7 year-end email tips for midlevel fundraising

With year-end approaching, it’s a good time to share tips for communicating with midlevel donors between Giving Tuesday and New Year’s. Your year-end postal mail appeals are likely already headed to the printer, so today, let’s talk email.

Remember: the larger goal with midlevel donors is to maximize their long-term value, which means retaining and upgrading as many as possible. Midlevel success is a marathon; year-end is a sprint. Don’t let short-term goals eclipse the long-term relationship.

So here’s some advice largely based on feedback from the thousands of midlevel donors we survey every month:

1. Show them that you know them. If you follow only one of these ideas, follow this one. One common complaint we hear from once-a-year donors is that getting a batch of year-end email appeals means you don’t “see” them. Helping donors feel seen is an important goal in one-to-some fundraising. This can be handled with simple copy tweaks, but these small changes can influence how well an appeal is received. By all means, go for that extra gift, but make sure the copy reflects that you’re aware of their giving habit. The same goes for DAF and QCD donors. 
2. Acknowledge their email fatigue. Another simple copy issue. More and more midlevel donors we’ve surveyed tell us they can’t keep up with the sheer volume of emails they get every day. The current barrage of churn-and-burn-style political fundraising emails is one culprit. But while the political firehose may be winding down soon, the year-end firehose is just revving up. Perhaps say, ‘We know your inbox is overflowing, so we’ll keep this short.” Then actually keep it short.
3. Brand every email with the name of your midlevel program. Every single email. Again, it reminds them you see them and recognize their key role in your organization’s success. Many donors crave connection and belonging. This is an easy way to offer a taste of it. Don’t have a named program yet? That’s a great January project.
4. Send fewer asks. If you’re sending 20 email solicitations to your general file this year-end, send just four or five to your midlevel donors. And customize content for annual givers, DAF, and QCD givers. Four solicitations is not a magic number. The key is not to over-solicit them.
5. Once they give, stop asking. If a midlevel donor gives in the year-end window, suppress them from all remaining solicitations, but consider sending some short, sweet cultivations. One thought might be a series of email “postcards” with a photo and a brief note about the impact of their gifts. Remember: it’s a marathon.
6. Make the match clear to DAF donors. If you’re running a year-end match and DAF gifts may qualify, tell your DAF donors as much clearly. Many DAF donors we have spoken with are confused about whether their gifts can be matched. Because DAF gifts take several steps, donors assume the match will be over by the time their gift arrives. Give donors a simple way to tell you the day they recommend a gift, such as a short form or a reply email. Then count that pledge toward the match (after checking with your matching donor).
7. Don’t waste your subject line. by telling donors something they already know. I’m thinking of the 4 billion emails that will open with “Today is Giving Tuesday…” Use that space to say something only you can say, like the specific thing their gift will do.

Here’s to a strong finish this year!

P.S. If you have a tip or two for midlevel email strategies, please shoot us an email, and we may compile your advice in a future post.