Making the Most of Christmas Fundraising for your Organisation
November 2024
The Christmas season is a time for generosity and community that extends beyond just giving gifts to friends and family. At Dona we see a huge spike in donations from late autumn through to New Year, as a host of different festivals – from the Christian celebrations of Advent, Christmas, St Nicholas Day and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, to Hannukah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday, Bodhi day and the Winter Solstice – foster a spirit of goodwill and generosity in communities across the United Kingdom.
For charities, religious organisations, cultural sites and community groups, it’s important to be ready to make the most of the additional opportunities for fundraising during this busy period. Preparation is key to making the most of your time, resources and opportunities for boosting funds when donors are at their most generous.
Preparing for a busy period
Taking a look at how your charity has previously performed during the winter season can be a great indicator of future success. You might be able to spot opportunities for additional fundraising campaigns as well as expand on those that generated high donation values in the past.
Anticipate the Surge:
- Run a review of past data: Analyse your previous year’s donation trends to estimate the potential increase compared to a usual month. In your Dona Donations management portal you can use the reporting function for this. The average donation value across all Dona customers in Dec 2023 alone was £13.
- Get Gift Aid ready: encourage repeat supporters and congregation members to sign up for Gift Aid in advance by making early donations or sharing a link to your online giving page via newsletter. Donors only need to register once with Dona, and all their future offerings will then be automatically Gift Aided, giving your charity an extra 25% on each donation.
- Look at your staffing and resources: Ensure your team is prepared to handle a higher volume of donations. Consider temporary staff or volunteers to assist with processing and enquiries, ensuring you have sufficient time to train and prepare them too. Alternatively, use additional self-service terminals.
- Technology: Make sure your donation processing systems are equipped to handle increased traffic. Sign up with Dona for a robust system where terminals are easily added. Additional terminals decrease queues and increase donation volumes at busy times.
Have Clear Donation Processes:
- Streamlined Online Giving: Ensure your online donation platform is user-friendly and secure. The Dona Donations contactless donation terminal, DCPv3, is GDPR and PCI DSS compliant to ensure donor and card data is protected.
- Efficient Offline Processing: Have clear guidelines for processing cash, and other offline donations. Ensure you’re not missing out on digital donations by using a system like Dona which also captures offline transactions.
- Acknowledgment System: Implement a system to acknowledge donations promptly, either through automated emails or personalised thank-you notes. Dona terminals do this automatically and you can customise your message too.
Encouraging Extra Donations
Compelling Campaigns:
- Emotional Appeal: Create campaigns that evoke empathy and highlight the real-world impact of donations. With Dona you can advertise a range of different campaigns on each donation terminal, so people can choose which specific fund they want to give to, which can inspire people to give more generously.
- Specific Goals: Set clear, achievable goals for the campaign to motivate donors.
- Limited-Time Offers: Use urgency to encourage immediate donations, such as matching gift campaigns or time-limited offers.
- Send regular newsletters to existing donors, members of your congregation and followers so they know how they can help or support during the Christmas period.
- Send a press release about your seasonal campaigns or events to your local community magazines and newspapers.
- Innovative Fundraising Ideas: Seasonal Events: Organise festive events like Christmas dinners, carol services, holiday bazaars, or celebrations that resonate with causes your community cares about.
- Gift-Giving Campaigns: Encourage donors to give gifts in the name of loved ones to the charity.
- Social Media Campaigns: Utilise social media platforms to engage with donors, share heartwarming stories, and run fundraising challenges. Encourage your followers to share their stories and experiences.
Managing the Extra Donations
Financial Management:
- Budgeting: Adjust your budget to accommodate the increased income. It might be the perfect time to launch your ‘new roof’ campaign or a new initiative for your community.
- Financial Planning: Develop a plan for how the extra funds will be allocated, ensuring they are used effectively and efficiently with good feedback for your donors. With the Dona Management portal it is easy to see how much has been donated to each campaign – giving you the opportunity to update donors regularly.
Donor Relations:
- Personalised Thank-You Notes: Send heartfelt thank-you notes to donors, expressing gratitude for their support. This is automated through Dona Donations as standard.
- Donor Updates: Keep donors informed about the impact of their donations through regular updates and newsletters.
To find out more about how Dona Donations contactless terminals could boost your fundraising this winter please enquire today.
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