For years we’ve been told: Nonprofit fundraising is facing unprecedented times. The fatigue that’s setting in around that phrase is real, and it’s fair. And the conversation keeps churning around rising costs, limited budgets, organizations trying, year after year, to do more with less.
But the reality is: for many fundraising programs, it’s taking double the work to raise the same or nearly as much revenue. Postal rates increase, acquisition costs keep going up, and CPAs are getting higher.
So what does all this mean for nonprofit fundraisers going into yet another challenging Giving Tuesday and year-end? From everything I’ve seen over recent years, it’s about thinking about things from new angles. Finding pockets of opportunity to get more efficient, leverage the right moment, lean hard on what works, and be ready to pivot if the moment demands.
Your direct mail strategy is already locked and loaded for year-end, but there’s still time to lean into some digital strategies in these final weeks of planning. Here are the top four strategies that are making the biggest impact this year, going into year-end:
Lean into cultivation throughout the year.
In an environment where the competition for attention is high, the pool of donors smaller, and it’s costing more and taking more effort to raise the same amount, it’s more important than ever that we invest in the donor pipeline – reactivating lapsed donors, growing sustainers, and upgrading into higher tiers of giving. On this we can all learn from our major gifts colleagues: It’s less expensive to retain an existing donor than acquire a new donor.
Lifetime value is a critical KPI for donors in every segment, and a cultivation focus in mass market fundraising strategy will make the difference in big moments. When your end-of-year appeals go out, ask yourself: Did your program do enough cultivation from January to October to warrant upgrades and bigger gifts at end of year?
Are there any additional cultivation touchpoints you want to get out for your program before the highest-volume moments begin?
Let the right AI tools help with segmentation and growth.
Nonprofits are working harder than ever to meet goals and break even. So, how can we be more efficient in our campaigns and our messaging? The explosion of AI we’re seeing right now is one potential answer.
When used the right way, AI can give us an opportunity to connect with the right donors, in the right channels, at the right time – with significantly reduced legwork on our side.
You may be going into end of year wondering, is our segmentation right? Am I reaching the broadest and best audience possible in my campaigns? It’s no longer a guarantee that your email list will perform well if you’ve grown it to 500K names. A list of 150K high-quality, active supporters could be even more effective at driving the results you’re looking for.
At MissionWired, our suite of acquisition and targeting tools, The Digital Co-Op, leverages AI to do just that. With custom-built predictive models and a collaborative of more than 400 mission-aligned organizations sharing billions of performance data points, The Digital Co-Op connects you with the people who have the highest potential to give and stay connected to your mission.
(Through the end of November, we’re running an End-of-Year Readiness Package to help nonprofits grow their list now to raise big on Giving Tuesday and year-end. Learn more about those offers here!)
Pay attention to the news cycles.
In 2024 nonprofits worried that political news would take attention and giving from nonprofit causes. Like most election cycles, once all the noise leading up to Election Day quieted, nonprofit giving results still rebounded by year-end.
The news cycle in 2026 is regularly hitting a fever pitch. Whether it’s the election or something else entirely, a major story seems to be exploding in the news all the time.
All this can be highly distracting, but as nonprofits, it’s important to keep an eye out for the relevant moments where an issue relates to your mission. Month after month, MissionWired’s Nonprofit Trends report has shown that the organizations responding to breaking news moments relevant to their mission are driving more gifts and revenue.
If news breaks that impacts your mission, don’t miss the opportunity to put the important work of your program into the conversation. And keep an eye out for opportunities to think outside the box if there’s a hook to capture attention for your cause.
Look to the data to prove the best EOY tactics.
There’s so much insight to be gained from looking back at the biggest trends from past year-ends and using your test results and top performers to inform your best practices this Giving Tuesday and end of year. Here are just a few that are on my radar for November and December:
- We need to put less focus on email. It’s a steady horse, but volume just keeps increasing to drive the same performance. Keep your email game strong, but diversify your appeals across channels. SMS should absolutely be a part of your strategy.
- Think about your volume. In a competitive season, the rising volume is only going to continue to climb. Be ready to message more than you’re used to and be strategic about timing.
- Stay calm. Every year some programs worry if they haven’t seen results by 11 a.m. on Giving Tuesday or on Dec. 31, but results always go up as the day goes on.
- But stay nimble. Still, it’s important to be ready with a backup plan if you’re not seeing your campaign results tick up. Be ready with a plan for resend or extensions.
- Tactical works on Giving Tuesday and end of year. Last year, testing showed tactical messaging outperformed storytelling. You’ve spent all year telling your story – in these big moments, don’t feel pressure for brand-new stories and content! Quick-hit matches, deadlines, and goal-centered messages have proven to work best on these major giving days.
At MissionWired, we’re here to help you build the kinds of fundraising campaigns that will break through the noise. And we’re here to help you find the very best audiences for your stories and your mission. Learn more about our End-of-Year Readiness Package for donor acquisition, or access our EOY Checklist for tactics to finalize your campaign planning.
