The last quarter of the year is known as the ‘Giving Season’ by nonprofit organizations. There are a number of national holidays in the last few months of the year and this may make people feel inclined to give more generously than other months in the year.

A study undertaken by The Center on Philosophy in 2012, surveyed donors in the higher income brackets and their trends and habits surrounding when they donate the most. The study found that 42% of respondents gave significantly more during the holiday season. In similar studies, this time of nonprofit organizations, it was found that more than half of all charitable and nonprofit groups received over 50% of their total annual donations between the months of October and December.

Attracting Donors – Helping a Non-Profit Stand Out From The Crowd

Heading into October – the race is on to attract donors, to deliver a message that will touch the hearts and minds of individuals to encourage them to donate to charity. The Chronicle of Philanthropy noted that donations to charitable organizations rose by 4% in 2015 and that the trend looks set to continue. In the same article it was noted that it was individuals that make up over 70% of all donations each year.

Shout It Out – Billboards? Radio? Television?

Cultivating support for your cause doesn’t mean that you have to try to attract the
wealthiest of donors or spend the largest amount of money on advertising to get donations. It’s more important to start raising awareness by reaching out within communities as opposed to tailoring your donation ‘pitch’ to a wealthy stranger. With the news that over 70% of all annual donations coming from individuals and not necessarily high-net worth donors, there is a lot to be said for making sure that your message is personal, evocative and reaches people on a community level.
Educate potential donors – Get people to get involved, visit your programs, experience the work that you do.
Face Time Your Donors – Go ahead and ask for donations. Set meetings and ask for appointments and be completely upfront about why you’re there. The biggest donors and donations come from face-to-face interaction.

A Thank You Goes a Long Way

Thank donors for their help, and leave the door open for future donations and ways to get involved in your work.
Asking for money is hard work, it’s thankless and tiring, often filled with daily disappointment. Start by getting people interested and involved on a community level and see how much easier it is to ask for donations during The Giving Season.