The end of the year (EOY) opens up many opportunities and challenges for fundraisers. It’s a perfect time to focus on reaching your donation goals. In fact, 30% of annual giving happens in December, with 10% of the year’s donations coming in during the final three days.
However, a downside to EOY fundraising is that more causes and organizations are competing for your donor’s attention. Requests for support and engagement flood people’s social media timelines and email inboxes. With so many other worthy causes vying for the same dollars, your EOY strategy needs to stand out.
Lean on SMS Messages
Though you may work hard and have the right intentions, you may still fall short of your EOY goals—this is where Tatango can help. Our text message marketing experts can help you optimize your fundraising campaign with SMS messaging to boost your effectiveness for 2023. Compared to other communication methods, SMS messages stand apart. For starters, text messages have a 99% open rate, while marketing emails only have a 20% open rate.
As an SMS marketing industry leader for over 15 years, Tatango provides purpose-built tools to help you get the most out of your fundraising efforts. Working with Tatango and learning from your EOY fundraising hurdles will help you prepare to succeed next year.
Optimize Your EOY Strategy with Three Steps
Here are three straightforward ways to improve your EOY campaign for 2023:
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Build a Solid Plan for End Of Year Fundraising
Successful EOY fundraising starts months ahead and relies on the momentum built throughout the year. In-person events, donation websites, and marketing emails are perfect ways to promote your SMS communication channel and grow your subscriber list. An extensive subscriber list will help increase the number of donations you receive.
In addition to adding new subscribers, be sure to time your messages to promote upcoming fundraising milestones and goals. Varied messages and media-rich updates will make building and maintaining momentum throughout the year much easier. The final sprint may come in December, but preparations and planning should start much earlier.
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Offer a Straightforward Donation Process
Extra steps and confusing donation requirements will slow your system and turn off some potential donors. Partner with Tatango as your SMS provider to integrate with safe and secure donation tools so you can add donation links directly within each message. One-tap links simplify the donation process. You can provide the option to receive recurring messages, encouraging engaged donors to jump on board for the long run.
Plan and test your donation workflows for your upcoming EOY fundraising campaign. December is the worst time to discover that your donation process could have been simpler. Streamlining each step will make a big difference as you enter peak donation time.
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Follow Up and Send Thank-You Notes
Make sure subscribers feel valued and appreciated after every donation and fundraising drive. After all, their support is integral to your organization’s success. Even if you don’t meet your goals this year, thank-you notes and encouragement for future fundraising can set the stage for a successful campaign next year. By recognizing donors of every size, you can encourage people to join your mission regardless of how much they can give.
Each peak fundraising season is an opportunity to see what works, learn from your mistakes, and reset for the coming year. With thoughtful planning, simple donation integrations, and heartfelt follow-ups, 2023 can be the perfect EOY season to bounce back and smash your fundraising records.
Planning for Success in 2023
Even if this EOY donation season was challenging, next year doesn’t have to be. Work with Tatango to tap into years of experience, powerful automation tools, and robust reporting software to help you optimize. With SMS marketing at the center of your communication efforts, your supporters will feed more engaged and invested for next year.
To learn more about SMS marketing and fundraising, contact the team of experts at Tatango today.
