A Holiday Fundraising Campaign to Remember

With 2020 right around the corner, here are a few ideas that can help boost your program’s end of year fundraising.

1. Implement a thank you campaign

Stewardship is key to keeping donors engaged. Segment your donors and thank them via e-mail, text, or hand written note! The use of photos, videos, and impact reports can help demonstrate the impact their donation made to kids and families at their local CMN Hospital. A “thank you” can go a long way!

2. Segment your audience

Avoid sending a generic message to “everyone”  involved in Dance Marathon. No matter their level of involvement, returning participant, team captains, or donors, customizing your messages can make a much more powerful impact. Make them relevant and/or personal as it relates to each audience. This is a great way to engage individuals and to continue to build their support of you and your program!

3. If you don’t ask, you will never know

Don’t forget to ask donors to donate. It is easy to focus on talking about the organization and what the money supports – but don’t forget to throw in a personal ask at the end. People love to support a great cause, but they don’t have the opportunity unless you ask. Even if you receive a “no” you were still able to spread awareness and maybe spark a future conversation about why children’s hospitals need donations.

Now, as you start to think about your end-of-year campaigns, begin by thinking about your audience. With most traveling for the holidays, utilizing social media may be one of your greatest options. Highlight on things such as your miracle kids’ plans for the holidays, shoutout participants by posting their photos in your Dance Marathon merchandise, or feature nearby partners that your program is locally supported by. This is also an opportunity for you to encourage your participants to focus on their hometown and fundraising while they are able to talk to potential donors in person.

There are also many ideas that current programs have previously implemented or are getting ready to kick off. Many programs have found that their Instagram story is a great way to engage their participants. Remember to keep it simple on social media stories, such as providing a few tips of how to fundraise in their hometown.

Looking for a few more creative ideas? Check out DonorDrive’s 5 unique ideas for implementing your end-of-year fundraising campaigns.

Program Examples: 

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville Dance Marathon is doing “12 Days of Giving” during the 12 day span between finals and Christmas. Each day they will be trying to raise a certain amount of money in comparison to the day. On Day 1 they will be trying to collect a $1 donation, Day 2 a $2 donation, and so on. In just 12 days, each individual that is able to complete this challenge will have raised at least $78! Tune in to their social media to see this campaign take off!

The University of Northern Iowa has focused on their “25 Days of DM” campaign. For the first 25 days of December, a new challenge is released. They are able to keep participants coming back each day by posting something new and creative for them to do – a registration push, fundraising push, or even to post photos in Dance Marathon apparel.