Does the anniversary of when your organization was founded matter? Is your year end fundraising (not calendar year) important to the donor? In other words, if your fiscal year ends September 30, will a donor actually be motivated to give? We know donors care about calendar year end giving for tax reasons, but why should they care if you need to make your numbers for fiscal year end?
The truth is, most donors don’t care.
They don’t care that it’s your organization’s birthday. They don’t care about your fiscal year end. They care about the impact of their donation. So, do you celebrate these milestones? Yes, but you do so by explaining the impact the donor has made. Communicate the impact to celebrate the milestone.
Make the celebration of your anniversary about the impact you’ve made. About the lives you’ve changed. Tell stories of impact, stories the donor can immediately see, taste, and feel how you’re making an impact using her resources. Make the celebration about your donors, volunteers, and supporters.
What Are Anniversaries Good For?
Anniversaries are a good time to reflect on what your organization has accomplished. It’s a good time to reflect on the difficulties you’re facing, challenges that lie ahead, and how you can overcome these. It’s a time to make a list of goals and build a strategy for reaching those.
- Celebrate anniversaries by sharing with donors the impact they have made
- Share stories of recipients and supporters whose lives have changed
- Create a list of the accomplishments your organization has made in the past year
- Build a list of challenges you’ve faced/are facing
