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A few years ago, I helped a friend, here in South Georgia, to do an end-of-year (EOY) campaign for his nonprofit.
Having never done an EOY campaign, he was blown away when over $100,000 came in.
Energized, he set the goal for his next EOY campaign at $250,000.
Beginning in January, we walked through the visionary fundraising process, telling stories and saying thank you excellently.
In December we asked for the money.
By December 31, he barely raised $200,000. He felt dejected.
With some help, we sent emails and celebrated!
It was then that he learned a fascinating paradox in fundraising. When you authentically celebrate even partial success, you often unlock additional giving.
It’s like a mountain climbing team sharing their journey story while still on the mountainside - their authentic enthusiasm often attracts unexpected support.
When you authentically celebrate even partial success, you often unlock additional giving.
The Magnetic Power of Genuine Celebration
Did you know that 75% of mountain climbing accidents occur on the climb back down?
How you conclude your EOY campaign matters supremely.
When my friend celebrated their partial success, something remarkable happened.
Some of his donors who had watched but didn’t participate in his campaign contacted him and asked, “What is the exact amount you need to get over the finish line?”
Other donors who participated in the campaign gave more!
And watching how he celebrated his success, other donors made the decision ahead of time to participate in his next campaign.
Before the second week in January, he had raised well above his $250,000 target.
I have seen this happen over and again.
True end-of-year fundraising success isn't just about hitting targets - it's about authentically celebrating progress and engaging donors in your journey, even when you fall short of initial goals.
WHY THIS WORKS
Authenticity Builds Trust
When you openly celebrate partial success while acknowledging the remaining gap, you demonstrate transparency and authenticity. This builds donor trust and confidence in your leadership.
Donors deeply appreciate and respond to authentic communication, especially when your goals aren’t met.
They understand that transformative work isn’t always linear and that real change often comes with challenges.
By being transparent about where you fell short while celebrating what you did achieve, you demonstrate respect for your donors’ intelligence and investment.
This authenticity transforms them from mere checkbooks into true partners in your journey.
Honest conversations about incomplete goals often surprise fundraisers by leading to deeper donor engagement and increased giving.
Your most committed supporters prefer hearing the unvarnished truth and participating in the solution to being shielded from reality.
The “Almost There” Effect
People love to help others cross the finish line.
Celebrating 80% completion will inspire some donors to help you finish the remaining 20%.
Celebration naturally motivates hesitant donors to finally step forward, current donors to give again, board members to make additional connections and community partners to amplify your message.
Donors LOVE giving significant gifts. What can be more significant than helping your team cross the finish line?
There is no greater feeling than helping others reach significant milestones in their lives.
Never forget, DONORS LOVE HELPING YOU CROSS THE FINISH LINE.
What does this kind of celebration look like? To help you, I have put together a couple of "failure" campaign emails that will help you craft your own. CLICK HERE FOR FREE CELEBRATIVE EMAIL SAMPLES
David