I know there are people who relish the summer. Loading it with expectations of all manner of possibilities. They get a sinking feeling as sunsets start earlier in the evening and the air begins to turn crisp. But not me.

I do love the warmth and the sunshine and the family and friends that come and go from our pool in the summer. I also LOVE when it’s time to pull on a sweater (HT SNL) and start wearing socks! I queue up September by Earth, Wind & Fire, and start dancing.

As a fundraiser, September 21 also means the Calendar Q4 is coming fast. It’s the time when a lot of donors give in support of your mission.

Are you ready? If not, you can still get there!

• Donors that use stock: get an email or letter out with your organization’s Stockbroker information. Be sure to also include your DTC number. Something like, “Samira, I know that you’ve typically supported ORG’s mission to XYZ through transferring stock. I am getting this information to you so it’s easy to find this year:”
• Donors that use DAFs or Community Foundations to direct their giving: Keep in mind the average DAF has a balance of $165k. At the close of 2022, the last year we have a report for at this writing, $176.73 billion sat as assets under management but not yet directed to non-profit work. So start by thinking through how you want to ask the donor to give. Is there a reason for a bold request to double their support? Does the donor meet as a family to make decisions? Have you asked when they want to hear from you so they have a proposal in hand in time? It’s not too late if you do this now.
• Alert donors that increasing volume means many stock brokers and DAF advisors need more time to process transactions on their end if a December 31 deadline is important to the donor or to the organization.
• Are you clear on your donor’s passions and interests? If not, get a check-in call set to learn more about what matters most. It’s a great time to discuss what they want to support and have you follow up with a proposal that they helped you craft.
• Do you rely heavily on Renewal Letters or Giving Group Annual Letters? If so, you can still get ahead of that curve. Set up a phone, Zoom, or in person meeting. Ideally, as you get better connected to your donors, those tools fall into the background as a fail safe if you don’t make a connection.

Let’s face it. The span from September 21 to December 22 (the start of winter!) is not long. But it is critical.

If you’re feeling behind, focus on five donors a week for the next six weeks. That will ensure you’ve got solid plans for your Tier A, and likely all your Tier B, donors that give in this time frame.

Then you can sit back at the end of October with a pumpkin spice latte and begin planning the final touch points and asks for 2024.

Diana

Diana Frazier is a Senior Client Experience Leader at Veritus Group. With over 32 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Diana has helped organizations meet strategic objectives through fund and product development, marketing, and operations management. She has worked on staff or as a consultant in a wide range of non-profits including print and media organizations, missions, higher education, health, crisis counseling, and churches.