How to Build a Year-End Donor Plan

If you’re a frontline fundraiser, you can probably feel year-end getting closer. When the calendar fills up, you can practically hear the revenue expectations through your screen. And somewhere between the donor meetings, events, appeals, follow-ups and internal meetings, you have to figure out which donors actually need your attention next.

That’s why this is a good time to step back and review your caseload.

I know, another year-end checklist? Well, the plan you made earlier in the year may no longer reflect what you know about your donors today. Their circumstances may have changed, their interests may have shifted, or the timing you originally anticipated may no longer make sense.

A good year-end donor plan gives you a way to adjust. You review each donor’s giving history, interests, and relationship with your organization, set a realistic goal, confirm when they make giving decisions, and then map the conversations, impact updates, and asks that support that timing.

Most importantly, every next action has an owner and a date.

That’s a big part of the conversation we had on the Nothing But Major Gifts podcast a couple years ago, and it’s a useful way to think about the months ahead. So let’s walk through this more...

Which donors should you prioritize for year-end?

Start with donors who typically give in the fall or at year-end, donors whose giving has fallen below their usual pattern, and donors whose interests connect with a meaningful program opportunity.

That means going back through your caseload and looking at the whole picture: when someone has given in the past, what they’ve given this year, what you’ve learned in recent conversations and whether anything about their circumstances has changed. A donor who normally gives in December, for example, isn't necessarily behind in September.

This is what we like to call the “negative variance,” which can help you identify lapsed donors or people giving less than you would normally expect. The difference is an opportunity to learn what has changed.

As you prioritize, also be careful about filling your calendar with the donors who are easiest to reach. Those meetings may feel productive because you already know the relationship, but the more significant donor you haven't connected with recently may be the person who most needs your attention.

What does each donor need before you make an ask?

Once you know whom you want to prioritize, the next question is what each donor needs from you before you talk about another gift.

Maybe they need to hear what their previous support accomplished. Maybe you need to learn what matters to them now. Or perhaps there’s a particular program or opportunity that connects naturally with their interests.

This is where a simple “You Made A Difference,” or YMAD, touchpoint can be so useful. Share a timely story, photo or program update that shows the donor what their support helped make possible, and make that communication specific enough that they can see the connection between their giving and the impact.

You may need help from your program team to find the right story or from finance to understand the budget behind an opportunity. That’s part of the work, too. The goal is to find information that is most meaningful to that particular person.

How do you set a goal and timeline for each donor?

For each priority donor, you want to know what you're hoping to accomplish, when they typically make their giving decisions and what needs to happen between now and then.

Start with their giving history and known circumstances, but don't assume that last year's gift automatically tells you what this year's gift will be. If a donor gave $10,000 last year, that may be a reasonable starting point for your planning, but it isn't a commitment from the donor.

It also helps to pair the financial goal with a relationship goal. You may hope to invite another $5,000, for example, while also trying to understand which part of your program matters most to the donor. That relationship goal can ultimately shape the opportunity you present.

Then work backward from the donor's timing. If someone usually gives in October, you may need a September conversation. If they make their decision in December, you might share an impact update in October, discuss an opportunity in November and make the ask in early December.

This is also where permission-based asking comes in. Rather than assuming a donor wants to receive a proposal, ask if they would be open to receiving information, send it with their permission and agree on when you’ll follow up. That creates a much clearer path for both of you.

What should a year-end donor plan include?

Your year-end donor plan doesn't need to be complicated. It should simply tell you why this donor needs attention, what you're hoping to accomplish, and what you need to do next.

At minimum, record the donor's name, giving history and year-to-date giving, reason for priority, interests and relationship need, year-end gift goal, decision timing, preferred communication, impact update, proposed ask, follow-up, action owner and date, and eventual outcome.

Imagine a donor named Jordan who typically gives $10,000 and has already given $5,000 this year. Jordan cares about youth career preparation and prefers email followed by a scheduled phone call.

You might initially plan to invite another $5,000 gift, but your relationship goal is to learn more about which part of the program matters most to Jordan before deciding exactly what opportunity to present.

The dates are illustrative. The important part is that every action has a reason and a date, and that you are willing to change both when you learn something new.

How do you make sure the plan gets done?

A donor plan sitting in your CRM isn't really a plan until the work makes its way onto your calendar.

If you need a program story, request it early. If you need financial information, talk to finance before you’re up against a deadline. If you want to send personal notes, give yourself enough time to actually write them. And if an important donor conversation requires preparation, protect that preparation time rather than squeezing it into the ten minutes between meetings.

It requires some intentional time to write individual notes to the donors in your portfolio, but that's a useful reminder that meaningful relationship work takes time. Your calendar needs to reflect that.

It’s also worth reviewing your priorities with your manager, particularly if the expected value or timing of gifts has changed. And don't make the mistake of believing every donor needs an in-person meeting. If someone is traveling or overwhelmed in December, a thoughtful phone call or email may be the better way to stay connected.

How should you adjust the plan as year-end approaches?

The donor gets a vote in your plan.

You can decide when you’d like to make the ask, but you don't control when someone gives, whether they give, or what their circumstances will look like in December. So review your plans regularly and change them when the donor gives you new information.

If someone gives early, move into gratitude and reporting back. If they need more time, adjust the timeline. If their circumstances have changed, revisit the goal. And if an expected gift hasn't arrived, check your records before following up so you know you're not asking about something that has already been received.

For a donor who has received information about an opportunity but hasn't responded, I recommend an “echo ask,” essentially a brief reminder of the opportunity with appropriate personal follow-up. Used selectively and with attention to donor preferences, it can reopen a conversation without turning your outreach into a series of automated reminders.

And don't let December 31 become the end of the relationship. Make sure someone is available to answer donor questions during the holidays, thank donors promptly when gifts arrive, and think about what you'll report back in January.

The year-end gift should be one moment in a continuing relationship, not the conclusion of one.

A few questions to ask as you build your plan

Does every donor need a year-end ask?

No. The right next step depends on the donor. For some, it may be an ask; for others, it may be an impact update, a thank-you, or simply a conversation that helps you understand what matters to them now.

What if the donor usually gives before December?

Work backward from their actual giving window. If they typically give in October, the September conversation may be more important than anything you do in December.

What if an expected gift doesn't arrive?

Check your records, then follow up respectfully to learn whether the donor needs assistance or whether their plans have changed. Your projection isn't an obligation for the donor to fulfill.

Start With One Donor

If rebuilding your entire caseload feels overwhelming, don't start there.

Pick one priority donor and look at their giving history, interests, relationship and timing. Decide what you need to learn, what you hope to accomplish and what the next action should be. Then put that action on your calendar.

Once you've done it for one donor, do it for the next. Eventually, you'll have something much more useful than a generic year-end calendar.

And when November and December arrive, you won't be scrambling to figure out what to do. You'll already have a plan, and you'll have built it around the people you're trying to serve.

Want help organizing your fall and year-end fundraising?

Get our free Planning Guide for Fall & Year-End Fundraising for seasonal strategies and printable worksheets to help you organize your next steps.

Or if you’re ready to learn a strategic framework to finish 2026 strong and build a foundation for 2027, our October certification course for major gifts is now open. This self-paced, eight-week cohort covers our proprietary methodology, from Permission-Based Asking™ to the Donor Engagement Plan™, and removes the guesswork from Major Gift fundraising.