The end-of-year giving season isn’t a finish line, even if it does close the books on the year; instead, it's a time of transition from campaign-based giving to recurring giving. Use it to create deeper connections, build enduring trust and clearly communicate the long-term value of support. 

Retain

GivingTuesday is like the first domino in an end-of-year effort to build a bank of recurring donors. Your primary goal is to curate an inspiring, educational month that zeroes in on how your donors feel. 

Appreciate

Did you thank your donors after GivingTuesday? If not, start there. Supporters give again when they feel great about their last gift and see themselves as part of your ongoing mission. Stewardship is how you reinforce that sense of connection.

Educate

Your communications shouldn’t just tell; they can teach. This helps your donors connect to root causes, systems and future impact. It gives donors the why behind the what. By deepening your donors’ understanding, you turn generosity into partnerships and longer-lasting relationships.

Embrace

Build long-term commitment instead of one-time emotion. Center your content on collaboration, not pity or saviorism. This creates shared responsibility – inviting people to give even when they may not personally relate.

Re-engage

Find ways to invite your supporters into what comes next. This includes past supporters who may have disconnected from your work.

Non-email stewardship

Although email is often the backbone of donor communication, don’t rely solely on the inbox, which may miss opportunities to forge stronger, more personal relationships. Include intentional, high-impact interactions that complement your digital strategy, offering tangible, human-centered experiences of gratitude and inclusion that keeps donors in the loop post-donation and may not include an ask. 

Examples of non-email touchpoints:

• Handwritten notes
• Phone calls
• Board member outreach
• Social media captions
• Mini video updates by a staff member or program lead
• Intimate live gatherings

These help donors feel seen, valued and included in your mission. When supporters feel personally appreciated, they are more likely to stay connected and give again.  

Disconnected donors

Don’t be afraid to re-engage with the donors who didn’t give during giving season, whether they can be categorized as LYBUNT (gave Last Year But Unfortunately Not This year), SYBUNT (gave Some Year (within the last two years) But Unfortunately Not This year) or lapsed donors (last gave 3-5+ years ago).

Reignite

Capitalize on the heightened attention of recently active and re-engaged donors by injecting your outreach with emotional energy and deep meaning. Reinforce the connection between donors’ values and your work, reminding them that their magnanimity is vital to your mission. Leverage the urgency of the end-of-year deadline as a call to action. 

Turn momentum into mission impact

You know the importance of retaining, re-engaging and reigniting your donors, whether they’re current donors, recurring donors, LYBUNT/SYBUNT donors or lapsed donors. If you are looking for more guidance on how to do that, we’ve got you covered with a free resource: our End-of-Year Donor Messaging Toolkit. 

It comes complete with:

• a three-step plan to retain and re-engage donors
• tips on how to segment donors for strategic followup
• ideas on how to craft compelling messaging that motivates year-end and ongoing generosity
• email templates and proposed language
• suggestions on how to activate board members and volunteers as fundraising champions.

To download this toolkit, visit our End-of-Year Giving page and fill out the form for instant access.

🌟 You will also be able to watch the on-demand replay of our End-of-Year Giving webinar and be guided through the key takeaways of how to turn momentum into mission impact.

Follow-through phase

Use end-of-year fundraising as follow-through time to inspire recurring giving. By fostering deeper connections, building enduring trust and communicating the long-term value of regular support, your nonprofit can convert seasonal goodwill into sustained, year-round commitment.