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Check out these effective year-end appeal ideas for your end-of-year fundraising campaign!

10 Amazing (and Easy!) Year-End Appeal Ideas for Nonprofits

BONUS: Download these fundraising letters + 16 bonus templates for free! Feel free to modify them however you'd like for your fundraising appeals!

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Soliciting donations for your year-end campaign? Your nonprofit has got a lot to think about.

From segmenting your mailing list to coming up with the perfect ask amount, the year-end appeal requires thorough planning, smart strategy, and a healthy dose of creativity, too. Luckily, we’re here to take some of the hard work off your shoulders by equipping you with 10 year-end appeal ideas you can use at your nonprofit today:

Year-end appeal letters
Year-end appeal emails
Year-end crowdfunding campaigns
Year-end appeal postcards
Year-end appeal videos
Year-end website appeals
Year-end appeal donation forms
Year-end phone call appeals
Year-end social media appeals
Year-end matching gift appeals

We won’t just show you why each idea works; we’ll also talk you through some tips for making these end-of-year appeals your own and pulling them off without a hitch.

The year-end giving season is a crucial time for nonprofits, so let’s put pen to paper and start writing our appeals!

1. Year-End Appeal Letters

The most classic fundraising appeal out there, a direct mail donation request letter is a time-tested solicitation method that really works.

Why has this fundraising channel stayed relevant for so long? In a highly digital world, direct mail appeals offer a tangible reminder of your nonprofit’s mission, delivered straight to your donors’ doorsteps. By soliciting through direct mail, you can reach your supporters in a more personal way and bring in surefire donations, too.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to spice up the classic year-end appeal letter for even greater fundraising results:

Stand out from the crowd. Your donors are likely shuffling through piles of mail every day, from bills to junk mail to holiday cards. You can make your direct mailing shine by using a brightly colored envelope with a branded return label and heavy, high-quality paper.
Take creative liberties. Who said your direct mail appeal letter has to be boring? While the traditional letter format will never go out of style, you can also switch it up by adding vibrant photos or an infographic displaying relevant statistics. Just be sure your recipients can easily follow along without getting lost!
Integrate online giving. Many donors will reply to your appeal letter with a check, but a number of supporters will recognize the convenience of giving online. In your letter, include the URL of your online giving form, your text-to-donate phone number, or a QR code that links to a mobile-friendly donation page.

No matter what, make sure you’re tracking your direct mail shipments and responses in an effective way. We suggest working with nonprofit software that integrates your marketing efforts with your fundraising and donor management tools. That way, you can monitor which donors have already made their year-end gifts through mail or an online channel.

2. Year-End Appeal Emails

Easy, cost-effective, and universal, the email appeal has earned its place as a staple of year-end fundraising. And it’s no surprise! Almost every one of your nonprofit’s constituents checks their email on a daily basis, and with so many different types of marketing software to facilitate these communications, creating and sending an email blast is a breeze.

Of course, when this fundraising strategy is so easy to execute, your nonprofit should keep in mind that virtually every other organization will be employing this tactic, too. To ensure your email appeals don’t get lost in your donors’ inboxes, follow these foolproof tips:

Segment your list. Make your emails as specific as possible by crafting separate content for different subsets of your donor database. You can segment based on supporter type (donor, volunteer, member), gift level (major, mid-sized), donor status (active, prospective, lapsed), or any other criteria.
Make it personal. No donor wants to feel like just another email address on a mailing list! You can personalize your batch emails by adding first names and referencing previous involvement or giving history.
Keep mobile users in mind. Donors are busy, especially during the end-of-year season, so make sure they can read your email appeals on the go. Using a responsive email tool will take care of most of this step for you, but you can do your part by limiting large images and sticking to short paragraphs in your emails.

After sending your initial email appeal letter, track recipients’ open and click-through rates to see if they’re following through on their donations. If not, send out another email following up.

Hint: you can make the process easier by creating templates for all of the different emails you need to send using an email management system, like the Fundly CRM feature pictured below.

Because email is so inexpensive, you won’t have to worry about wasting money sending multiple attempts.

3. Year-End Crowdfunding Campaigns

Here at Fundly, we’re all about a well-executed crowdfunding campaign. So why not add this game-changing fundraising tactic to your year-end strategy as well?

You can encourage your supporters to make a contribution to a special year-end crowdfunding campaign to support a specific fundraising initiative or your nonprofit’s general operational expenses.

Either way, keep these crowdfunding best practices in mind for this year-end appeal idea:

Show your story. Add high-quality photos and short videos that illustrate the impact you have on your cause. When you can evoke a personal connection from supporters, they’ll be much more likely to share your fundraiser with their online networks, meaning more donations for your year-end campaign.
Provide frequent updates. Your donors are invested in your fundraising progress. By posting updates on your crowdfunding campaign page during and even after your year-end fundraiser, you’ll show donors that you’re a good steward of their funds and that you’re still actively dedicated to your mission.
Offer giving levels. Let donors know exactly what their gift will do for your organization by setting donation levels that correspond to a tangible result (e.g., $50 equals 10 meals for the hungry). These presets may even encourage supporters to give just a little bit more than they originally planned.

Want an example to follow as you embark on your own year-end fundraiser? Check out how the nonprofit A Hand for Honduras used a crowdfunding campaign for their end-of-year appeal!

With photos, giving levels, and consistent updates, it’s no surprise that they exceeded their $1000 goal with plenty of time to spare.

4. Year-End Appeal Postcards

A twist on the direct mail appeal, a year-end postcard can be a great year-end appeal option on its own or as a supplement to other appeal strategies.

The primary difference between a postcard appeal and other appeals is that the postcard is a primarily visual medium.

Sure, your letter and email appeals should include a photo or two, but ultimately, those channels depend on text to get the message across. The postcard follows the inverse approach: text matters, but the effectiveness of this tool lives and dies by its visual impact.

Here are a few ways to pack as much punch as possible within your pint-sized postcard appeal:

Start with the right software. You’ll need marketing and fundraising software that enables you to create custom, professional-quality postcards and then track their effectiveness. With some software, you can even add tracking codes to your postcards to see which appeals turn into mailed-in or online donations.
Send your card early. If your supporters donate to multiple organizations, their mailboxes might be crammed with year-end postcards come December. Get ahead of the curve by sending your appeal in November (try a Thanksgiving or Giving Tuesday theme if you’re feeling creative).
Use your postcard as a preview or follow-up to your appeal. Postcards work well on their own, but you can amp up their effectiveness by using them in conjunction with your direct mail or email appeals. Consider using them as a “save the date” for your upcoming campaign start date or as a thank-you note.

Remember: postcards are small, and you won’t have an excess amount of space to get your point across. Instead of stuffing each inch of the card with text, focus on creating a clean, well-branded design. You can always direct donors to an email, your website, or your crowdfunding campaign page for more detailed information on your year-end fundraising efforts.

5. Year-End Appeal Videos

Take an out-of-the-box approach to your year-end appeal strategy by filming a video!

Whether silly or serious, year-end campaign videos allow your nonprofit to add another dimension to the traditional holiday appeal, resulting in a deeper donor-nonprofit connection and more funds for your nonprofit.

You can capitalize on the power of video by following our expert advice:

Keep it short and sweet. You’re creating a campaign promotional video, not a feature-length film! Keep your video under 4 minutes long and as fast-paced as possible. That way, viewers will stay engaged with the content all the way through.
Use editing software to your advantage. You don’t have to film an Oscar-worthy masterpiece in one take! Free video editing software like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker is easy to learn, so your staff can cut out any mistakes, add background music, and even implement more sophisticated editing techniques.
Put your video out there. Make sure everyone sees your campaign video by uploading it to YouTube or Vimeo and sharing it in emails, on social media, and on your website or crowdfunding page. Encourage your supporters to share the video with their networks, too, for maximum reach.

Remember that crowdfunding campaigns with videos raise 105% more than those without, so this strategy is sure to have a similar effect on your year-end fundraising efforts.

Take a look at how The Chicago Botanic Garden used a video to educate viewers about their nonprofit’s programs and inspire supporters to make a gift to their year-end campaign:

No matter what, make sure you use your video to encourage year-end gifts by including information on how donors can make their contribution. Adding the URL for your online donation form or your nonprofit’s mailing address in the final shot of the video can do the trick!

Check out even more nonprofit year-end video appeals by reading this post from Salsa!

6. Year-End Website Appeals

Your nonprofit website serves all kinds of purposes, including driving visitors to donate to your year-end campaign.

You can leverage web design best practices throughout your site to promote year-end giving. Consider giving your nonprofit site a refresher leading up to the end-of-year season! For instance, you can:

Create a dedicated year-end giving page. A hub for all things related to year-end fundraising, this page can include a link to your end-of-year donation form as well as your campaign video, information on your cause, and photos to showcase the work you’ve already done.
Lead visitors to your donation form in your navigation. Whether you’re using a dedicated year-end online giving form or not, you should always include a prominent link to your donation form within your website’s top navigation bar. Don’t forget to place this button on every page of your site!
Place calls-to-action on your homepage. Captivate prospective donors from the second they land on your site. Invite visitors to participate in your year-end campaign by including graphics and a donation button on your landing page. You can either link out to a separate year-end giving page or include a truncated version of your annual appeal right on the homepage.

Since your website is the most comprehensive source of information on your nonprofit, it’s important that you update your site to reflect your most recent fundraising efforts, including your year-end campaign.

Don’t let site visitors leave without understanding what your year-end fundraising goals are, and make sure they’re aware of how they can contribute, too!

Habitat for Humanity’s website homepage, pictured above, does a great job of inspiring a variety of contributions, from donations to volunteer work and more.

7. Year-End Appeal Donation Forms

Speaking of contributing, you can combine your fundraising appeal with your online donation form as a way of promoting and accepting year-end gifts all at the same time.

By creating a unique donation form that’s associated with your end-of-year fundraising campaign, you’ll be able to present a clear vision of what your organization is hoping to accomplish. You can set up specific giving levels that correspond to your campaign objectives, use distinctive branding, and make it easier to track year-end donations against general gifts.

When setting up your donation forms, make sure you’re sticking to these best practices:

Use integrated software to build your forms. When your form-builder connects to your website, CRM, and other nonprofit software, you’ll be able to seamlessly collect donor data and store it for later use. Plus, you’ll have a much easier time making sure your forms match the rest of your website.
Keep your donation form short. Much like the appeal itself, your year-end donation form should only include the most necessary information. Keep required fields to a minimum, and limit excessive design elements that don’t add value. (This will also help with mobile optimization!)
Encourage recurring giving. Your donors’ year-end gifts don’t have to be a one-time occurrence. Instead, push supporters toward a monthly or yearly donation by allowing them to opt in to recurring giving on your donation form. You can even include a brief blurb explaining why recurring donations are crucial to your organization’s efforts.

By optimizing your year-end donation form, you’ll put all of your hard work crafting appeals to good use. After all, what good is even the most creative year-end appeal idea if it doesn’t result in a donation?

8. Year-End Appeal Phone Calls

You might think a fundraising phone call is old fashioned, but we beg to differ. A phone appeal can work wonders for your year-end campaign by allowing you to reach out to donors in a personal, one-on-one way.

However, phone calls are not always the most efficient year-end fundraising idea if you don’t know how to go about them. Don’t worry! Just stick to our proven tips:

Target high-level donors first. Your major donors and other high-quality prospects are great candidates for a phone call appeal, since they’ve already demonstrated a devotion to your cause and likely have established relationships with some of your team. For this call, you’ll want a high-ranking member of your staff or a board member to pick up the phone.
Follow up on your first appeal. You may not be able to call every donor on your list, but you might be able to call those who haven’t yet donated after one (or even two) initial appeal attempts. Have your staff or experienced volunteers give these donors a ring to remind them about your year-end efforts and ask for a pledge or donation over the phone.
Try a phone-a-thon. If you’ve got plenty of volunteers on hand, divide your donor list and get to work on a year-end phone-a-thon! Not only can you call existing supporters, but you can make lists of prospects to call, too. Be sure you provide volunteer callers with a tested script and plenty of talking points about your year-end campaign.

No matter how you conduct phone calls, make sure you have plenty of options for how donors follow through on their gift. You can accept donations over the phone via credit card, but some donors won’t feel comfortable giving out their credit card information over the phone. If that’s the case, stay on the phone as a donor makes an online gift or provide them with your text-to-give information so they can quickly get their donation processed.

When you show a donor or prospect that you value them enough to speak with them individually, you’ll remind them that their support is vital to your mission. You might be surprised how much your phone call recipients are willing to give after having a conversation with you about the importance of their contribution!

9. Year-End Social Media Appeals

You probably won’t employ social media appeals as your only method of year-end fundraising, but when you pair this powerful solicitation technique with other channels, you’re sure to see results.

The parameters of your social media appeals will depend on the platform you’re using, but in general, these year-end appeals will be short and to-the-point. The point of these posts should be to increase online awareness of your year-end campaign (and of course, your nonprofit’s mission) so that you can reach new donors and maximize your fundraising potential.

Follow these suggestions for best-in-class social media appeals:

Post your appeal on the right channel. If your donors spend every second on LinkedIn, don’t waste your time crafting the perfect Instagram appeal! While there’s a benefit to posting on any as many sites as possible, you’ll see better results honing appeals that are tailored to the social platforms your supporters actually use.
Always include a link. Most likely, you’ll be linking to your year-end giving form, but you might also send users to a piece of educational content, a recent news article, or another relevant page on your site. Regardless, the best way to make the most of a tight word limit is to include a link that provides more information or inspires action (i.e., a donation!).
Be as visual as possible. Unlike email or direct mail appeals, users probably won’t invest much time reading over your social media appeals. To make these bite-sized messages count, include visual elements that are sure to catch donors’ attention and encourage them to share on their own feeds, too.

And if you’re hosting a year-end crowdfunding campaign, look for a platform with built-in social sharing features to make social media appeals easier than ever. Check out these top crowdfunding websites to get started!

With social media on your side, you should have no problem getting the word out about your year-end fundraiser. And the more people that see your year-end appeals, the more donations you’ll receive!

10. Year-End Matching Gift Appeals

If your nonprofit hasn’t taken advantage of matching gift programs before, the year-end season is the perfect time!

Why? As you may know, matching gift programs allow businesses to double employees’ contributions to eligible nonprofits—as long as those employees submit the required paperwork before the deadline, that is.

For many companies with matching gift programs, that deadline falls at the end of the calendar year, meaning your year-end appeal can be a great opportunity to give your match-eligible donors one more push toward filing their matching gift submissions.

Here are a few things your nonprofit can do to seamlessly include matching gift appeals in your year-end strategy:

Keep track of your donors’ employer information year-round. When you know where your donors work, you’ll be able to pinpoint their matching gift program criteria and only send the donor the most relevant information. You can add employer fields within your CRM or make use of an end-to-end matching gift system for comprehensive management features.
Add matching gift information to your year-end gift follow-ups. After a donor has made their end-of-year gift, follow up by adding a matching gift appeal to your confirmation and thank-you messages. Let donors know that they can effortlessly stretch their impact by simply filling out some paperwork.
Place a matching gift search tool on your donation form. Add a matching gift appeal to your donation page by empowering donors to find out all the information they need about their employer’s corporate giving programs with one quick search. A matching gift database search tool can make this possible (and easy)!

Here’s an example of how you can add Double the Donation’s matching gift widget to your donation page:

With these appeals, you’ll be able to swiftly see your year-end fundraising results multiply, with no extra work on your end!

Now that you’ve got our top year-end appeal ideas in mind, all that’s left to do is get to writing. Good luck!

Don’t forget to check out these amazing end-of-year appeal resources:

Giveffect’s Top Year-End Appeal Letter Tips. When it comes time to draft your year-end appeal letter, it can be hard to overcome writer’s block. Luckily, Giveffect has got you covered with 7 can’t-miss tips for putting together online and direct mail appeals your donors will love.
Double the Donation’s Year-End Appeal Strategies. Learn even more about maximizing year-end giving with these best practices and key strategies from Double the Donation. Their guide will teach you everything you need to know about planning and executing a stellar year-end fundraising strategy.
Holiday Fundraising Ideas. Looking to add an extra element to your year-end fundraising plan? Try incorporating one of these festive holiday fundraising ideas to bring in even more money for your nonprofit. Each idea is perfect for the end-of-year giving season, so don’t miss out—try one (or several) fundraising ideas today!

Fundraising Letter Templates - Sponsorships, Donation Requests, and General Fundraising Letters

Luminate Online: From Consideration to Implementation

by Kate White

Blackbaud’s Luminate Online Marketing has become a major player in the online fundraising game, and for good reason! For larger organizations with unique needs, Luminate Online offers a variety of tools that can boost engagement, streamline donor management, and increase fundraising revenue.

Luminate Online is well known, but many nonprofits don’t have a thorough understanding of what this powerful product can do, or if it’s truly the best choice for their organization. That’s why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to examine every stage of the Luminate Online buying process, from initial questions all the way to getting set up with your new Blackbaud system.

Interested in finding out more about Luminate Online? Follow along as we run through these 6 crucial steps:

Understand the Luminate suite.
Determine your nonprofit’s needs.
Prepare your budget for Luminate Online.
Anticipate integrations and customizations within Luminate.
Migrate your existing data.
Train your nonprofit to use Luminate Online.

There are plenty of fundraising solutions available, so let’s find out if Luminate Online is the one for you!

BONUS: Learn the questions you should ask when purchasing fundraising software! Download our free fundraising software Q&A.

Download Now!

1. Understand the Luminate Suite.

We said we’d start at square one, and we meant it! Before you can consider purchasing Luminate Online, your nonprofit needs to be fully confident in exactly what Luminate Online Marketing encompasses (and what features come at an extra price).

Let’s break down some specific questions you may have about Luminate Online:

What is Luminate Online Marketing?

Luminate Online Marketing (also simply called Luminate Online) is a cloud-based digital fundraising and marketing software solution. With tools for email management, online donations, event planning, eCommerce, and social media campaign management, this solution is a truly comprehensive, standalone fundraising tool.

Organizations can use Luminate Online Marketing for all of their fundraising needs. Plus, Luminate is fully customizeable, allowing nonprofits to create a system that fits their specific cause and fundraising strategy.

Does Luminate Online offer expansions?

Luminate online offers 3 add-ons to the core product:

Luminate Advocacy, a tool that helps organizations build effective grassroots campaigns. Organizations that already have an advocacy strategy can enhance their campaigns with this tool by connecting advocates, collecting donations, and organizing petitions.
Lumniate Content Management System, a product that allows organizations to manage their website to help engage supporters, drive donations, and improve the usability of your website.
TeamRaiser, Luminate’s peer-to-peer platform that allows organizations to build custom fundraising pages.

With these solutions you’re able to develop a system that meets your needs completely.

Is Luminate CRM different than Luminate Online?

Luminate CRM is Blackbaud’s constituent management solution for nonprofits already using Salesforce as their primary CRM. For more details on how these products differ and work together, read Double the Donation’s helpful post on Luminate CRM.

With all of its features and configuration options, Luminate can adapt to meet your nonprofit’s fundraising needs in a number of ways. However, because Luminate is so comprehensive, it might be an overwhelming purchase for smaller nonprofits who need a marketing or fundraising solution that can help them get on the go quickly.

Small to mid-sized organizations would be better off finding a nonprofit CRM that can grow with them and accommodate their needs, without being weighed down by features and customizations that are really designed for enterprise-level organizations.

If that sounds more like your nonprofit, we recommend taking Fundly CRM for a test drive before considering Luminate Online.

In short, Luminate Online Marketing from Blackbaud is a highly versatile tool that can help large nonprofits manage communications, online donations, and reporting, with add-ons to enhance the product even more.

2. Determine Your Nonprofit’s Needs.

Now that you know what Luminate Online is, it’s time to start thinking about how this product can help you meet your goals as a nonprofit. After all, what good is fundraising software if it can’t help your organization raise funds for your cause?

Before you commit to software, you should work with your team to establish answers to questions such as:

How does Luminate fit into your current fundraising strategy? What will you be using Luminate Online to do—accept donations, manage email campaigns, design web content, or something else entirely? Answering this question can help your team decide if you really need a product as expansive as Luminate or would be better off utilizing a more lightweight fundraising platform or nonprofit CRM.
How many constituents do you intend to serve? Luminate Online can help you manage an unlimited number of supporters. While that’s a huge benefit for enterprise-level nonprofits, smaller organizations can just as easily take advantage of a less expensive solution that can still fit their constituency. Find software that will grow with you, but don’t waste money on an unnecessarily far-reaching tool.
How complex are your nonprofit’s needs? Luminate Online was built to help nonprofits whose needs aren’t immediately met by simple online fundraising solutions. If your organization has particularly unique needs or goals, you can work with a nonprofit technology consultant to configure and customize Luminate to completely fit your nonprofit.

Once you know what gaps in your fundraising strategy could be filled by capable fundraising software, you can make an informed decision about whether or not Luminate Online is the solution best-equipped to help you do it.

In short, Luminate Online is intended for larger nonprofit organizations with complex needs and custom fundraising strategies.

3. Prepare Your Budget for Luminate Online.

Being such a comprehensive product, you can expect Luminate Online doesn’t come for free.

After you’ve familiarized yourself with Luminate’s feature set and decided that it’s the right solution to help you achieve your goals, you should start considering if you have room to fit a new solution of this scale into your organization’s budget.

As with any software, you’ll need to convince your board that Luminate Online is a wise investment. That means answering questions including:

Can your nonprofit afford the initial cost of Luminate Online? As an enterprise product, Luminate Online is priced on a quote basis. You’ll need to contact Blackbaud to learn about pricing for your nonprofit. Remember—you should view this initial price tag as the starting line for total costs.
Will you need to pay for add-ons? Integrations? In addition to the base product, you may also need to purchase Luminate Online add-ons to expand the feature set to meet your needs. Additionally, you might search for other Blackbaud or third-party integrations that each have their own costs as well as potential implementation fees.
What training, migration, or other charges will you incur later on? We’ll explain what each of these areas might entail later on in this post, but keep in mind that you’ll likely be responsible for a variety of costs throughout the implementation process. For example, training and data migration are both essential parts of getting set up with your software, so you can’t ignore them when laying out your budget.

Many of the extraneous implementation costs can be accounted for when you hire a nonprofit technology consulting firm to help you implement Luminate Online. These invaluable professionals can help you with almost any need, from customization to general fundraising counsel. While bringing on their help requires a financial investment, their guidance can pay off in a big way later on once you’ve maximized your fundraising potential.

Bonus! Can’t afford Luminate Online yet? Don’t worry. There’s a wide range of low-cost or free fundraising solutions to meet your needs without breaking the bank. Check out @Pay’s top picks to get started!

In short, your nonprofit needs to consider the up-front price of Luminate Online as well as additional costs, such as bringing on a nonprofit web consultant to help your team prepare for and implement your new software.

4. Anticipate Integrations and Customizations Within Luminate.

One of Luminate Online’s great advantages is that it’s highly customizable to meet an assortment of nonprofit needs. That being the case, if you’re thinking about implementing Luminate into your fundraising strategy, you should anticipate certain configurations will be necessary to get the most out of your software.

If you’re used to using simpler fundraising platforms, this need for customization may come as an adjustment. And if your organization doesn’t have a robust IT team prepared to handle the development side of customization and integration, you’ll probably need the help of a consulting firm to design and implement all of the adjustments you need.

Take some time to decide what your customization strategy looks like by answering these questions:

Will you need Blackbaud or third-party integrations? Blackbaud has an extensive product family, with options for virtually any fundraising need. Because they’re all from the same vendor, these integrations are less complicated than an outside platform. If you need a custom integration with a third-party solution, consider working with a nonprofit technology firm to ensure the two tools can compatibly work together.
How will you customize your Luminate platform? With the right configurations, Luminate Online can accomplish anything your organization needs. Brainstorm with your team to determine which adjustments can help take your fundraising strategies to the next level. (Need inspiration? Check out some of the amazing examples of how nonprofit technology firm DNL Omni Media helped organizations customize their Luminate Online solutions.)
Who will manage these configurations? Being able to mold your fundraising software to meet any need sounds unbelievable, so what’s the catch? You’ll need the help of a tech-savvy developer with experience configuring the Luminate system to build out these customizations. You can work with Blackbaud’s team or seek the help of a third-party web consultant to devise a plan for customizing your software.

Without customizations and integrations, you won’t be able to reap the full benefits of Luminate Online, so take some time to develop a plan for making this software your own.

In short, you can work with Blackbaud or a nonprofit web consultant to come up with custom solutions within your Luminate Online platform. Don’t forget to integrate your system with other Blackbaud products or implement custom integrations if needed.

5. Migrate Your Existing Data.

Now that you’ve decided that Luminate is the ideal fundraising solution, let’s discuss how you’ll go about implementing this software in the most effective way.

As you probably know, no fundraising software is complete until it’s powered by donor data. And donor data isn’t worthwhile unless it’s guaranteed to be accurate and complete!

What does that add up to? Basically, in order to use Luminate Online, you need to migrate your existing supporter data to your new system.

Before you transfer your data, make sure you have answers to these important questions:

What’s your nonprofit’s plan for cleaning data? You don’t want to transfer information that’s incomplete or outdated, so you’ll need to clean up your data beforehand. Search for lapsed donors, out-of-date information, and duplicate profiles to start.
Who will manage the data migration process? Large nonprofits have years’ worth of supporter information on file, so you might require some professional data transfer assistance from a consulting firm. On top of that, make sure you appoint a data migration manager to work with the consultant and spearhead the transfer on behalf of your team.
How will you monitor data input going forward? To keep your data as clean as possible on a long-term basis, your staff should develop a well-documented process for inputting donor data. This will help you keep track of current best practices and clearly communicate your data entry policies to the entire team.

Without data, your fundraising software isn’t going to be very helpful. That’s why you should take the data migration process seriously and ensure you have a plan in place to manage the process from start to finish.

Bonus! Learn about Luminate data migration in great detail by reading this post from DNL Omni Media. As nonprofit technology consultants, their team knows their way around the Blackbaud product family, and they can help you prepare for your data migration with as little stress as possible.

In short, your nonprofit should plan to transfer your existing donor data from your old platform(s) to Luminate Online before you can implement your new software. You can work with a nonprofit consultant to ease the process and ensure no valuable information is lost.

6. Train Your Nonprofit Staff to Use Luminate Online.

The final step to implementing Luminate Online? Make sure your nonprofit knows how to use it!

For organizations just starting out with Luminate Online, it can be a complicated system to navigate. Just considering how much this software can do, it only makes sense that your organization would need a helping hand to get acquainted with the platform.

When it comes to training your staff on Luminate, consider these questions:

Will you look to Blackbaud’s training team or work with a third-party consultant? Blackbaud offers defined training courses for their products, or you can seek out an independent web consulting firm to train your team. Depending on the services the consultant offers, they may also be able to work with you to develop customizations, plan out your fundraising strategy, and migrate your data, making them a one-stop shop for all the assistance you might need throughout the implementation process.
Which members of your team will need to be trained? Any member of your team involved in fundraising and online marketing will need to understand your new software. Consider how you’ll make time in everyone’s schedules and how the training period will impact your ongoing fundraising campaigns or projects.
What’s your nonprofit’s timeline for training your staff? You should work with your consultant or training team to put together an actionable training plan with specific benchmarks leading toward your goal. Make sure you’re covering the areas of the platform that are most pertinent to your everyday use, and don’t overwhelm your staff by cramming too much training into a short time frame.

Once you’re done with training, your entire team should feel confident with using Luminate Online to complete your fundraising objectives and propel your efforts forward.

In short, your staff won’t be able to manuever the many facets of Luminate Online without some outside help. Work with Blackbaud’s training team or an outside consultant to get your team up-to-speed on Luminate’s features.

Choosing new software is a big decision, with a number of considerations along the way. With our points in mind, your nonprofit should feel confident making Luminate Online a new part of your fundraising strategy!

For more insight into fundraising software, take a look at these additional resources:

Luminate for Blackbaud: 5 Questions to Ask Before You Buy. If you’re still unsure if Luminate Online is right for you, let Double the Donation answer the most important questions you need to be asking about this software.
Top Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Platforms. Learn which P2P platforms can help you supercharge your social fundraising endeavors. We’ve run through the best peer-to-peer software on the market to help you find the right fit for your nonprofit.
Top Nonprofit Advocacy Software. Not quite ready for Luminate Online’s advocacy add-on? Check out these options to help you boost your outreach initiatives and win over supporters.

Find the perfect fundraising consultant for your nonprofit!

12 Top Fundraising Consulting Firms [Rated and Reviewed]

by Kate White

Find the perfect event management solution for your organization's unique needs by checking out our favorite providers.

1. Fundly: Top Choice for Peer-to-Peer Event Management

Peer-to-peer fundraising has become a staple in the nonprofit world. By mobilizing your supporters and inspiring them to raise money from their networks, your organization can quickly exceed your fundraising goals.

But to truly capitalize on the power of peer-to-peer, you’ll need to host a fundraising event to go along with your campaign—and Fundly can help!

Fundly’s peer-to-peer platform enables your nonprofit to build a main fundraising page as well as recruit teams of fundraisers with their own individual campaign pages.

You can also use Fundly’s user-friendly platform to stay on top of your fundraising event using features such as:

Simple sharing. Promote your fundraising event directly from your campaign page! Send emails to invite your guests, post to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, or update your page with photos, videos, and of course, an appealing event description.
Merchandise sales. Want to add a fun twist to your event? Sell merchandise before, during, and after the event using Fundly’s simple product fundraising tool. You can offer items as fundraising incentives during the campaign or set up a merchandise table at the event.
Hands-on assistance. For nonprofits who are truly looking to maximize their fundraising potential, Fundly offers a truly unique VIP service with one-on-one training, fundraising coaching, and more. A team of Fundly experts will be by your side throughout your campaign and help teach you skills to improve your fundraising long-term.

Fundly’s peer-to-peer platform is free to get started with. If you opt in to their Fundly VIP services, you’ll be able to choose between two affordable options starting at $1,200 per campaign.

Interested in seeing more peer-to-peer options? Scope out all the best peer-to-peer platforms by reading our thorough list of the top peer-to-peer fundraising solutions.

2. Fonteva: Top Choice for Salesforce Event Management

For Salesforce users, you can plan strategic events without ever leaving your CRM. All you need is the perfect event management app—enter Assemble Events by Fonteva!

Fonteva is known for providing high-quality, completely comprehensive Salesforce solutions. Assemble Events is definitely no exception, as this powerful tool can help your nonprofit use your Salesforce data to design virtually any kind of event.

With Fonteva, you’ll be able to customize your event management from start to finish with features to help you:

Create distinct registration forms. Whether you’re planning a multi-session conference, a series of events, or just a one-day fundraiser, you can build registration forms that allow individuals (or groups!) to sign up in a way that makes sense for your event.
Set pricing levels. With Fonteva, you can set multiple price points for your tickets, including general admission, VIP tickets, members-only prices, or even individual exclusive offers. You can even segment your data to determine different prices for different constituent lists.
Build event microsites. Fonteva’s platform generates unique event microsites to promote your event, share important event details, accept registrations, and even sell merchandise. You won’t need any web design skills, either; Fonteva makes setting up your site as simple as possible!

The best part about Fonteva’s event management app? It’s completely native to Salesforce, so it’s guaranteed to work seamlessly with your CRM, no integration required.

For pricing information and more, contact Fonteva via their website!

Are you a Salesforce user hoping to streamline your event planning? Learn more about managing events in Salesforce by reading Fonteva’s helpful guide!

3. OneCause: Top Choice for Charity Auction Management

Silent, live, online—OneCause can help you plan and execute fundraising auctions of any kind!

Though versatile enough for any type of event, OneCause’s event fundraising software is specifically designed to streamline and enhance charity auctions.

Not only can their solution help you bring in more bids, but it can also help you accept additional donations through their mobile bidding app or by using their text-to-give software! On top of all of that, take a look at these killer event management features:

Unlimited event support. If your organization relies on events to raise money, don’t let your event management app slow you down! OneCause allows you to plan as many events as you need throughout the year, no additional fees or expansions needed.
Online auction catalogs. Instead of spending money to print paper auction catalogs, file everything online so donors can access your auction items anywhere, anytime. You can even host online auctions so that anyone can browse and bid on items directly from your OneCause event site.
Donor management tools. Keep track of donor interactions, including contributions, bids, and automated acknowledgements, within your software. You can also integrate their tool with your CRM so that all data is visible in one place.

For pricing information, you can view OneCause’s event fundraising packages on their website.

Planning a charity auction? OneCause can walk you through the process step by step with their foolproof guide to maximizing bids during a live, silent, or online auction.

4. DipJar: Top Choice for On-Site Donation Management

If fundraising is your event goal, you’ll want to give guests as many options to give as possible. One of the best ways to do that? Offer on-site giving kiosks!

DipJar’s simple, secure giving kiosk enables event guests to dip their debit or credit card into the kiosk to instantly make a donation to your cause.

But DipJar’s solution doesn’t stop at accepting in-person gifts. DipJar allows you to fully track all on-site donations, allowing you to manage these transactions using their intuitive dashboard. Additionally, you’ll have access to these great features:

Custom pre-set donation amounts. You can adjust the pre-set giving amount on your kiosk from your dashboard to quickly adapt to different events or donor demographics. That way, you’ll always ask for an amount that’s feasible and profitable.
Professional branding to your organization. You want your giving kiosk to stand out at your event, which means designing it to fit your nonprofit’s personality. Change the color, add a logo, or include additional marketing materials such as a branded sign.
Full donation security. DipJar abides by Payment Card Industry standards, so your donors’ payment data will always be secure. Though there are always risks when making online transactions, DipJar takes all the necessary precautions to keep your donors safe!

DipJar’s products start at $399. You can also contact their sales department to work with their team individually to determine the best event fundraising solutions for your organization.

Want to learn more about giving kiosk best practices? Read DipJar’s helpful post on raising more with your donation kiosk!

5. Pathable: Top Choice for Event Mobile Apps

May 2020 Update: If your organization had planned events for this season and are facing difficulties, don’t panic. Click here to learn more about how Pathable can help you take your event from in-person to virtual.

Event management software shouldn’t be built just to help you plan your event. It should also help you run your event, minute by minute. The easiest way to make your event planners, vendors, and attendees happy? A custom mobile event app.

Pathable does custom event apps better than anyone – they’ve taken their dedication to increasing engagement and building relationships and created software from it.

Pathable’s passion for community shines through in their custom app’s most important features:

Badge scanning. Whether you’re a vendor keeping track of leads or an attendee working towards continuing education credits, Pathable’s badge scanning capabilities take the stress out of keeping things organized.
Gamification and live polls. Keep your attendees excited and involved by appealing to their competitive spirit. When they earn points for getting scanned, visiting booths, watching panels, or sharing photos, they’ll be more likely to do more of all of those things. May the most engaged attendee win!
Discussion forums. Your attendees’ engagement shouldn’t end just because the event has. When attendees can keep conversations going year-round thanks to your app and its built-in forums, your organization and event can remain front-of-mind all year round.

Pathable has three tiers of pricing – Container Basic, Container Pro, and White Label. Check out their website to determine which option your organization needs.

Need some help cleaning up your nonprofit website? Check out these top nonprofit websites to get some inspiration for your own!

There you have it! With these tools, your organization will never worry about planning a lackluster event again.

Now that you’re all set with the perfect event management tool, get started planning by checking out these amazing event fundraising resources:

The Ultimate Guide to Peer-to-Peer Fundraising. Learn why peer-to-peer fundraising is the strategy everyone’s trying by checking out our in-depth guide.
Walkathon Guide. Perfect for all ages and all types of organizations, walkathons are a powerful way to raise money and bring the community together for your cause. Read our guide to planning your own walkathon!
Charity Auction Guide. There’s a reason charity auctions are one of the most classic fundraising events. Learn how to bring in more guests (and bids!) at your upcoming silent or live auction.