Whether or not you follow a fiscal year for budgeting purposes, your donors are looking at the traditional calendar when they are considering their charitable giving. It’s the last three months of the year when the majority of gifts are made.
Considerations for successful year-end fundraisers:
- Know who you are communicating with. Plan strategies to target donors based on age, wealth and gift history by promoting year-end gifts such as:
- QCDs or gifts from donor advised funds.
- Stocks, cryptocurrency or other valuable property.
- Life income arrangements.
- Ask for gifts of securities. Remind donors looking for the best ways to give that gifts of appreciated securities and other assets can yield special tax benefits, whether or not donors itemize their tax deductions. For wealthy donors, it may be best to make gifts using those assets and use their cash to diversify their investments or rebalance their portfolios.
- Encourage repeat gifts. Contact donors who have already completed gift annuities, trusts and other irrevocable deferred gifts. They can be among your best candidates for new gifts. Also, keep in mind that some donors may no longer need the income that attracted them to a particular gift plan in the past and could, in some cases, redirect a portion of income being produced or partially or fully terminate the gift plan before the end of their lifetime to make a meaningful gift now.
