End-of-Year Fundraising Starts in August
Executive Principal Taryn Deaton explains why successful end-of-year fundraising starts with a compelling invitation—and why the time to shape it is now.
After many years of working with nonprofits on end-of-year fundraising campaigns, I’ve come to believe that the biggest difference often isn’t how much organizations do in November and December.
It's how thoughtfully they've shaped the invitation they’re extending before they ever ask for a gift.
August is when that work begins.
I don’t know about you, but August doesn't generally feel like planning season to me. I’m holding on to summer for dear life and wondering how we are already talking about back-to-school season.
But as fundraisers, the success we’re hoping for in December is largely determined by the work we do in August to shape the invitation we’re extending to donors.
The 2026 Giving USA report provides even more reason to get our planning started now: while individual giving dollars increased in 2025, the number of individual donors continues to decline. That's a trend all of us in fundraising should be paying attention to!
If fewer people are choosing to give, our response shouldn’t simply be to ask more often or communicate more loudly. Instead, we need to become more intentional about our messaging before a campaign ever launches.
A compelling invitation starts with the story
When I begin planning an end-of-year campaign with a partner, our first conversation is about what the campaign is trying to accomplish, why it matters, and what change we are inviting donors to help create.
I use this narrative framework to guide that conversation.
Vision: What is your organization trying to make possible for your community and stakeholders through this campaign?
Need/Obstacle: What's standing in the way of that future becoming a reality?
Action: What work is currently happening or needs to happen to clear the need?
Impact: What difference will that response make?
It's a simple framework, but it helps organizations connect the dollars they're raising to the difference those dollars will make. That narrative then becomes the foundation for every appeal letter, email, social media post, and conversation with a donor.
Too often, we begin with the fundraising goal. “We need to raise $250,000 by December 31.” That's important for the organization to know, but it's not the reason donors give.
Donors give because they believe in a vision. They want to solve a problem. They want to help create a better future. The fundraising goal simply tells us what it will take to get there.
Organizations are also sometimes hesitant to state their fundraising goal publicly. This is a HUGE missed opportunity. A public goal creates a shared challenge. It gives people something to work toward together and helps them see their gift as part of a collective effort. Progress becomes visible. Momentum becomes tangible. Instead of simply making a gift, donors become part of a community working toward a common goal.
A clear narrative answers the question, “Why does this campaign matter?” The next challenge is helping donors answer a different question: “Why does this matter to me?”
Creating a sense of belonging
One of the most interesting answers to that question comes from Bloomerang's Giving Signals Report, and one line has stayed with me:
“Giving is not primarily a rational decision; it is a values-led act shaped by identity, purpose, and belief in what is possible.”
When someone makes a gift, they're certainly responding to a need. But they're also expressing something about themselves. They're saying, “This is who I am and this is the kind of world I want to help create.” They're choosing to align themselves with a mission that reflects their values.
Increasingly, donors are looking for a sense of belonging. They want to know they're part of something bigger than their individual gift. They want to know they're joining a community of people who care about the same things they do.
This desire for belonging should remind us that our messaging isn’t just about impact. It should invite people into a community of changemakers working toward a shared vision.
As you craft your end-of-year campaign messaging, don’t just describe what the donor’s gift will do. Describe who the donor is when they give.
You show up.
You build bridges.
You refuse to look the other way.
You invest in the future.
And in stewardship, we can do more than thank people for what they gave. We can thank them for being generous. Compassionate. The kind of person who notices when others are hurting. Stewardship becomes more than gratitude for a transaction—it becomes an affirmation of identity.
None of this diminishes the importance of centering the communities we serve. It simply recognizes that giving is also an expression of the donor's identity—and that acknowledging that identity may help more people see philanthropy as something they do because of who they are.
Get started today
As individual giving becomes increasingly concentrated among fewer donors, I don't think our response is simply to communicate more often. I think it's to communicate with greater clarity.
A clear narrative helps donors understand the future they're helping create. Identity-based messaging helps them see the role they play in creating it. Together, those ideas invite people into something much bigger than a year-end campaign—they invite them into a community of people who share their values and are working toward a common purpose.
That's the work that begins in August.
If you'd like a thought partner as you shape your end-of-year campaign, we'd love to help.