Category: Year-End Giving
A Comprehensive Guide to Your Year-End Drive
The most lucrative fundraising months of the year are now upon us: September through year-end. The heat is on. Are you ready? Two year-end appeal letters are required, not just one. The donor should receive the first appeal on the Monday before Thanksgiving, and the second on December 26th. The second letter is sent exclusively to those donors who have not yet replied to the first appeal. Allow me to explain. With the fast pace of the holidays, if you don’t give your donors a few gentle reminders, your appeal is likely to get overlooked. One of the top reasons
Your Thanksgiving Thank-A-Thon
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” Meister Eckhart The optimal time to do your Thank-A-Thon is a few days before – you guessed it –Thanksgiving. You should consider “Thanks Bonanza” to be the official kickoff of your entire year-end drive, and your preparation should begin now. You can either do it the old fashion way, by making phone calls, or by using a texting message service. I prefer the latter, but there’s merit to the former. Both methods are intended for donors who have at least one gift
It’s Permanent: Does Your Year-End Fundraising Drive Include IRA Owners Over Age 70.5?
With the new tax reform law in place, the ability of your donors age 70.5 and older to donate the distribution from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to charity has been made permanent. This is good news. Previously the provision was tenuous and had to be renewed every year. Let me explain. Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) The donor’s required minimum distribution is the minimum amount that he or she must withdraw from their account each year. The IRA holder generally must start taking withdrawals from their IRA, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, or retirement plan account when age 70.5 is
You Will Love This Year End Appeal Idea
The Thanksgiving holiday is an excellent time to extend gratitude to your donors, do you agree? Before mailing a single year-end fundraising appeal though, you can catch supporters off-guard with a positive Thanksgiving message full of gratitude. Don’t ask for a thing— not volunteer support, not links to social media, not their time, and certainly not their money. Don’t refer to the upcoming year-end appeal or include a donor reply envelope. Don’t mention previous donations. Just tell supporters that, on this Thanksgiving holiday, your nonprofit is thankful for them and why. A nice personal card is in order, or even