for year-end giving

Begin Planning Early

A successful year-end giving campaign begins well before the holiday season. Early planning gives your organization time to set clear and achievable goals. When you start the conversation about fundraising goals in advance, you can create stronger messaging and design outreach materials that work well with your audience. These things can’t be completed overnight, they will take effort and collaboration across your whole team. Planning ahead allows for you to highlight key dates like Giving Tuesday and the final week of December to prepare thoughtful messaging that inspires generosity in your donors to support your mission.

Ideally, nonprofits should begin preparing their year-end strategy three to four months before the holiday giving season begins. This gives you time to review donor information and recognize the key audiences interested in your mission. Early planning allows for you to test the waters with donation forms, update your website accordingly, and ensure all giving options are clearly outlined and running smoothly. No one wants to be scrambling at the last minute to create important materials for your year-end fundraising push. Email blasts, mailers, and other forms of outreach take time to create and get sent out to potential donors.

Be sure to tailor this messaging to reach certain groups interested in donating to your organization. Major donors may need to be approached a bit differently than new potential supporters who want to get involved. For new potential donors, you will want to provide more background information of your organization and what sets you apart from other nonprofits that are doing similar work. Place yourself in the shoes of the donor, “Why would I donate to this organization? What work are they doing that I want to support?”. 

If you haven’t started yet, don’t worry! There is still time to set yourself up for success and to make a meaningful impact. Focus on building momentum with strong messaging that reminds supporters why your mission matters and how their donations can help your organization finish the year strong. Even a few weeks of communication can inspire generosity and set up lasting donor relationships.

Reflect on Past Successes

Before launching your year-end giving campaign, take time to reflect on the successes and challenges of previous fundraising efforts. Evaluating past performance helps your organization to recognize what worked well, where improvements can be made, and how you can build on existing momentum to strengthen future campaigns. 

Look at your data and outcomes from the previous year to find some valuable insights. Ask questions like:

• Did we reach or exceed our campaign goal?
• Who were our largest or most consistent donors?
• What platforms generated the most engagement?
• What was our average donation size?
• What feedback, if any, did we receive from donors or our team members?

By reviewing these metrics, you can better understand your donors, refine how you reach out to potential supporters, and allocate your time more effectively. For example, if social media posts performed better than email blasts, you might prioritize more visual storytelling in your next campaign. Reflecting on your past success is more than just looking at numbers. It’s important to celebrate progress and learning from your past experiences. Recognizing what your organization has accomplished boosts your team morale and helps you to communicate your growth to donors, showing them how their support continues to make a difference each year.

Simplify the Donation Process

Make it as easy as possible for donors to give to your organization. Clear, visible donation buttons on your homepage and throughout your website can help to catch the eye of donors and increase donations. Use mobile-friendly donation forms, because many donors will be giving from their phones during the holidays, and include suggested donation amounts to gently guide donors towards certain amounts of contribution. If you’re a fiscally sponsored project, be sure to clearly list your fiscal sponsor’s name, EIN, and donation processing information so that donors understand that their gift is tax-deductible. Streamlining this process builds trust and helps to eliminate any hesitations donors may have about giving.

Offer Different Ways to Donate

Donors give in different ways, so offering a variety of donation options can significantly increase participation during the year-end giving season. By making it easy for supporters to contribute through their preferred method, you remove barriers and help more people take part in giving before the December 31 deadline. 

Checks + Donor-Advised Funds

You can encourage traditional check donations by providing clear mailing instructions and reminding supporters to send donations early enough to count for the current tax year. For larger donors or those with long-term giving plans, highlight that your organization accepts contributions via Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs). Many donors use DAF’s to contribute during the holiday season, and offering this option can lead to further donations.

Matching Gift Programs

Don’t forget to highlight matching gift programs where employers match their employees’ donations to eligible nonprofits. Including a small reminder such as, “Check if your employer matches gifts!”, on your donation page or in email newsletters can quickly lead to doubling the impact of a single contribution. Typically, if you have a donor who works for a company that matches gifts, they’ll be able to connect you with a representative of the company to learn how the company facilitates the donations. Though keep in mind, some employers won’t match gifts to religious or political causes.

Recurring Donations

Encourage supporters to donate via recurring donations. Even smaller recurring donations create sustainable revenue that helps your nonprofit plan ahead and maintain steady funding throughout the year. Monthly donors tend to give more than the average one-time donor over the course of their giving. Emphasize the convenience and long-term impact of recurring giving, especially during a season when donors are feeling generous and planning their financial goals for the coming year. 

Wire + ACH Donations

Donations made via ACH and wire transfers can be a great alternative to other forms of donations due to the quick processing time and ease of donating. These types of donations can be more secure than mailing a check and convenient for a donor who is looking to support your mission. If you are going to be offering the ability for donors to contribute via ACH and wire transfer, be sure to have your organization’s banking information available to donors, but don’t post it publicly on your website or social media. Have donors contact you if this option is their first choice so you can be in direct communication with them. 

By providing multiple ways to give – whether that is through checks, donor-advised funds, matching programs, recurring donations, or ACH – you’re able to ensure that everyone who wants to support your mission can do so easily. 

Highlight The Benefit of Giving

Many supporters are motivated to give before the end of the year not only because of the spirit of generosity, but also because of the tax advantages that come with charitable giving. Remind donors that contributions that are made by December 31 can be deducted on their upcoming tax return, reducing taxable income while supporting a charitable cause. With new federal legislation that was enacted in 2025, there are significant changes to how charitable gifts are treated in 2026. 

For smaller donors: People who don’t itemize their taxes will be able to deduct up to $1000 for individuals or $2000 for married couples, in charitable donations each year starting in 2026. This is a new benefit that wasn’t available before. 

For major donors: Those who itemize deductions will see new limits on charitable donations. Only gifts that exceed 0.5% of their adjusted gross income will be deductible, and the overall tax-savings for high-income donors will be capped at 35%, even for those in higher tax brackets. 

Because of these changes, 2025 is an important year for year-end giving for major donors. Larger contributions made before 2026 will receive the full current tax benefits that are offered, while future donations will face tighter limits on what is considered a tax-deductible donation. Encouraging your major donors to take advantage of the existing tax benefits before the new year will help them to make the most of their donations.

How to Connect With Donors

Telling a Powerful Story

Your story is one of the most effective tools you have during the year-end giving season. Donors want to feel emotionally connected to your mission and to understand the real-world differences their support makes. Highlight the impactful work your organization has accomplished throughout the year – the lives touched, the programs that have expanded, and the difference in communities that has come from donor generosity. Use authentic storytelling that combines emotion with evidence. Share compelling photos, short videos, and firsthand testimonials from those who have benefited from your programs. For organizations that have confidential missions like working with foster children or preventing domestic violence, you are able to change the names of those who have been impacted by your organization. This allows for those individuals to still be able to share their stories without compromising their safety. 

Using Data to Reinforce Credibility 

While stories build emotional connection, data provides an added layer of proof of your impact. Pair your storytelling with clear, measurable results to show donors that their support does lead to real change. Incorporate specific numbers and data to build that trust and transparency. For example, instead of saying, “We provided meals to families in need”, you might say, “This year, your donations helped us serve more than 5000 meals to local families experiencing food insecurity”. Combining emotional storytelling with strong data gives donors both sides of the story. 

Social Media Outreach

Social media outreach has become one of the most powerful tools for charitable organizations to connect with supporters and inspire giving. Throughout the year, your organization has likely used platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or X (Twitter) to share updates about your mission and impact. As you prepare for the year-end giving season, take time to evaluate your analytics and marketing. Which platforms generate the most engagement? Do your Facebook posts receive more comments and shares, or does your Instagram content do better sharing visuals and telling a story about what you do? Understanding where your audience is most active can help you to focus your efforts where they will have the greatest impact. 

As the giving season approaches, consistency and being intentional with your content is key. It’s understandable to limit posting throughout the year to avoid overwhelming your audience, but year-end giving season is the exception. This is the time to increase your posting frequency and keep your mission fresh in the minds of donors. Posting at least three to five times a week during November and December, then increasing that to daily posts during the final weeks of the year when charitable giving is at its peak. 

You may be asking, what should you post?

• Impact stories: Highlight specific individuals, families, or communities that have benefitted from the work of your organization. 
• Donation reminders: Communicate to your audience how to give, include links to your donation pages, options for recurring donations, and matching gift opportunities. 
• Progress updates: Show how close you are to reaching your fundraising goals, donors enjoy seeing the momentum and being a part of that success. And you can also thank donors! If your nonprofit is accepting in-kind donations, taking a quick photo of the donor with their donation can be a great way to thank the donor and inspire others to give.

Email Outreach

Email continues to be one of the most effective ways to reach donors during year-end fundraising. It allows you to connect with supporters directly and share updates with personal appeals to donate. A strategic email schedule that keeps your organization in their mind, but not overwhelming your audience, can be a great opportunity for success. Send out one email each week or every other week in November that focuses on upcoming campaigns and events your organization is hosting can give donors the chance to get involved. As you move into December, increase the frequency to one to two emails per week to build urgency surrounding deadlines to donate and progress to reach your organizational goals. If you have fundraising events coming up, you can always send more reminders to register and attend as well.

Your emails should be donor-focused and clearly outline the purpose of the communication. A strong subject line will help to capture the attention of donors and encourage them to open the email. Including information about what the donations are for and the impact that they will have can lead into a call to action like including links to your donation page and campaign. Referencing a donor’s past support or addressing them by name can show them that their support truly does matter and that they aren’t just another person who gave money to your organization. 

In Person Events

In person events are a great way to connect with donors on a more personal level, face to face. Whether it is for a holiday fundraiser, community day, or a donor appreciation event for year-end giving, this gives you an opportunity to show your mission and your team in action. Community partnerships and showcasing relationships that you have built throughout the year gives a feeling of solidarity and community that donors will appreciate. Promoting an event early through email and social media can encourage those who come to bring guests, increasing the potential number of donors that may find a connection to your mission and want to see you succeed. 

Mailed Letters

With the presence of social media and digital communication today, a well-crafted letter can stand out to donors and leave a lasting impression during the year-end giving season. Personalized communication helps donors to feel appreciated and recognized for their contributions. Sending your letters early enough to arrive by late November or early December provides potential donors with enough time to receive and respond to the letter by the holidays. Each letter should include your mission, as not everyone may be immediately interested or aware of what your organization does. Providing them with examples of the work that your organization does builds trust and familiarity, especially if you are to include testimonials and photos from those you have impacted this year. Be sure to include the ways that they are able to donate so potential donors aren’t sure about the best way to contribute to your organization. Handwritten notes or signatures from members of your board members can add an even better touch. Using mailed letters can complement the outreach that you have done through social media and email can continue to help drive stronger year-end campaign results. 

Using Honesty, Transparency, and Urgency

Authenticity builds trust, and transparency builds confidence. Avoid overly polished marketing language, let your organization’s real voice be what people hear. When donors see tangible results of their giving and can relate to the people or causes behind your mission, they are more likely to feel personally invested and inspired by your organization’s mission. Remember that your storytelling isn’t just about looking back – it’s also about looking to the future. Close your story with a forward-focusing message that invites donors to be a part of the next chapter of your organization. Make them feel like partners in this process, not just contributors.

Throughout the year, your nonprofit likely sends communication to donors about new initiatives and opportunities to donate. The year-end giving season allows for you to open the flood gates a bit on these communications. This is a great time to send out more urgent appeals for donations and funding. Creating a year-end goal to reach with a visual element like a thermometer can show how close your organization is to reaching it, incentivizing donors to help give you that final push. Highlighting a program based goal that shows real impact can help too. If your program is going to be purchasing Thanksgiving meals for 30 families, include how much you would need to do it. Structuring your donation tiers to show the real world impact of, “$50 can provide two families with Thanksgiving meals”, your donors will have that peace of mind knowing their donation had a real world impact.

End The Year With Purpose

As the year comes to an end, your organization has the opportunity to turn reflection and planning into meaningful action. A thoughtful, well-designed year-end giving campaign will strengthen your financial foundation as an organization, but also deepens relationships with the supporters who make your mission possible. Every gift, large or small, plays a vital role in advancing your missions and inspiring continued generosity. Use this season to celebrate the progress you have made, share your gratitude for those who have supported you, and invite your donors to be a part of what comes next. 

If your organization is fiscally sponsored or preparing to become its own 501c3, consider partnering with professionals who can help guide your growth, strengthen compliance, and develop sustainable fundraising strategies. With the right planning and support, your year-end giving campaign can be more than a fundraising effort – it can be the start of your organization’s next chapter.