The final months of the year are often the most important for fundraising. For many institutions, this period can potentially determine whether they meet their yearly goals.

For educational institutions and nonprofits alike, year-end fundraising is an opportunity to not only raise more but also engage alumni and supporters in meaningful ways. In 2024, Giving Tuesday alone raised $3.6 billion in the US, a 16% increase from 2023’s $3.1 billion.

In this blog, we’ll help you pick out the best campaign strategies for all your year-end giving campaigns. Let’s get started.

Why Year-End Fundraising Campaigns Matter

You know December is the gift-giving season, but it’s also a giving season, plain and simple. In fact, nonprofits receive about 30% of their annual donations in December, with 10% of the total coming in just the last three days of the year. This volume is driven by holiday generosity, tax deadlines, and that final push before the calendar turns.

For schools, colleges, and universities, this time can be especially powerful. Alumni often feel nostalgic and generous during the holidays. When your messages pair real impact stories with easy donation paths, you’re giving donors a chance to be part of something meaningful.

8 Creative Year-End Giving Campaign Ideas

1. Giving Tuesday Kickstart Challenge

For many institutions and nonprofits, Giving Tuesday has become the unofficial kickoff for year-end fundraising. Institutions that treat it as a launchpad rather than a one-off event can potentially build and sustain more momentum throughout December.

Pace University’s 2024 Giving Tuesday campaign brought in 2,674 gifts and $768,822, far exceeding its goals. The university framed Giving Tuesday as the beginning of a season-long campaign, using the energy of that day to drive continued appeals through December.

How to set it up:

• Start early: Announce your Giving Tuesday theme at least two or three weeks in advance to build anticipation.
• Tie it to a December journey: Make it clear that Giving Tuesday is the first milestone in a longer year-end effort, with updates and challenges to come.
• Use momentum wisely: Share the results of Giving Tuesday quickly (for example, “We reached 70% of our goal in one day. Help us cross the finish line by Dec 31!”).

Giving Tuesday already benefits from broad awareness and media attention. Donors expect to see appeals that day, so it’s easier to capture their attention. But the real payoff comes when institutions carry that enthusiasm forward, turning a single day into a multi-week narrative of giving.

💡Use visuals like countdown timers or progress bars to keep the sense of urgency alive beyond Giving Tuesday.

2.Matching Gifts to Multiply Impact

Many donors don’t realize their employers will match their contributions, often doubling or even tripling the donation amount. By highlighting this opportunity, you can inspire donors to give more confidently, knowing their gift will go further.

For example, Blair Academy integrated a matching gift lookup tool and automated follow-up emails into their year-end outreach. This simple addition drove a 32% lift in December matching gifts, with an impressive 68% open rate on emails.

Why it works: This makes it easy for donors to discover their eligibility, and reminding them at the right time can significantly boost year-end revenue.

💡Always remind donors that they can often double their gift in just a few minutes by submitting a matching request through their employer. It’s one of the easiest ways for them to increase their impact without spending extra.

3. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Expands Reach

Peer-to-peer fundraising allows supporters to share your cause with their networks, bringing in donations you might not reach otherwise. Friends and family are more likely to give when the ask comes from someone they trust.

A standout example is Turnstone’s “It Can Be Done” year-end campaign, which raised over $220,000: 360% of their initial goal. Beyond the impressive total, the campaign brought in 34 new donors organically through peer-to-peer channels. This fueled immediate results and built a base of long-term supporters.

How to set it up:

• Recruit champions early: Identify a small group of passionate supporters and equip them with sample messages, graphics, and fundraising tips.
• Set clear, exciting goals: Give your fundraisers a collective target and individual milestones so they feel motivated to contribute.
• Make it personal: Encourage fundraisers to share their personal connection to your cause in their appeals. Authentic stories inspire giving.

Why it works: activating your community as ambassadors during the year-end season can multiply your impact far beyond what your team could accomplish alone.

💡Celebrate and spotlight your peer-to-peer fundraisers publicly, whether through social media shoutouts, leaderboards, or small rewards. Recognition keeps them motivated and inspires others.

4. Year-End Social Media Campaigns

As with any other time of the year, social media plays a pivotal role during the year-end fundraising window too, but success depends on thoughtful, multi-channel engagement rather than isolated posts.

Donors often need 3–5 touchpoints across email, social media, and direct mail to be motivated to give. 55% of people who engage with nonprofits on social media take action (such as donating), indicating strong ROI when social posts are part of a coordinated strategy.

How to set it up:

• Layer touchpoints strategically: Don’t rely on one-off social posts. Weave a story into a broader campaign alongside email, mail, and event-based asks.
• Time your social outreach wisely: Ramp up posts leading into December, with elevated messaging during the final three days when giving peaks.
• Make each touch actionable: Encourage engagement with clear CTAs, such as, “Donate now!” or “Share this impact” or “Match your gift today!” to turn followers into funders.

Why it works: In year-end campaigns, social media works best when it’s part of a well-timed, multi-channel orchestration.

💡Schedule your posts in advance and align them with your email and event calendar. This ensures consistency across channels and frees you up to focus on real-time engagement with donors during the busiest giving days.

5. Student Impact Storytelling Series

At year-end, donors may want to see tangible proof of fundraisers earlier in the year or from last year’s year-end campaign to prove that their support actually changes lives. Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to make that impact real. When donors hear directly from students and families, they connect emotionally and see exactly how their generosity creates opportunities.

A recent example comes from the Aim Higher Foundation, which made storytelling the centerpiece of its fundraising strategy. Through emotionally compelling videos featuring authentic family stories, they drove a 242% increase in fundraising, raising $13 million and expanding scholarships from 400 to 2,550 annually.

How to set it up:

• Feature authentic beneficiaries: Capture real student or family stories that show the direct impact of donor support.
• Make stories the centerpiece: Use videos, quotes, or photos to showcase stories in year-end appeals, events, or social campaigns.
• Tie stories to outcomes: Pair each story with a clear call to action: “Your gift helps another student like Maria attend school.”

Why it works: authentic storytelling transforms fundraising from transactional to relational, showing donors that they’re changing lives.

💡Repurpose stories across channels—turn a long-form video into short clips for social media, pull quotes for emails, and highlight key outcomes in infographics. This maximizes impact while keeping your storytelling fresh and consistent.

6. Recurring Giving Society Launch

Many one-time supporters are inspired during the holidays, making it the perfect moment to convert them into long-term givers. By branding a recurring giving program, you create a sense of belonging to a special community.

A great example comes from Noble and Greenough School, whose branded program, the “Dawg Pack” successfully converted 26 of 121 graduating seniors into recurring donors. Framing recurring giving as membership in a group made participation aspirational, especially for young alumni looking to stay connected.

How to set it up:

• Give it a strong identity: Brand your recurring giving program with a memorable name that builds pride and belonging.
• Start with your most engaged supporters: Target graduating students, loyal donors, or event participants who are already connected to your mission.
• Offer insider benefits: Share exclusive updates, impact reports, merchandise or behind-the-scenes content to make members feel valued.

Why it works: turning seasonal generosity into sustained support ensures predictable revenue and builds a loyal donor community that lasts well beyond December.

💡Test names and perks with a small group before launching your recurring program.

7. Corporate Partnership Challenge

Year-end giving is the perfect moment to spotlight corporate philanthropy and employer-matching opportunities. These programs can double or even triple donor impact, but they’re often overlooked. By highlighting matches in December campaigns, you can significantly boost giving while helping donors feel their support goes further.

For instance, in 2024 Benevity reported $140 million donated through corporate platforms on GivingTuesday alone. Yet, research shows that many donors are still unaware their employers offer matching gifts.

How to set it up:

• Highlight impact multipliers: Use phrasing like “Double your gift today” to clearly show the added value.
• Feature real examples: Share stories of past gifts that were doubled or tripled through employer programs.
• Why it works: Corporate partnerships are one of the biggest untapped levers in year-end fundraising. By educating donors and making matching easy, you multiply both generosity and impact.

💡Make matching gifts impossible to miss: add an employer lookup tool and show donors how their gift can go twice (or three times!) as far.

8. Personalized Appeals

Generic year-end emails often blur together in crowded inboxes. A personalized approach, however, makes donors feel recognized, and that recognition drives action. Campaigns using tailored messaging and donor segmentation see up to a 61% jump in average gift size and a 10% increase in conversion rates.

How to set it up:

• Start by segmenting your donor database into manageable groups: longtime supporters, first-time donors, and lapsed donors.
• Then, tailor your appeals to speak to each group’s motivations. For example, highlight impact milestones for recurring givers, share gratitude and impact stories with new donors, and extend a warm invitation to re-engage with those who haven’t given recently.
• Test and refine: A/B test subject lines, send times, and calls-to-action for each donor segment. With this, you’ll learn what resonates and increase performance throughout the campaign.

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Tips for Running a Successful Year-End Campaign

Plan Early and Strategically

Start preparing your assets, campaign theme, and key messaging by October or November. A strong plan ensures you’re not rushing in December, when donor inboxes and social feeds are crowded and many donors may be on vacation.

Segment your Audience

To give your communication that personalized touch, create specific appeals for first-time donors, monthly givers, and lapsed supporters. Segmented campaigns can boost conversion rates and significantly increase average gifts.

Leverage Multi-Channel Outreach

Combine email, social media, direct mail, text messaging, and even phone calls to reach donors where they are. A consistent message across channels keeps your campaign top of mind.

Track and share progress

Use fundraising thermometers, live updates, or social posts to track how close you are to your goal. Celebrating milestones encourages more donors to join in and push you over the finish line.

Thank Donors Promptly

A quick, heartfelt thank-you message whether by email, phone, or video strengthens relationships and sets the stage for future giving.

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Final Thoughts

Year-end giving is a high-stakes but high-reward period. As you prepare for year-end giving, remember that small changes in your strategy can make a big difference. Use these tips to make donors feel connected and valued, and you’ll set your campaign up for success.

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About the author

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Kiran is an educator and pedagogy enthusiast, passionate about the transformative impact of education, kindness, and creativity on individuals and communities.

As an artist, she brings a unique perspective to her work and is committed to inspiring growth, empathy, and understanding

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