Capture Holiday Season Donor Dollars

Take advantage of this time of year – when many people feel an urge to make charitable donations to nonprofit and community organizations:

1. Ask your supporters to save those unwanted holiday gifts and donate them to your organization. Their unwanted gifts may be perfect as your annual benefit's auction items, raffle prizes, or program/office supplies.

2. Let supporters know what you could use. You will be surprised by what people will donate. Here are examples of things that have been successfully requested: 

• copying services, 
• computers, 
• digital cameras, 
• temporary use of a theater marquis, 
• a performance by a dance troupe, 
• use of a professional kitchen, 
• office supplies.

3. Encourage donors making cash donations to find out if their employers have a matching gifts program and, if so, how to have their gifts matched.

4. Make your holiday wish list widely available. Get the word out using tools like:

• Newsletters (if already printed, use inserts),
• Websites,
• Blogs,
• Flyers,
• Mailings (if mailing materials are already printed, use inserts),
• Meetings and other events.

5. Finally, thank everyone who makes a contribution. (This means you have to get and store donors’ contact information.) Prompt, written acknowledgments help you cultivate solid, long-term relationships with donors who will support your work not only this year, but for years to come.