The Year-End (Holiday) Fundraising Secrets Nobody Uses

Tom Iselin
Dec 2, 2025
6 min read

Updated: Dec 10, 2025

The Year-End (Holiday) Fundraising Secrets Nobody Uses

The “Notify First” Trick

There’s one move that can turn your ho-hum year-end appeal into a home run: notify first!

Before you send a single email or stuff a single envelope, reach out to donors—by phone or email—and announce your campaign is coming.

This one act can boost your response rate up to five times higher. If you actually reach a donor and they feel connected to your cause, half of them will give. Do it well, and that number can soar 70%. Incredible.

But skip the notification and rely only on a generic appeal letter or email? Expect a limp response rate of just 1–3%. Maybe 5% if you’re lucky. (It’s like brewing coffee without heating the water—you’ll still get something brown, but nobody’s drinking it.)

Why Notification Works

When you call first, you’re doing two things: making it personal and creating anticipation. You’re saying, “Hey, watch for something from me soon.” That simple pre-touch makes donors more likely to respond because it sets a social cue. People rarely ignore someone who took the time to reach out personally—especially when it’s for something they care about.

Stack the Odds in Your Favor

If your appeal involves a letter, turn it into a little piece of theater:

· Outside the envelope: Write “Open Me! Tom and Sara” in blue ink.

· Inside: Add a personal line, “So glad to hear your kids are home for the holidays.”

· Response card: Circle a suggested amount and jot, “Thank you for making a difference!”

These micro-touches humanize your message and double your chances of it landing in a pile marked “To Do” instead of “To Recycle.”

Who Should Make the Calls?

If you’re thinking, We have 2,000 donors—we’ll never get this done, relax. Segment your donor lists. Call your top 200 donors and send a short, upbeat email to everyone else. But the more calls you make, and the more people you have to make calls, the better . . . play the odds, but quality always trumps quantity.

Board members are perfect for this task. They don’t have to make a financial ask, just announce the campaign. It’s a light lift and feels good. You can even make it fun: Host a “Call Night” during a board meeting, serve dinner, play some holiday music, and keep it casual.

If you want to loosen up the nerves, have a “practice round” where everyone calls two fellow callers for practice before reaching out to donors. Provide simple scripts. Just two calls in, they’ll be ready to charm donors like pros. (And if someone still panics at the thought of calling? Hand them cocoa, not a phone.)

What to Say

If a donor answers, stay upbeat and warm. Let them know how much their on-going support means to the mission (and you). Then briefly let them know that you’re kicking off (or in the middle of) a year-end campaign, or any campaign, and that they’ll soon get a letter in the mail, or an email, with all the details.

Sometimes they’ll offer to give right then. Perfect. Point them to your website, say you’ll send a link, or take a pledge on the spot. If they make a verbal pledge, gladly accept it and say someone will follow up with a call or email to process it.

If the donor doesn’t answer the call, leave a voicemail. A short, friendly message works nearly as well as a live conversation. The magic is in the notification, not the two-way chat.

The Second Call That Seals the Deal

Near the end of your campaign—say December 22–28—call your biggest donors again if they haven’t given yet.

Update them on progress (“We’re just $10,000 from our goal!”), and remind them how their gift would help the kids, veterans, or families you serve and help close out the goal. This last burst can tip your campaign over the finish line.

When You Go Digital

If your notifications are by email, send a “heads-up” message first, then send campaign updates with clever calls to action every five days until year’s end.

Each email should have:

A friendly greeting and quick thank-you.
A line saying they’ll soon get your year-end appeal (only the first email).
A heartfelt reason to give (keep it human, not corporate).
One close-up photo showing emotion and impact.
A callout that you’re close to closing out the goal (use this in the ladder emails).
A callout that you now have a match (use this in the ladder emails to increase enticement).

Keep each email short! Seriously—no more than four sentences. Maybe five if you’re feeling rebellious. People read short fundraising emails 73 percent more than long ones.

Already Started? Still Works.

Even if your campaign is already rolling, adding a notification—by call or email—still boosts results. It’s never too late to warm up the connection before the ask.

One Cleanup Rule

Once a donor gives, remove them from your call and email lists immediately. Nothing says “robot fundraiser” like asking someone for money after they’ve already given—and it’s tacky.

Phone Script Example

1. Hi, [Donor’s first name]!

2. <If they don’t answer, start with:> “Sorry I missed you . . .”

3. “My name is [Your Name], and I serve on the board of ACME Nonprofit. I’m calling to thank you for being such an amazing volunteer and loyal supporter for the last nine years.

4. You’re probably thinking I’m calling to ask for money (chuckle) . . . but I’m not.

5. I am, however, calling to announce that we will be launching our year-end campaign in a few days, so you can expect a letter in your mailbox that will be asking for a gift (chuckle again).

6. And before I jump off the line, I want you to know that we’ll serve more than 4,000 children in need next year, and our waitlist is at an all-time high—250 kids. You can read more about what we plan to do to serve these children in the letter you’ll be receiving in a few days.

7. So, keep an eye out for the letter . . . and thank you again for being a loyal supporter. The children in Dane County would not have access to a program like ours without people like you. Thank you!”

Warm, short, and hopeful. No pressure. Just connection.

The Bottom Line

Want better results this December? Notify before you ask!

A quick phone call or short email announcing your appeal can be the difference between “a decent campaign” and “our best ever.” This all sounds simple, but it's one of the best end-of-year and holiday fundraising secrets that has helped me raising millions!

Donors respond when they feel seen. Therefore, before you hit send or lick that envelope, pick up the phone and call your donors. It’s one of the simplest and most effective tactics in fundraising—and one of the most ignored. Heck, who knows? You might even enjoy it! Stranger things have happened in December.

Tom Iselin

Rated One of America’s Best Board Retreat

and Strategic Planning Facilitators

About the Author

Tom Iselin is recognized as one of America’s leading authorities on high-performance nonprofits. He has built nine sector-leading nonprofits and two software companies, written six books, sits on multiple boards, and has been rated one of America’s Best Board Retreat and Strategic Planning Facilitators. His work on nonprofit strategy, board leadership, and culture has been featured on CNN, Nightline, and in Newsweek.

Tom is the president of First Things First, a firm specializing in board retreats, strategic planning services, fundraising strategy, and executive coaching for nonprofit CEOs.

Board Retreats & Strategic Planning

If you’re looking for a board retreat facilitator or strategic planning facilitator who has been in the trenches and understands real-world nonprofit challenges, Tom can help your board gain clarity, build alignment, and create an actionable plan that improves performance and impact. His sessions propel organizations to the next level of performance and impact . . . and they're fun!

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