One need only say "end of year giving" to hear nonprofits start to groan. Their hearts beat faster. Their palms begin to sweat.
Many organizations rely on large gifts coming in at year's end to help round out their program budget. It's an uncomfortable situation to be in. It feels vulnerable and uncertain. And now, it's even worse.
With the current economic downturn, nonprofits are more worried than ever about their end of year gifts. The truth is, despite my optimism, they are right to worry. Large donors don't need to dump thousands of stock shares so they can take a loss and ease their tax burden. The market has done that for them. End of year gifts very well may suffer.
There is cause for concern. But there is no reason to suffer. At the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits Conference, Katya Andresen touched on some ways to ease the pain. She suggested that nonprofits begin to ask donors to commit to automatic monthly donation. And she's right. (Not a big surprise.)
Monthly gifts ease the burden of big end of year donations. They make it easier to give and they lighten the impact on the family's budget. They do something else, too. They give your organization a steady stream of predictable income. Monthly gifts help you to get out of the "end of year" slump and into a healthy cash flow for your programs. They help you advance your mission. They help you help more people better. Tell your donors this. Help them see the benefits of automatic monthly gifts and you'll start to feel your heartrate go down, your palms dry up, and your stress levels plummet.
Need some help talking to your donors about monthly gifts? Turnbull Marketing Group can help. Contact us to learn how we can help you write a standout fundraising letter or produce an eye-catching brochure.
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