Are you ready for year-end?
As fundraisers, September is a kick-off. 
While others are thinking about back to school, football games and change of season, this time of the year for us means it is time to start preparing for the season of giving – the Year End!
Upwards of 35%-45% of all funds are raised are received between October and December. November and December alone can make or break a fundraising year which, in turn, can make or break an organization’s year overall!
Often overlooked, your website is the portal through which donors, neighbors, future adopters, and the general public experience your organization. Even if you have a great website, there are plenty of things you can still do to make sure it is humming along and ready for the crush of year end giving.
Ann Green (at anngreennonprofit.com) offers some easy website ideas:
- Feature a bold and engaging photo with minimal text
- Make sure all information is up to date with no “old” items – that includes events that have already happened, and calendars for last month’s activities.
- Make your most newsworthy item a key focus. Put it front and center and don’t let other things distract from that.
- The Donate Now button must stand out, use a different color, but don’t make it look tacky. If you do nothing else, do this one thing!
- Make sure the sign up box for your newsletter or such is present as well as social media icons
- Make it easy to complete with the minimum amount of required data. The fewer boxes the donor has to consider or complete, the more gifts you’ll receive. It’s a proven fact!
- Include a strong call to action
- Offer an option for recurring gifts. Test making it the default offer.
- Use an engaging photo
- Your thank you email must go out quickly and be well written focusing on the impact of that donor and their gift to you
Take time to make sure the rest of your pages are functioning correctly, that all the links are working correctly.