Year-End Fundraising Success (online)

Year-End Fundraising Success: Crafting a Compelling Appeal Letter for Maximum Impact

Our trainer is Nancy Rieves, a fundraising coach and the creator of Fundraising Maximized® - Your Ultimate Guide to Major Gift Fundraising.

Nancy did not plan to be a fundraiser. The president of the college where she was teaching asked her to consider the position overseeing the college foundation. With much back-and-forth conversation and great hesitancy, she finally said, "Yes." You see - she did not like asking people for money, not even for her daughter’s girl scout cookie sales! 

She knew little about fundraising. But she began to learn about nonprofit work and fundraising. And like many of you, she learned fast on the job. She quickly learned that fundraising was NOT about her, it was about being a conduit for those with the capacity and passion to make a difference and those in need.

This understanding was the breakthrough for her. And with this mindset shift, her fundraising world began to change. Years later, she had the opportunity to launch a new foundation. She built a team that raised over $16 million for the organization she helped establish and run for 10 years.

She attributes the success to their emphasis on meaningful relationships, large gifts, and helping others make a difference. Nancy completed her doctorate studies, focusing her work on analyzing fundraising activities. Her biggest discovery from her research was that too many nonprofits focus on SMALL revenue-generating activities and never capitalize on building relationships from individuals and sponsors supporting events.

Her research and her passion to help nonprofit leaders is what drives her to teach fundraisers how to raise money through large gift fundraising.

Session Description
Are you prepared for your year-end fundraising push? Since a third of annual donations are made in the final month of the year, it’s crucial to be proactive with your donor messaging. Join Nancy for a three-hour training session where we’ll dive into crafting the perfect appeal letter. With less than eight weeks left in the year, this is your chance to plan your appeal letter, schedule your follow-ups, and navigate the holiday season with ease. Don't miss out on setting yourself up for a successful year-end campaign!

From the training, you will:

• Know how to frame your year-end appeal letter with an engaging anecdote, statistic, or quote to immediately capture the reader’s attention and personalize the message.
• Understand how to structure a clear, impactful request for donations, including emphasizing urgency to encourage immediate responses.
• Learn to emphasize impact and outcome over processes and benefits, detailing how contributions will make a tangible difference.
• Create a schedule for your appeal letter, plan your follow-ups, and manage your year-end fundraising efforts efficiently to maximize results for year-end giving.