Non Profit Holiday Marketing Campaign – Start It Today!
According to some surveys, the average American donates 24 percent of her annual donations during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Every non-profit with the hopes of creating a non profit holiday marketing campaign will need to get into the groove now. Planning your non profit holiday marketing campaign sooner rather than later can help you to ensure creativity, effectiveness, and originality are a part of the process. And, you’ll need to do more than just ask for donations.
Develop a Fundraising Plan
As the holiday season approaches, it is critical to think about how you will tap into this reserve of giving that people do at the end of the year. Here are some questions to ask first:
- What amount of giving comes from this time of year annually for your organization? What percentage of increase is realistic and necessary to sustain your organization next year?
- Who are the most likely givers during the season? Corporations, individuals, big money spenders, or everyday Americans?
- What marketing method is ideal for you to achieve your goals? It could be the use of direct mail, social media, public relations, online and offline advertising plans and special events.
Once you have established your non profit holiday marketing goals for the season, a fundraising campaign can begin to take structure. Hire an agency or a team of professionals to manage the process for you. Ultimately, if you hire correctly, the results will be worth your investment. Your holiday campaign may include:
- Holiday-specific slogan, logo and marketing message creation
- Social media campaigns (Facebook and Twitter are excellent platforms for this)
- Redesign or update to the organization’s blog or website to include this new campaign focus
- A call-to-action – why should consumers donate now?
- Offline marketing methods including television, radio, in-person events, spokespersons. Seek local media for no/low cost public relations and press release publications.
- Create a detailed plan to identify and target your likely donors. Who are the sources of your funds? Where are they, what are they giving and what do plan to do to get their attention?
Remember that any non profit holiday marketing campaign also needs to fit within your long-term strategic goals. This includes managing each aspect of the process of growing your brand and developing the funds necessary to achieve your goals.
Holidays bring out the best in people, but you still have to compete with thousands of other organizations for your prospective donors’ attention and dollars. Nevertheless, now is the time to turn your focus on the holiday season and to ensure your team is beginning their focus on your holiday campaign to raise funds.