The beginning of the year is a fresh, exciting new opportunity to engage long-standing supporters and reach new ones. After the busyness of the holiday seasons and the end of the year, the beginning of the following year is crucial — donors are excited to commit or re-commit to resolutions and often have a renewed interest in helping the causes they most care about.
Because lots of nonprofits take advantage of this fresh new fundraising season, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. In this blog, we’ll cover some of our top tips for grabbing the attention of donors so that you can start the year off right.
1. Tap Into The “Fresh Start Effect”
The “Fresh Start Effect” is a psychological phenomenon where people are more likely to take action toward goals during temporal landmarks, like the new year. In fact, research shows that 62.9% of people are more likely to commit to a goal when they begin at the start of a new week or year.
For nonprofits, this presents a great opportunity for fundraising, and aligning organizational missions with personal transformation goals. People’s increased receptivity to change creates a perfect opportunity for nonprofits to introduce new initiatives, reframe existing programs, and capture donor attention when they’re most psychologically primed to engage.
To capitalize on this, try offering:
- A 90-Day Impact Journey: Break down yearly goals into digestible 90-day sprints, with weekly touchpoints showing progress. You might even implement a specific donor recognition system when milestones are reached, too.
- New Year Commitment Packages: Design tiered engagement opportunities that include both monetary and non-monetary ways to support.
2. Create Data-Driven Impact Stories
No matter what time of year it is, donors want to visually see and understand exactly how their money will be spent — and the impact it’s had. That’s where data-driven impact stories come in.
Data storytelling combines three powerful elements: data, visuals, and narrative. When done right, it can increase donor retention and engender stronger empathy between donors and beneficiaries. This approach helps donors understand both the macro-level importance of their support and the micro-level impact on individual lives.
To engage donors in the new year with data storytelling, try creating a:
- Beneficiary Story Bank: Build a searchable database of impact stories that include video testimonials and images, if possible. For even more targeted campaigns, create story archetypes for different donor segments.
- ROI Reporting System: Set up a system for calculating and visualizing cost per impact so your nonprofit is always ready to share impact stories that resonate.
3. Launch Multi-Channel Engagement Campaigns
The modern donor journey is no longer confined to a single communication channel. With social media and new forms of communication abound, it’s essential that nonprofits target their donors in a multitude of ways.
But, multi-channel engagement isn’t just about being present on multiple platforms – it’s about creating a cohesive message across channels while respecting the uniqueness of each channel and audience.
To do this, be sure to:
- Determine Your Channels and Content:
- Email: Long-form impact stories and detailed updates
- Instagram: Behind-the-scenes content, story polls
- Twitter: Real-time updates, impact statistics
- LinkedIn: Professional insights, partnership announcements
- TikTok: Trending challenges, quick impact showcases
- Create a Master Content Calendar: Develop platform-specific content. Schedule coordinated releases and plan cross-platform promotions.
4. Offer a Time-Limited Matching Gift Campaign
Matching gifts are an incredibly popular way to give. In fact, 11% of total corporate cash contributions to nonprofits are made through matching gift programs, for an estimated average of $2.86 billion donated each year.
But, matching gifts alone aren’t always the key to success. Adding a timeframe and a bit of urgency can make a matching gift program incredibly impactful.
As most nonprofits know, adding urgency and a sense of scarcity principles can help overcome donation hesitation. Just like how urgent email subject lines can boost open rates, the urgency surrounding your matching gift campaign can boost giving, too.
When implementing this strategy, secure a match, set a date and time for your matching gift campaigns, and then create countdown mechanisms (thermometers, timers, etc.).
Be sure to plan out communications, too (like emails, texts, etc.) that notify supporters of the timeline. According to Double the Donation’s Senior Partnership Specialist, Grace Green, “Our research suggests that sending a matching gift email the first 24 hours after a donation actually results in a 53% open rate, which is almost three times higher than the industry average open rate.”
5. Accept Micro-Donations
Micro-donation programs, which, according to Tech’s Good, are donations between $0.25 and $10, may be small, but they can have a huge impact. While major donors are always worth targeting, offering smaller, bite-sized ways for anyone to contribute casts a wider net of supporters, encouraging them to give anything they can.
Micro-donation strategies also engage younger donor bases. This approach recognizes that while Millennials and Gen-Z may have limited current giving capacity, they represent the fastest-growing demographic of charitable givers.
To do this, be sure to design impact tiers starting at $5 with monthly giving options. You might even pair this level of giving with a peer-to-peer ask, requesting that micro-donors post on social media and tag friends when they support your mission.
6. Take Advantage of Virtual Events
It’s not a surprise to anyone that your supporters are online. Often, they even prefer to give online, too.
At the beginning of the year, nonprofits should take full advantage of this interest and host a few New Year virtual events that get everyone involved. Typically inexpensive — as opposed to in-person events like galas — a virtual event also breaks down geographic barriers, inviting a wider group of supporters to join.
Consider hosting:
- New Year’s Donor Appreciation Event: Host a virtual event to thank existing donors and share the impact of their contributions from the previous year. Highlight success stories, achievements, and testimonials. This can strengthen relationships with current supporters and encourage continued giving in the new year.
- Virtual Auction or Raffle: Host a virtual auction or raffle featuring exclusive items or experiences, with proceeds supporting the nonprofit’s work. Make it themed around new beginnings or goals for the year ahead.
- New Year’s Day “Day of Giving” Campaign: Host a virtual day of giving with a goal to kick off the year by raising a specific amount of funds. Use social media and email to promote the event and offer incentives such as matching gifts for donations made during the event.
Did you know? Virtual events can actually increase engagement and attendance tenfold. Learn how the Writers Guild Foundation increased their attendance by 4X by going virtual →
7. Launch Monthly Giving Campaigns
A monthly giving campaign is a great way to provide a steady and predictable income stream for your nonprofit, helping sustain its operations throughout the year. The start of a new year, of course, is a great time to begin.
Some ideas might include:
- “January Jumpstart” Monthly Giving Drive: Launch a “January Jumpstart” campaign, emphasizing the power of kicking off the year with generosity. Encourage donors to be part of a movement that sets the tone for 12 months of change by offering a limited-time opportunity, such as a one-time matching gift for all new monthly donors who join in January, doubling their impact for the first month.
- “12 Months of Change” Campaign: Outline a year-long plan showing how monthly donations will support different aspects of your mission over 12 months. Each month could highlight a different project or beneficiary story.
8. Collaborate with Influencers or Local Celebrities
Influencers aren’t just strategic for for-profit businesses interested in selling products — they can also be great partners in engaging supporters to give back.
When launching your New Year campaign, consider partnering with local influencers, community leaders, or celebrities who align with your mission. Invite them to share your New Year campaign with their followers, boosting visibility and credibility.
To incentivize these influencers even more, beyond being charitable, offer special matching challenges or recognition for influencers who bring in a certain number of donors or funds.
Best Practices for Making Your Campigans Stand Out
- Plan Early for Success: Start preparing your New Year campaign months in advance to ensure you have ample time to set clear goals, develop impactful content, secure matching gift partners, and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy, maximizing your campaign’s effectiveness.
- Create Response Time Standards: Implement a maximum 24-hour response time policy for donor inquiries across all channels, and even create personalized responses for efficiency. Quick response times can increase donor satisfaction.
- Always Use a Strong Theme: Align your campaign with the theme of new beginnings, fresh starts, or positive change. Position monthly giving as an impactful way to start the year on a generous note.
- Share Clear, Impact-Driven Goals: Regardless of your campaign, always be sure to clearly outline what the campaign aims to achieve, such as funding a particular program.
- Show the Impact: Likewise, whenever possible, be sure to use real stories, testimonials, and compelling statistics to demonstrate how each monthly gift makes a difference over time.
- Use Personalized Outreach: Regardless of your campaign, tailor your messaging based on donor history, interests, or giving potential. And, always use donor names and specific references to past support to make each communication feel personal.
- Gamify: Whatever your fundraiser is, invite teams and donors to compete to see who can raise the most funds or sign up the most monthly donors in the first month of the year. You might even display a leaderboard of top donors or teams, and offer digital badges, rewards, or a public thank-you to encourage friendly competition.
- Encourage Non-Monetary Contributions: In addition to financial donations, invite supporters to contribute in other meaningful ways, such as volunteering their time, offering professional skills, donating in-kind goods, or helping spread the word about your campaign through their social networks, which can amplify your impact and engage a broader audience.
- Use the Right Technology: Leverage reliable and user-friendly fundraising platforms, donor management systems, and marketing tools to streamline donation processes, automate communication, and track donor engagement. The right technology ensures a seamless experience for donors and provides valuable insights to optimize your campaign.
- Follow Up Consistently and Personally: After the campaign, always follow up with your supporters to express gratitude and show the impact of their contributions. Send personalized thank-you messages, highlight key achievements made possible by their support, and update them on the ongoing progress. Continuous engagement through follow-up emails, impact reports, and updates on how their donation is being used helps build lasting relationships and encourages future giving.
Building Momentum for Year-Round Success
By thoughtfully implementing these strategies, you’re not just creating standout campaigns – you’re building the foundation for sustained engagement and impact that will benefit your cause well into the future.
With careful planning, strategic implementation, and the right technology and tools, your organization can transform the challenging post-holiday period into a powerful launching pad for year-round success.
With platforms like Giveffect, your nonprofit can plan and implement all of your new year campaigns with ease. With email and SMS marketing, donor management, comprehensive analytics, and so much more, nonprofits can start the year off right — and with less stress — and make more impact than ever before.