The weather is starting to change, and holiday decorations are slowly going up all over the world. People from so many cultures share the ideas of bringing family together, gifting a fun toy, or simply enjoying the company of a dear friend over a warm meal.
As Christmas looms large on the horizon, you need to get all your digital ducks in a row for your Australian Not-for-Profit. The popular times for making big end-of-year asks from donators or volunteers come around November and December. This is an extremely busy time of year, and you don’t want to get lost in the wave of emails and notifications.
It’s time to strategize how you can best leverage the season to boost funding and client engagement through your website and greater online presence.
#1 – Kick Things Off Early
If you’re just starting to plan for your year-end fundraising asks, you may be in for a rough year. September and October are perfect for crafting strategy. Once the costumes come out for Trick or Treating, that is your signal your NFP fundraising should be ready to go.
Start by analyzing the previous year’s campaigns. Look at what worked (brought in the most money) and led to the highest engagement levels. Create a calendar based on those efforts adapted to your general idea for this year.
You must gather all your digital resources, from how you’ll roll out the announcement of your strategy online to the CRM you’ll be using for email campaigns. The more you can implement the automation at your disposal for your campaign – the better!
#2 – Designing the Content
You never want potential donators, volunteers, or clients to feel bombarded with content. If they receive too much, you run the risk of ignored emails or being sent into the “spam folder of doom.”
The best option is to vary the engagement touchpoints with your supporters. You want just enough interest, so they are tempted to click on your website’s “donate now” button, but not so much that they start associating negative feelings with your NFP’s branding.
Have fun with the ask. Put up a gamified fundraising thermometer on your website that gets hotter every time a new donation comes in. Leverage emotion with each new donor contact point. You want them to feel the need for your funding request.
It’s also perfectly okay to use the holiday in your marketing. For example, if you have an NFP that passes out color-correcting glasses to colorblind people, have a bright holiday meal set at a table with the whole family gathered around as a new client tries on the glasses for the first time.
Use that visceral and emotional reaction in your marketing videos then tie it into your holiday newsletter.
#3 – Select Your Medium
While you’re analyzing data from previous years, look at which medium resonated the most with your target audience. Did you get an uptick in blog post reads? Was email marketing the crème de la crème of your previous ask?
Find out what audience appreciates what communication and then lean into that format. Some donators may prefer reading all the news about your NFP from your website, so change things up during the holidays and integrate a newsfeed.
Volunteers may prefer social media posts. You might have to hire a SM manager during the holidays to transform your digital branding and engagement posts so you get enough volunteers during high-needs months.
It all comes down to meeting your target audience where they live online the most. You have a holistic brand across all forms of media, from blogs to videos, social media, websites, emails, and more. Customize all this content to fit the theme of Christmas and integrate your final ask, and you’ll see better results.
#4 – Engage Volunteers
Using the Christmas holiday for your marketing and Australian NFP donor funding isn’t restricted to only one target audience. Sure, you want more money for a new company truck or a boost to client numbers for solvency, but there is another segment you never want to leave out.
Your volunteers matter. They are often the lynchpin to your NFP’s success and can be your best advocate for Christmas and the surrounding holidays. A volunteer is the most likely source of giving.
Create a campaign specifically around your volunteers where you thank them for their service. Maybe provide fun facts about how many hours they contributed, their impact on your nonprofit, and even fun anecdotes from people they’ve helped.
Show appreciation in every way, and a fun little new audience will emerge. Not only will you get funds from these volunteers, but the close friends and family members looking to donate this season will see the joy and feelings of accomplishment on your volunteer’s faces, then send their money to you for making their loved one feel so appreciated.
#5 – Dig into Research
Targeting new prospects is the final recommendation for boosting your funding during Christmas. So many people give money during the holidays, but are unsure where to direct their funds. You need to start digging into research and metrics to figure out where to meet those looking for a good match.
There are all kinds of ways to do this, but some quickies that will help your NFP would be to look for indicators like:
- Wealth Indicators:The public info about how much money someone is willing to contribute this season. Most major media outlets will run a “puff” piece around such data. You can look it up by searching for past giving, real estate investment (year to year), stock ownership, and public spending figures.
- Philanthropic Indicators:Data about the likelihood of giving is also crucial. You are likely to reach out to previous donators, so be sure to look at how often they give. This will tell you if this year is a high-expectation season or an “all hands-on deck” situation.
The whole “kind stranger” idea of suddenly receiving millions from a secret donor is extremely rare. You need to cultivate new donators, volunteers, and clients through consistent stewardship of your outreach programs – especially when the Christmas tree is going up and decorations are out.
Final Thoughts
With Christmas comes feelings of nostalgic family experiences that we all love and share. The colder months also bring a lot of fresh donatorship that can be redirected to your NFP, as long as you put in the work.
Use these strategies in the article above and customize your “big ask” so you have all the money necessary to continue toward your organization’s mission.
The best way to start your new campaign is with a fresh website and updated online presence from our team at Web 105. We work with Australian nonprofits, government organizations, and healthcare providers, updating and launching new websites perfect for any season.
Our team of professional website designers and developers will craft a smooth, highly engaging website that reflects your brand through a mobile responsive platform. Give us a call today and schedule a consultation to get started!
FAQs
How to donate to charity as a Christmas present?
A good way to bring in more funding during Christmas is to offer donations “on behalf of” someone else. That is a wonderful gift idea for clients and donators who don’t know what to get that special someone in their life but do know the causes they love the most.
What is the best charity to give to at Christmas?
You want to be the best NFP by appealing to your clients’ needs and emotions. Donators and clients both want to feel an emotional connection, so get out the personal stories from volunteers and previous clients and put them all over your Christmas campaign.
Why is Christmas a time for giving?
Christmas is both a time for giving and charity, and it is a great way to lower tax obligations through donations. Whatever personal reasons your donators may have for sharing, you need to cast a wide net so your Australian NFP gets all the benefits.