How to Amplify the Impact of the Year-End Giving Campaign?

Ho, ho, ho⁠—the holiday season is quickly approaching. Schools like yours are presented with a powerful opportunity to engage supporters amidst a period of heightened generosity and giving⁠, in which alumni are one of the most essential segments to consider.

And it’s the perfect time to increase your matching gift fundraising efforts, too!

But do you have a plan in place to optimize alumni outreach and make the most of your donation match potential as the end of the year draws near? In this blog post, we’ll demonstrate exactly how you can do so by incorporating these tried-and-true practices:

1. Implement a multi-channel EOY matching gift marketing plan.
2. Craft compelling messaging centered around matching gift impact.
3. Integrate matching gifts directly into your holiday giving experience.
4. Pursue matching gifts from previously made alumni donations.
5. Consider exploring new matching gift partnerships.

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The end-of-year fundraising season is one of the most lucrative times for colleges, universities, and other educational institutions. A well-thought-out strategy for matching gifts can make your efforts go even further as you prepare your team for the coming year.

Let’s dive in!

1. Implement a multichannel EOY matching gift marketing plan.

Matching gifts often go unclaimed due to a lack of awareness on the part of the donors who unknowingly qualify. Therefore, spreading knowledge of the programs is one of the best ways to increase participation⁠—and it’s a good idea to market the opportunity using all of your favorite donor communication channels.

For example, Double the Donation’s matching gift experts recommend:

Sharing ample matching gift information on your school website. Connect with alumni online by providing substantial information regarding matching gifts on your school’s website. This should include a page dedicated to matching gift opportunities, a section on your “Ways to Give” page, and more. And if you have access to a matching gift database tool, add that widget here as well.

Promoting matching gift opportunities on your social media pages. Regularly share materials that highlight the availability and impact of corporate matching gifts on your institution’s social media profiles⁠—and ramp up your content schedule leading up to the end of the year. Direct followers to the matching gift hub on your website for additional information, and encourage them to look into their own employers’ available programming.

Mentioning matching gifts in all alumni email communications. In the coming weeks, you likely have a plan to send alumni newsletters, fundraising appeals, campaign updates, gift acknowledgments, and more to engage supporters in your year-end efforts. Be sure to include valuable mentions of matching gifts in these communications! Not sure where to start? Check out some sample matching gift blurbs you can leverage in your outreach here.

2. Craft compelling messaging focused on matching gift impact.

Alumni already have a significant connection to your cause. They’ve seen firsthand the widespread benefits your institution has on your school community, and that’s why they’re interested in giving back to support your future endeavors.

Ensure you communicate well how matching gift opportunities can produce a tangible impact for your specific fundraising needs. This might include success stories, testimonials, and metrics related to matching gifts.

Consider the following example: “In 2023, our school collected more than $50,000 worth of matching gifts from alumni donors who took the extra step on our behalf. This supplemental funding allowed our team to provide additional scholarships for 10 eager students who are now able to join our school community. One donor shared the following about the experience: ‘I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have my employer DOUBLE my gift to my alma mater. I was feeling generous in the giving season and came to find out that my contribution was able to make an even greater impact for the school I love.’”

3. Integrate matching gifts into your holiday giving experience.

During the holiday season, alumni engagement tends to surge, resulting in significant increases in individual giving. To harness this heightened generosity, incorporating matching gift opportunities directly within the donation process goes a long way.

For instance, once an individual completes their donation through the online form and clicks "submit," they can be redirected to a confirmation page that encourages them to explore matching gift possibilities. This approach facilitates a straightforward way to extend their support for your school while retaining the momentum of the initial giving experience.

Top tip: For donors who opt not to complete their match immediately from the gift confirmation screen, your school can trigger post-transaction reminders (ideally within 24 hours of the initial gift) as well!

4. Pursue matching gifts from previously made alumni donations.

Did you know that the holiday giving season, which coincides with the end of the calendar year, is also an excellent opportunity to re-engage donors from earlier in the year?

Tons of companies require employees to submit their match requests during the year in which the initial gift was made⁠. That means many matching gift submission windows are set to close in the coming weeks⁠—and that a year-end push can be particularly effective!

Not only does this allow you to secure last-minute matching gift funds, but it also empowers supporters to get involved in your year-end campaign without requiring another donation. For example, an alumnus who last gave in January may still qualify to request a match⁠ even if they don’t have the funds to make an additional gift at this time.

5. Consider exploring new matching gift partnerships.

A final way to drive matching gift revenue this giving season involves pursuing relationships with companies that may otherwise not match employee gifts. And that is exploring custom (or “one-off”) matching gift partnerships.

In order to do so, begin by identifying and reaching out to corporations whose values align with your school's mission. It’s great if you have something in common to help get your foot in the door⁠—such as an overlap between your alumni or donors and the company’s employees or even geographic proximity.

Communicate the opportunity to your point of contact at the business, being sure to emphasize the benefits to the company’s employee engagement, public image, and more. Plus, keep in mind that your alumni or other existing donors can be some of your greatest advocates in this process. Encourage supporters to pitch the idea to their employers, facilitate a warm introduction for your institution, or help guide the company through the program development process.

Not to mention, the end-of-year holiday season is an excellent chance to pursue these types of partnerships. After all, it’s not just your donors who tend to experience an elevated giving spirit⁠—their employers may be, too
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As you begin crafting your end-of-year appeals, don’t let corporate matching donations fall by the wayside. Securing matching gifts during the holiday giving season enables your school to make the most of incoming funds, re-engage previous donors, bankroll important initiatives, support your student community, and enhance alumni relations.

By equipping your development team with the right tools to streamline and advance your efforts (such as the Almabase + Double the Donation matching gifts integration), you can do more to pursue corporate matching opportunities while requiring less time and resources.

About the Author

Adam Weinger is the President of Double the Donation, the leading provider of matching gift tools to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. Adam created Double the Donation in order to help nonprofits increase their annual revenue through corporate matching gift and volunteer grant programs.

With the holiday season in full swing, your institution is likely already focusing on how it will connect with alumni as they return home for the holidays.

While you should engage your alumni every day of the year, the holiday season presents a great opportunity to supercharge alumni relationships and foster lasting connections during a time when people are feeling generous. It’s a great time to reach out to graduates and let them know just how valuable they are to the continued success of your college or university.

Whether you reach out with a simple “thank you” or throw a full-blown appreciation event, there are plenty of ways to connect with alumni and bridge the physical distance between them and your school. As you freshen up your alumni engagement strategies for the holiday season, work these ideas into your efforts:

1. Send festive holiday cards.
2. Host a peer-to-peer fundraiser.
3. Engage with them on social media.
4. Send branded gifts.

Your alumni are a valuable part of your institution. Implementing extra appreciation and engagement efforts will inspire them to stick around and establish lifelong connections to your school.

1. Send festive holiday cards

Any alum appreciates knowing their alma mater is thinking of them during this special time of the year. Why not send them a festive eCard or a letter in the mail, thanking them for their continued support for your school?

This is a great way to say thanks for their continued involvement and to wish them happy holidays. Here are a few ways you can create a holiday card that your alumni will love:‍

Feature student or alumni talent: Have someone who’s skilled in graphic design create the card itself. If you go digital with your holiday card, consider having a campus acapella group or musicians sing or play a carol.

Keep it short: Your holiday card doesn’t have to be lengthy to get the point across that you’re thinking about your former students. Keep the card fairly simple, or if you’re sending a video as your holiday greeting, make sure it’s no longer than a couple of minutes.

Add a soft ask to the card: The end of the year is the most charitable time of the year. Include a non-intrusive donation request at the end of your video or card. Add a donation button that links them to the donation page, or provide instructions on how to find your online donation page on your school’s website.

The great thing about holiday cards is that they’re low-cost (especially when you go digital) and they’re sure to make your alumni light up when they hear from you. Make this an annual marketing tactic, and alumni will start to look forward to hearing from you every year.

2. Host a peer-to-peer fundraiser

Alumni giving is used as an indicator of a university’s success. It communicates how invested alumni are in the continued development of the organization.

Colleges and universities among other fundraising organizations recognize the holiday season as one of the best times to push out fundraising appeals to alumni.

‍In fact, Double the Donation’s nonprofit fundraising statistics page indicates that 30% of annual giving happens in December, with about 10% of all annual donations coming in the last three days of the year.

As part of your year-end alumni fundraising strategies, try a peer-to-peer campaign. In this type of campaign, your supporters (in this case, your alumni) set up individual campaign pages, personalizing them with their own images and personal stories that emphasize their experiences at your school. Then, they share the page with their friends and family, encouraging them to donate.

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a fantastic way to connect with alumni and inspire them to donate during a time when they’re feeling extra generous — especially younger alumni who spend a good bit of time online. It helps you reconnect with other alumni who might’ve lost touch with your school. They’ll see their friends actively supporting your school, sparking memories of their alma mater. Not only this, but you’ll reinforce loyalty among those who volunteer to fundraise.

3. Engage with them on social media

You engage with students on social media upon admission all the way through their enrollment at your institution. Those digital connections shouldn’t be severed the moment they graduate. The holiday season is a good time to re-up your social media activities to re-spark those connections.

Social media efforts play a crucial role in your overall reachability, enabling you to reach thousands or even millions of followers instantly when you post. If you’re not careful, your social media efforts might lapse during the holiday season, a crucial time where consistency pays off.

Here are a few ways to connect with your alumni during the holiday season:

Have a consistent posting schedule: Ideally, post a few times a week. If your marketing team will be out of the office, use your marketing tools to automate your posts.

Interact with them: Make the most of social media by leveraging it as a two-way communication system. Like or respond to comments on your posts, or go on a following spree where you follow active alumni members back.

Hold an ugly sweater contest: Bring the festivities into your social media strategies. Create a hashtag, such as #YourSchool’sNameUglySweaterContest2021, and ask alumni to share pictures of them in their ugliest sweaters. Declare your winner and send them a gift (like a branded t-shirt or a stuffed animal of your school’s mascot) as a prize.

People will have some extra free time to relax during the holiday season, so they’re sure to be scrolling through their social media feeds. Capitalize on this time and avoid putting your social media efforts on hold during the holiday season.

4. Send them branded gifts

The end of the year is the perfect time to show your appreciation by sending alumni members gifts. After all, who wouldn’t be excited to get a package in the mail, especially if it’s a free gift from their alma mater?

While sending gifts to every graduate might not fall within your school’s budget, you can send them to those who are active in your alumni program. Your team should be sure to pick the appropriate gift that represents the alumni’s level of involvement, whether that means taking a look at their volunteer hours or donation history. Some branded gifts that will serve as great memorabilia for active members of your alumni network include:

• Custom t-shirts
• Magnets
• Keychains
• Mugs
• Stuffed animals of your school’s mascot

These can easily be branded to your school, and recipients will be reminded of you each time they use their gift. If you want to express appreciation for major donors, you might instead send larger gifts, like food baskets or gift certificates. Either way, get into the spirit of giving this holiday season by sending a token of appreciation to your active supporters.

Whether you’re asking them to get involved in a campaign or extending a thank you to those who stay involved, the end of the year is the perfect time to step up your alumni engagement efforts. Between a boost in your fundraising appeals and gifts, make the most of this upcoming holiday season by investing in alumni engagement. Good luck and happy holidays!

The holiday season is just around the corner. As the festive season brings your alumni home to visit their loved ones, it also presents one of the best opportunities for your institution to connect with your alumni on a deeper level and lay the lego blocks for lifetime relationships.

The festive spirit is high in the air but the 2020 holiday season is one-of-a-kind in its truest essence. The pandemic might have affected several segments of your alumni differently - confining some to work tirelessly from their homes while balancing their social lives, exposing frontline healthcare workers to massive risks, robbing some of their jobs and even near and dear ones due to the virus. At a time like this, it's particularly important for your institution to support your alumni and deliver the highest value.

So, how do you best leverage this holiday season to drive more alumni engagement? After observing hundreds of schools driving success with their alumni network over the years, we've found these top 5 strategies that can help your school, college, or university boost alumni engagement rates this holiday season: 

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1. Conduct Professional Networking Events 

2020 has already set a landmark record for one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States. The alarming numbers projected by the US. Bureau of Labour Logistics is a clear indicator of why your alumni need your support now more than ever. 

With the pandemic resulting in the worst job market since the Great Depression, your younger alumni are at an even larger risk as they lose their on-campus jobs, internships, and are already witnessing dwindling job opportunities.

Amidst all this chaos, professional networking events are one of the surest ways to provide value to your alumni and help them in these dire times of need. Corporate jobs respect recommendations, and applicants actively seek social connections and support. Leverage your existing network and motivate influential alumni to help their peers out in these dire times of need. 

Your alumni network has a wealth of knowledge that your current students and graduates, both can benefit greatly from. Get your community together for webinars, discussion panels, podcasts, workshops, and much more to lead the way towards professional growth for your alumni. 

Here's how Fordham University's Alumni: Help A Ram Today campaign supports Class of 2020 graduates by encouraging alumni to hire these young grads for a full-/part-time job or an internship.

2. Host a Virtual Holiday Party

What are holidays without holiday parties? The landscape this year might look somewhat different due to the pandemic but that shouldn't rob your alumni of the opportunity of connecting with long-lost peers, toast to each other's good health, and ring in the holidays from the comfort of their homes.

A great alternative to continuing with the tradition of hosting holiday parties this year is to do it virtually. Holidays are the perfect time to get your alumni together over a couple of drinks and celebrate over an e-party. A surefire way to grab more alumni attention and drive attendance is to create themes like 80′s retro or a Christmas Character Party. To make it easy for you to manage and even easier for your alumni to participate, host your virtual party over Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or another common video conferencing tool. 

Here’s how Tufts University Foundation celebrated the holiday season virtually with its alumni at its New England Virtual Holiday Party.

3. Raise Funds to Support Your Community 

With the pandemic leading to forced furloughs, students having to drop out of schools, and many small businesses shutting down, your constituents need your support now more than ever. Make the most of the holiday spirit and find ways to fundraise for your community.

Riding high on the giving spirit this holiday season, also urge your community to come in support of your institution’s cause by helping with emergency needs and in bracing the impact of the pandemic. 

Planning your annual holiday drive to raise funds for academic continuity or to support your community are perfect examples of fundraising asks for this year. 

See how Germanna Community College helped support students’ critical needs amidst with $500k in donations during the holiday season of 2020.

4. Send Seasons Greetings E-Cards

A simple gesture such as sending creative e-cards is a great way to express festive greetings, gratitude, and acknowledgment for your alumni network's contribution to your institution. Include this as part of your yearly holiday activity to drive engagement and foster lasting alumni relationships.

The example from the University of Westminister works as the perfect inspiration here. The school rolled out 30-second animated e-cards to wish happy holidays and thank their alumni for their ongoing support. 

5. Leverage Social Media Platforms to the Fullest

Social media is a dominant tool today and has a lot of potential for alumni engagement. Young alumni especially spend considerable time scrolling their feeds daily. 

If your institution has an online presence on these platforms, use them to encourage higher participation. If you’re unsure about where to start, you can consider looping in student volunteers to ramp up your social media presence and start driving engagement with your alumni online. 

Drive more engagement online by conducting live chats, contest giveaways, and posting yearbook pictures to evoke nostalgia and create a buzz amongst your alumni community. You can even encourage alumni to post their 'throwbacks' with the right hashtags and repost them on your channels. 

Ugly sweater contests have also become a yearly trend, with universities and other schools creating innovative rules and giveaways to attract greater participation. Take cues from Boston University's Annual Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest to create one for your community this holiday season.

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Make the Most of This Holiday Season 

With the holidays arriving soon, there are many opportunities to express unconditional support and boost alumni relations and engagement. 

Your alumni are your family and the holidays are the perfect time of the year to showcase solidarity. 

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