With Memorial Day behind us, the summer season is quickly ramping up. For many nonprofits that can feel like a signal to slow down. But don’t hit pause just yet. The coming months are actually an ideal time to lay the fundraising groundwork that will pay off all year long. Even with vacations and a slower pace, summer offers a valuable opportunity to sharpen strategies and prepare for what’s ahead – especially the year-end giving season.

In other words, a summer slowdown shouldn’t mean a slump, but rather a chance to take stock.

Whether an organization’s fiscal year matches the calendar year, or has a start other than January 1st, the busy year-end giving season might seem far off and not be top of mind. But we’ve all been there when autumn arrives, wondering where the time went. That makes summer the perfect time to plan for the all-important holiday giving season.

Here are some practical, impactful ways to use the summer months wisely:

• Review and refresh your data.
  Clean up your donor database, analyze past performance, and segment your lists for smarter, more thoughtful outreach.

• Set your year-end campaign strategy.
  Outline your fundraising goals, define your audience, and start developing your campaign theme and message.

• Look back to move forward.
  Evaluate your past two year-end campaigns. What worked well? What could improve? Let your findings guide this year’s approach.

• Start securing a matching gift.
  These are proven to boost response rates, and having one in place early gives you more time to promote it – and meet it!

• Select the stories you want to tell.
  Identify the people – beneficiaries, volunteers, or donors – whose stories will inspire support.

• Plan your communications calendar.
  Think ahead to emails, social posts, and mailings. Develop concepts, write content, gather visual assets (e.g. photos, video, etc.) now to ease the crunch later.

• Say thank you.
  Summer is a great time to send personalized thank you notes or updates to your donors, showing appreciation before asking again later in the year. 

There’s no shortage of ideas that, when put into action, can give you a crucial head start for the year-end whirlwind.

We’ve seen these strategies pay off time and again, and as our team notes, “fundraising doesn’t take a summer vacation.” But, the first three letters are fun, and we hope you find time for fun and relaxation this season. 

The first part of the year has certainly had its share of challenges, but whatever the season, we’re here to help you navigate what’s ahead, and we look forward to connecting soon.

Wishing you a productive (and relaxing!) summer that sets you up for much success.