Year-end appeal

Why it matters

For many small organizations the last weeks of December are the busiest giving weeks of the year, and the final few days are the busiest of all. A year-end appeal that is planned in October, posted by early December and followed by short reminder emails catches donors when they are deciding.

The appeal that works looks back before it looks forward: what this year made possible, then what next year needs. Start with the people most likely to give, the ones who gave last year but not yet this year, and call your largest donors rather than emailing them.

How Steward shows it

Fundraising has a Year-end campaign template. It sets up a campaign page and a dated plan of tasks for the last six weeks of the year, from drafting the letter to thanking every donor. Nothing it creates sends anything.

After the year closes, year-end giving statements run from Settings, under Tax Receipts, when an admin starts them, with a dry run first.

Related terms

• LYBUNT LYBUNT stands for "last year but unfortunately not this year." It is a donor who gave to you last year and has not given yet this year.
• Annual fund Annual fund is the name for the money a nonprofit raises every year, usually unrestricted, to pay for day-to-day operations. It is renewed each year through appeals, events and ongoing asks.
• Tax receipt Tax receipt is the name for the written confirmation a nonprofit gives a donor so they can deduct a gift. A US donor needs one to deduct any single contribution of $250 or more.