Picture this — after months of planning, preparing and hard work, the finish line of your campaign is finally in sight. But, before you celebrate, there are a few more essentials to check off your to-do list to ensure success.

First, don’t forget to keep your donors in the loop to ensure they feel involved and appreciated. Building transparency and trust with donors should be an ongoing priority throughout your campaign, and after it has concluded. These updates can go right to their inbox as a newsletter (for example) or shared on your online platforms.

Second, make sure to extend your gratitude to donors and share the impact of their donations. Timely acknowledgments show donors that their contributions are valued and will ultimately strengthen your relationship with them and encourage future support.

There are three ways to craft an effective acknowledgement:

1. Personalized messages increase engagement, so send an automatic thank-you email immediately after receiving a donation.
2. Follow up with a personalized thank-you letter or card, and make sure to mention specific details about the donation and its impact. Sharing impact stories and results will not only validate a donor’s decision to give, it will also foster a deeper connection to your cause. You can illustrate impact with statistics, visual content, and testimonials from beneficiaries, staff, or volunteers to provide a human perspective on the impact.
3. Some donors appreciate public recognition, so with their consent, acknowledge their contribution publicly via your website, social media, or newsletters.

Now let’s say your fundraising campaign has come to an end—hooray! Your first step post-campaign is to analyze its performance and identify areas for improvement next time.

While it might seem like a big task, here’s how you can break it down:

• Review key metrics by looking at total funds raised, the total number of donors, average donation size, and donor retention rates.
• Conduct surveys or interviews with donors and team members to gather insights and suggestions about your campaign to further improve next year’s performance.
• Assess how well you met your initial goals and identify any gaps or unexpected successes.
• Document any lessons learned from the campaign, including best practices and areas for improvement.

Donors play a big role in your campaign’s success

Ask yourself:

Did you meet or exceed your fundraising target?
How many new donors did you attract?
How many donors interacted with your content, attended events, or participated in challenges?

By acknowledging donors promptly, sharing the tangible impact of their contributions, providing regular updates, and thoroughly analyzing your campaign’s performance, you create a cycle of continuous improvement and stronger donor relationships. These steps not only enhance your end-of-year fundraising efforts, it will also lay the groundwork for long-term success and growth.

Successfully executing an end-of-year campaign is no easy feat, so make use of helpful resources such as these blog posts. You can find more detailed instructions in CanadaHelps’ Ultimate End-of-Year Campaign Guide, which includes a 6-month timeline. CanadaHelps created this eBook to maximize end-of-year giving, tailored specifically for the Canadian market. It serves as a practical resource designed to help you craft effective strategies and understand donor behaviour at a pivotal time, so you can reach your goals.

Naomi Barghiel is a Communications Specialist at CanadaHelps, Canada’s largest online giving and fundraising platform in Canada. To learn more, visit https://forcharities.canadahelps.org/