How to run a year-end giving campaign: a checklist from Giving Tuesday to December 31

A year-end giving campaign is a focused appeal that runs from Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, through December 31. To run one, set a goal as a number and choose one true story. Build your giving page by early November, write every message before December, and thank each donor within a few days.

This plan is for small teams at nonprofits, churches, and veteran posts, the kind of team that has to show up at the right moments without burning out. It covers October and November prep, what to send each week in December, and how to thank people in January. A full checklist you can print sits at the end.

1. Set one goal, as a number

Your campaign goal should be a dollar amount people can picture. "Raise $20,000 for the food pantry" works better than "support our mission."

Pick a goal that is a stretch but reachable, using last December's total as a starting point if you have it. Then tie the goal to something real. For example, "$20,000 keeps the pantry stocked through spring."

Write the goal down and share it with your board, so everyone tells the same story.

2. Choose one story that shows what a gift does

Pick one story about a real person your work helped, because supporters respond to people more than to budgets. It might be a family your church helped, a veteran your post supported, or a child who went to camp.

Get permission before you share anyone's story, and change names when you need to. Keep it short and true, with specific details. You can build every message in the campaign around that one story.

3. Build your giving page early

Set up your campaign giving page in October or early November, well before the week of Giving Tuesday.

A good campaign page has:

• Your name, logo, and colors
• The goal and a progress bar people can see
• Your story, in a few short sentences
• Suggested amounts, plus any amount
• A choice to give once or every month
• An option for donors to cover the fees

Test the page yourself by making a small gift on your phone and on a computer. Fix anything confusing before you send it to anyone. See giving pages for an example of how one can look.

4. Clean up your list

Clean up your donor list before you send anything, because most of next year's best donors are the people who gave this year.

• Remove duplicates, so no one gets the same email twice.
• Mark who gave last year, and who gives monthly.
• Note your largest supporters for a personal call or letter.
• Make sure every email address is current.

This step goes much faster when gifts and events live on the same family record. You can spot who came to your fall dinner but has never given, and invite them in.

5. Plan your messages before December starts

Write all of your campaign messages in November, while you still have time to think. Here is a simple plan for a small team:

1. The week before Giving Tuesday: a short heads-up. "Next Tuesday, we're asking for your help."
2. Giving Tuesday: your main appeal, with the story and the link.
3. Early December: a progress update on how close you are to the goal.
4. Mid-December: a second story or a short video from someone you serve.
5. December 26 to 29: a gentle reminder that the year is ending.
6. December 31: a final, short note. "A few hours left to give this year."

Keep each email short, with one link and one ask. Send updates by mail too, for older supporters who prefer paper.

6. Line up a match, if you can

A matching gift gives people a reason to give now instead of later. Ask a board member, a business, or a longtime donor if they will match gifts up to a set amount.

Be honest about the match. Say who is giving it, how much it covers, and when it ends. Never promise a match you do not have in writing.

7. Staff Giving Tuesday like a small event

Treat Giving Tuesday like a small event by deciding ahead of time who posts on social media, who sends the email, and who watches the giving page.

Share progress through the day, since "We're halfway there!" gives people more reason to act than silence does. Thank people in public as gifts come in, if they are happy to be named. End the day with a short note to everyone who gave.

8. Keep asking through the last week of December

Keep your campaign running until December 31, because many people give in the final days of the year.

Leave your giving page live and easy to find, with a link on your website's home page. Make sure someone on your team can answer questions between Christmas and New Year's. A donor whose card fails on December 30 needs help that same day.

9. Send receipts and thank-yous fast

Thank every donor within a few days of their gift. A short, warm email is fine for most people. Call or write by hand to your largest supporters and first-time donors.

Donors may need a receipt or statement for their taxes. The rules for what a receipt must say can change, so check current IRS guidance and confirm with your accountant before you send year-end statements.

10. Look back in January

In the first weeks of January, write down what the campaign did:

• How much you raised, compared with your goal
• How many people gave, and how many were new
• Which messages brought the most gifts
• What you would change next year

Then share the result with your donors and tell them what their gifts made possible. That message can open next year's campaign.

Your year-end checklist

• Set one goal, as a number, and share it with your board
• Choose one true story, with permission
• Build and test the campaign giving page by early November
• Turn on monthly giving and the option to cover fees
• Clean up your list and mark past and monthly donors
• Write every message before December 1
• Ask for a matching gift, and get it in writing
• Plan who does what on Giving Tuesday
• Keep someone on call from Christmas to New Year's
• Send a final note on December 31
• Thank every donor within a few days
• Check current IRS guidance and confirm receipts with your accountant
• Review the results in January and share them with donors

Common questions

When should we start planning a year-end giving campaign?

Start in October. Set your goal and choose your story first, then build and test your giving page by early November. Write every email and letter during November so that December is about sending, answering questions, and thanking donors as gifts come in.

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Many organizations use it to launch their year-end appeal, which then runs through December 31. Treat the day like a small event, with one person posting on social media, one sending the email, and one watching the giving page and sharing progress.

How many emails should a year-end campaign send?

The plan in this guide uses six: a heads-up the week before Giving Tuesday, the main appeal on the day, two December updates, a reminder after Christmas, and a final note on December 31. Keep each one short, with one link and one ask, and mail updates to supporters who prefer paper.

Do donors need a receipt for year-end gifts?

Donors may need a receipt or statement for their taxes, and the rules for what it must say can change. Check current IRS guidance and confirm with your accountant before you send year-end statements. Send a thank-you within a few days of each gift either way.

A campaign is one part of the year

The family who gives on December 31 may be the same family who came to your cookout in July and sent a child to camp in June. When every gift and every event lands on one household record, your year-end appeal reaches people you already know and continues a story you have been part of all year. For help planning those other moments, see how to plan a nonprofit event.