1. Make a Note About Who Is Already Engaging
One of the most helpful things you can do right now is start noticing who is already engaging with your organization. These folks are the most likely to be your top year-end donors, so don’t skip this part.
This might look like people opening your emails, clicking on links, replying to updates, or making small donations throughout the year (most email marketing platforms help you track these things). This can help you see who is already paying attention and connected to your work.
When you start identifying and making a list of those supporters early, it becomes much easier to focus your outreach later, rather than trying to figure it out in the middle of your campaign.
💡 Try this: Review your last few emails or posts and make a short list of people who engaged more than once. Use that list as a starting point for your year-end outreach.
2. Identify the Story That Will Actually Drive Giving
Pay attention to which stories already get a strong response from your audience and ask yourself why. Is it because the impact feels immediate? Is the outcome easy to understand? Does it show a real person, a program, or a moment?
The stories that perform best during year-end giving usually have one thing in common: they make it very clear what a donation will do and who it will help. They connect a specific need to a clear outcome.
When you can identify one story that clearly answers those questions, it becomes much easier to build your messaging around it instead of trying to say everything at once.
💡 Try this: Choose one story you’ve shared recently and write down what a donation would make possible. Use that answer to shape how you talk about your work.
3. Reconnect with Donors a Few Times Before the Ask
One of the most effective ways to strengthen your year-end giving is to start reconnecting with donors before you ask for support. When you reach out early, your message feels more familiar and genuine, instead of coming out of nowhere.
This doesn’t need to be a full campaign. It can be a short update, a thank-you message, or a quick note sharing what your organization has been working on (without asking for donations – yet). The goal is to remind people of the impact they’ve already had and keep that connection active.
You can also use this time to notice who responds. Pay attention to replies, clicks, or even small follow-up questions. These early interactions can help you understand who is most engaged and where to focus your outreach later.
💡 Try this: Make a short list of past donors or engaged supporters and send a brief update or thank-you message this month. Keep it focused on impact and connection, not an ask.
Try it this week 🚀
Take 15 minutes to start mapping out your year-end plan.
Look at who has been engaging, the story you want to lead with, and a few people you could reconnect with, and jot down a few notes for each.
Getting these ideas down now can make the rest of your planning feel much clearer and more manageable.
