Over one-third of all giving occurs in the last three months of the year. With the right coaching and play calling, you can lead your team to victory during the generous year-end giving season and set yourself up for success in the year to come.

The best part? You don’t have to create your playbook from scratch! Consider the DonorPerfect team the experienced coaches who came before you. We’ve developed a playbook that you can tinker with to create a winning year-end fundraising plan for your mission.

How to use the playbook

First, you’ll outline the roles each part of your community will fill during the year-end fundraising season. This includes your staff, volunteers, donors, and entire community of supporters and friends. Then you’ll create plays based on what your unique mission requires. By the end, you’ll have a clear sense of the bigger picture, and how each role will work together to achieve a common goal.

You’ll be able to track your progress by keeping score after completing each play. Touchdowns are worth the most (six points) and include tasks that nonprofit organizations are required or strongly urged to complete by calendar year-end. Above-and-beyond point values include the extra point (one point) and two-point-conversions (two points) for tasks that will benefit your fundraising efforts and can also wait if your team is working at capacity.

Create your roster

During the busy year-end push, your team will likely have to take on additional responsibilities so you can stay on target while managing a higher-than-usual gift processing volume. By thoughtfully assigning roles ahead of time, you can ensure your team members stay on task and distribute the workload fairly.

While every nonprofit will have a different lineup, here are some ideas for roles your team can fill:

• Executive Director
• Frontline fundraiser
• Database expert
• Communications Director
• Prospective donors
• Community of donors
• Major donors
• Board and volunteers

Build your playbook

Finish Line Fundraising includes a series of plays to help you prepare your team for every year-end scenario. Your team will work in lockstep when you help them see the overall picture, and how their roles interact with others involved.

Keep track of your score as you complete each play. Go for essential tasks first to earn the most points, then focus your energy on extra points and two-point conversions to enhance your fundraising efforts.

Tally your score and do your endzone dance

See how your plan stacks up, and compare your scores year-over-year. Don’t forget to celebrate your team for a job well done! With strategic play-calling and committed coaching, you’ll score big during the year-end surge in charitable giving. The DonorPerfect team is cheering for you!

Ready to create your winning year-end strategy? Get your free playbook now!