December is finally here, which means all the hard work you’ve poured into your end-of-year campaign will hopefully begin to pay off. Plus with GivingTuesday behind us, you now have valuable campaign data that can help guide your next steps.
Look at key data points like email open and click-through rates, donation page conversion rates, average gift size, and overall donor engagement. Identifying which channels and messages resonated most will help you refine your strategy, amplify what worked, and address areas that need improvement.
In this week’s brief, we’re sharing resources to take your campaign to the next level — all before December 31. Let’s dive in!
The take-home templateThe year-end rush is in full swing, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to make it your best yet. Feathr’s team of strategists has curated a free, jam-packed digital marketing toolkit to help you finish the year with confidence and impact. Stay organized with a detailed planning calendar, gain expert strategies from webinars, draw inspiration from effective EOY campaign ads, and unlock additional tools to make your year-end campaigns unforgettable. |
Snackable snippets |
9 year-end giving campaign ideas 📖
Before trying anything new for your year-end giving campaign, it's essential that whatever you're trying isn't based on guesswork. Fortunately, NextAfter has compiled nine proven year-end fundraising strategies backed by insights from over 7,500 A/B tests and over a decade of nonprofit market research.
From peak engagement times to faux forward-style emails, these strategies cover everything you need to optimize your EOY efforts.
Beyond year-end fundraising: Keep asking 📖
The human brain is hard-wired for generosity. When donors contribute to a cause, they experience a feel-good rush of dopamine, much like the pleasure of eating chocolate. This powerful response is known as the “warm glow” effect.
While many nonprofits worry about over-asking, this article explores why ongoing fundraising throughout the year is nothing to shy away from. By regularly engaging donors with impact reports, meaningful involvement opportunities, and expressions of gratitude, you can cultivate stronger relationships and keep that “warm glow” feeling alive.
Fostering hope and joy in fundraising and DEIB 🎧
Could joy be the missing ingredient in your fundraising strategy? In this episode of What the Fundraising, Mallory chats with Tesha McCord Poe, founder of Joy Raising, about how fundraising isn’t just about money — it’s about creating a ripple effect of joy and belonging.
Tesha opens up about her personal journey and shares how centering these values in fundraising can ignite deeper donor engagement, foster more inclusive practices, and inspire lasting impact.
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Coca-Cola’s AI-generated ad controversy, explained 📖 Coca-Cola's annual holiday commercials are pretty much a cultural institution, but this year’s ad was a little different: It was entirely AI-generated. Despite attracting significant attention, the video faced intense backlash, from mockery across social media to criticism from industry professionals. This article dives into the controversy behind the campaign and why generative AI failed to capture that classic holiday cheer. While AI can drive innovation, it’s essential for marketers to strike a balance between technology and the emotional connection that truly resonates with audiences. |
In the news |
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Google Shopping’s new holiday ad campaign, “Can You Gift It?” turns holiday gift-giving into a series of game-show spoofs. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, each episode features celebrity duos competing in trivia challenges to score the best deals. Questions for the game were pulled from Google Shopping’s Holiday 100 list of the most-searched items, giving the platform a chance to turn an element of its shopper data into unique marketing content. ***** |
OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT Search in October, a highly anticipated AI-powered search engine developed in collaboration with news and data providers.
However, a new report raises red flags about the platform’s treatment of news content, pointing to cases of misattribution and reliance on syndicated or plagiarized material over original sources — potentially threatening publisher visibility and credibility.
For your inspiration folder |
Your landing page is arguably your most valuable asset for fundraising during the giving season, with the power to convert donors, increase donations, and introduce potential advocates to your cause.
Arthritis Foundation is harnessing this potential by prominently featuring GivingTuesday on its homepage with a clean, branded design. The page highlights the opportunity for donors to double their impact, creating a sense of urgency, while also including key elements that drive conversion, such as a frictionless checkout, impactful messaging, and a strong call to action.