It Is Not Too Late For A Year-End Campaign (Part 1)
Donor Detectives Team
Can you believe it! The holidays are right here on top of us. Just yesterday we were enjoying the warm summer months. So much is going on and time flies faster than you can say, “flip flop”.
Did time pass and now you are scrambling to create and implement your year-end campaign? There is so much resourceful noise out there that it can make anyone’s head spin. Plus most agencies and vendors are working on January campaigns by now. It feels discouraging for sure.
It’s not too late. The key is to not over think it to the point you don’t do it or risk deadlines.
Typically custom creative takes a month to design, and that’s without your internal approval process. Breathe. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel and keeping it simple will reap rewards.
Here are a few steps that may get you back on track.
Start with Simple Creative
Donors don’t need two page letters and fancy full color graphic pieces to get their attention. A mentor of mine once said, “People make a gift because they were asked”. Well, it really is that simple. Keep your mailer specs simple this year-end. All you need is an 8.5×11” one-page letter and an attached or detached reply card with return envelope inside a single window outer envelope. This is low cost and easy to quickly produce. One or two colors will do just fine. If your time and budget allows, go ahead and incorporate a teaser on the outer envelope…maybe an impactful photo.
The letter is the most important thing to the “ask”. The letter is also the one thing that sets the tone for all the other channels: emails, banner ads, and etc. Often campaign themes come to light once the letter is composed. Just be sure to not over think this. The letter needs to focus on who you serve. Fact: People make a gift to those in need. The nonprofit organization is only the intermediary. So make the obvious connection between the donor and the recipient in the letter. Thank the donor for making your work even possible and ask them for a specific amount you need to keep the impactful work going.
Work your Channels
Now that you have a donor focused letter. Use it to create your email communication, banner ads, social media updates, integrated landing pages and more. Use images that help show the donor who they are supporting. Like they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
Timing
If you don’t already have a strategy in place as to when things drop, deploy and go live, the general rule of thumb is to increase communication as you approach December 31st. With the current timeline, focus on getting your mailer (donors only) in-home no later than mid-December. Start your digital communication the first week of December and target donors and prospects.
If you need some help to make a Year-End campaign execute on-time and to its maximum capabilities, just let us know. We can connect you with available talent to make your December year-end campaign run with great success! And we have access to many resource channels that have fast turn-a-round timelines. Come one, let’s raise you some funds and get new donors!
Tips for Impactful Photos
- Images that are waist up or closer of a person
- Person is looking directly in the camera… looking at you, the reader.
- Highest quality image as possible, everything is HD today.