I’ve got good news for you, friend. The “summer fundraising slump” has more to do with donor conditioning than it does with a lack of generosity!

Your donors anticipate a year-end fundraising appeal. They expect a spring fundraiser. But if you’ve never asked for a gift in the summer (and presented a strong reason for support), why would they send in a gift now?

It’s not that donors STOP being generous in the warmer months. They’re simply not accustomed to being ASKED!

Summer Fundraising Strategies: the Two Best (Easy) Ways

You can avoid the dreaded summer fundraising slump by taking one of two approaches:

  1. You can run an appreciation & cultivation campaign
  2. You can implement a strategic fundraising campaign that centers around an "offer"

If you have the time and bandwidth (and want to maximize income), I’d want you to run both a cultivation and fundraising campaign, respectively. You would start by showering your donors with love and appreciation (cultivation) and follow up a few weeks later with an "ask."

However, I know most non-profits are lean. You work HARD, and you fill a variety of roles, besides your job as a fundraiser. That's why I recommend choosing one of the two approaches. Here's how to know which approach is right for you:

  • Do you thank your donors often? Do they know specifically HOW their gift has made a difference? If so, head into a fundraising campaign.
  • If you can’t remember the last time you connected with your donors and made them feel valued, cultivation is the route you need to take.

Fundraise Without Asking by Focusing on Donor Love

You have a unique portfolio of donors. You know WHY your donors give to you. You know what campaigns they’ve donated to and what gets them excited.

Donor passions and preferences will shape how you engage with your supporters and express love. (You can learn more about trust-based donor relationships in this short article).

3 Scaleable, Donor Love Strategies

You have a huge heart. But your heart isn't big enough - and your day isn't long enough - for you to pour into EVERY donor on your list. It's critical you prioritize who receives your attention and how much of it they get.

Here's how you can lovingly engage with each donor based on their giving history:

  • Call your major donors to say THANK YOU. It’s as simple and sweet as that. If no one picks up, be sure to leave a voicemail. Never waste a phone call! And don’t sweat the details. They won’t remember the specifics of what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel.
  • To thank mid-level donors, use volunteers. Again, I would recommend phone calls. In my experience, only 2 of every 10 people I call actually pick up their phone. So phone calls can be done at scale. It’s critical that you select volunteers who can communicate with warmth. It’s all about tonality when it comes to the telephone.
  • Because smaller donations tend to be more numerous, you can broadcast donor love through SMS or email. I’d recommend sending a thank you video from your executive director (ED) via one or both of these channels.

Here are a few ways to ensure your donor campaign runs smoothly:

Review your donor’s giving history prior to your phone call. This is especially important for your major donors. You need to make sure you’re up to date on any recent changes in their life or notes you’ve left previously in their file. You want to engage with them like you would a close friend. Data will empower you to do this.

Before volunteers make thank-you phone calls, it's important that you prep them with the information they need. I find it helpful to role-play with my volunteers. I like to remind them that donor “awkwardness” is not a cause for concern. Most donors are not used to being thanked!

Lastly, I'd like to address the thank you video for your lower-level donors. Ask the Executive Director to pretend he is talking to his mom. Ask your ED to talk directly to the camera. He needs to pretend he is talking to ONE person. And for the love of God, do not allow your ED to create a thank you video that feels like it is for everyone.

The thank you video must feel like it's from one person to one person.

Most research on charitable giving cites women as being more generous than men. They’re reported to give more per average gift than their male counterparts. Women tend to dictate giving decisions within households. Bearing this in mind, it’s appropriate and preferable to use warm, relational language when writing a sample script for your ED to use in the filming of his selfie-style thank-you video.

Ideas for Fundraising in the Summer by Creating a Persuasive Offer

A fundraising offer is a promise you make to your donor about what their gift will do.

An effective fundraising offer includes 2 main components: a donor-sized problem and a donor-sized solution.

What is a donor-sized problem?

And why is a donor-sized important to the success of a fundraising offer?

Your donor knows that their gift of $10 won’t solve world hunger.

They know their $1,000 gift can’t solve the fentanyl crisis.

You must present the donor will a problem their gift can solve. For example, ask them to feed one child for $10. You can ask them to cover the cost of one day in a rehab facility for an addict. Steven Screen from the Better Fundraising Co. calls this the “donor-sized hole.”

Every successful fundraising offer includes a “donor-sized hole” that explains what the need is – and how the donor’s gift will perfectly solve that need.

A good fundraising offer also has the following characteristics: it’s measurable, specific, and time-bound. The donor must see themselves in the solution and know exactly how much money is needed to solve the problem. The problem can’t be too large or too murky. Clarity is your best friend.

How to Quickly Create a Compelling Fundraising Offer

Here’s an example of a great fundraising offer: Your gift of $15 will clothe and feed an orphaned child in Africa for one month.

Let’s pick this offer apart to determine exactly why it’s compelling.

  • Is the problem or need clear? Yes. An orphaned child needs food and clothing.
  • Is the solution clear? Yes. The donor’s gift of $15 dollars will feed and clothe an orphaned child.
  • Is it time bound? Yes. The donor knows how long their gift will make an impact. They know their $15 won’t feed and clothe an orphan FOREVER. The donor knows that to help a child for more than one month, they must give more than $15. I discuss how to make giving ask strings and/or dynamic ask strings here.

3 steps to launching a successful giving campaign quickly (and at scale)

  1. Donor segmentation: categorize your donors based on their giving levels. Most organizations separate their supporters into major, mid-level, and low-level donors. You could consider creating a fourth segment for recurring donors. If you do this, be sure to identify recurring givers whose cumulative annual giving reaches your major donor threshold. Treat these recurring givers as major donors.
  2. Create a direct mail appeal and email appeal that centers around your offer. Tell open-ended stories of need that illustrate the need. Everything you write must point towards a clear need and clear (donor-sized) solution. Repetition engenders trust. So even though you’ll be sick of thinking and hearing about your offer, repetition is key to results.
  3. Personalization and customization are important. Your appeal should be customized for each donor segment! Placing the donor at the CENTER of your messaging is critical. You will want to make small variations in your copy based on who is receiving your appeal. If there’s any way to add a human component to your major donor letters (like a handwritten message on the outside of the envelope), do it! This small bit of donor TLC will pay off in dividends.

You have the power to transform the summer fundraising slump into a time of donor love, connection, and growth. It all comes down to your capacity to reach out to your supporters and donors and inspire generosity.

I realize I’ve presented you with a 30,000-foot overview.

There’s so much nuance and variation to fundraising initiatives based on your team, organization, and donors.

Would you drop me a comment below with any questions you have and where I can find you on social media? I would love to fill in any gaps and assist you in any way I can.

Cheering you on!