End-of-year fundraising checklist for charities

A five-phase checklist for your year-end campaign: preparation, donation page, list and messages, the campaign, and thank-you with tax certificates.

A good year-end campaign fits on one list. Below is a checklist in five phases, from September to January, with a short explanation for each item. The timing is our own rule of thumb, not a law; adapt it to your organisation.

Phase 1: preparation (September)

A goal in one sentence. What changes if it works, with an amount and an end date?
One story and one photo, with permission from whoever is in it.
An owner for each task. Who writes, who sends, who thanks, who answers questions?
Last year's numbers. How many donors, how many monthly, which month worked?
The tax question answered. Is your organisation recognised to issue certificates? If not, do not promise any.

Phase 2: donation page (October)

Does it work on a phone?
Are there one-off and monthly amounts, each with a label that explains what it does?
Does it ask no more than needed? At WeGlow only first name and email are required.
Make a test gift and check the confirmation and thank-you email.
Is the thank-you text filled in? Without it, WeGlow sends no automatic thank-you email.
Is the tax certificate option on, if you may issue them?

Phase 3: list and messages (October to November)

List cleaned: duplicates merged, unsubscribed contacts left out.
Groups made: loyal donors, monthly donors, lapsed donors, new contacts.
Three to five messages written, each with something new.
First-name tag works: in WeGlow Mail that is {{first_name}}.
Test email sent to yourself and viewed on your phone.
Send dates scheduled and put in your calendar.

In WeGlow Mail you go through four steps: write, choose who gets it, check, send. The check step shows whether sender and legal footer are in order and that unsubscribed or unreachable contacts are skipped. Glowie can write a first draft that you review.

Phase 4: the campaign itself (November to 31 December)

Main appeal sent and shared on your other channels.
Progress update shared.
Second appeal with a new detail.
A personal note or phone call for your biggest supporters.
Reminder in the last days, with a correct sentence about the calendar year and the certificate.
Donor questions answered quickly.

Phase 5: thank-you and certificates (January to April)

Every donor thanked, preferably within a day and without a new ask.
Result update sent in January or February, with figures you can back up.
Missing details for certificates requested (name, address and, in Belgium, the national number).
Certificates sent. In Belgium that is usually in March or April.
Results compared with last year and noted for next year.

How to use this checklist

Copy the list into a shared document and put a name and a date next to each item. Review it together at each phase start. Do not tick anything off before you have really checked it: a test gift takes five minutes, while a broken payment page on 30 December can cost you a whole day of gifts. Keep the list as a starting point for next year.

Where it often goes wrong

Three things go wrong most often in practice. First: the payment page was never tested with a real gift. Second: there is an appeal but no thank-you email, so the first reaction to a gift never comes. Third: the details for the certificates are only requested in spring, when donors have already forgotten what they gave. These are our own rules of experience, not research results.

Tax facts to keep on your list

Belgium: a 30% tax reduction for gifts made since 1 January 2025, from €40 per year per recognised institution (FOD Financiën). France: 66%, or 75% up to €2,000 for help to people in difficulty (service-public.gouv.fr). Netherlands: see belastingdienst.nl for the conditions. This is not personal tax advice.

What does WeGlow do for this list?

A donation page with one-off and monthly gifts, each with its own amounts and labels.
WeGlow Mail to write, schedule and check your appeals.
WeGlow CRM for donors, lists and tasks in one place.
Send certificates with one click to all eligible donors. This is not automatic: you start it.

WeGlow Mail is free up to 250 contacts; with the Pro platform plan (€40 per month or €400 per year, excl. VAT) you mail up to 2,500 contacts at no extra cost. WeGlow CRM starts from €29 per month (excl. VAT) for up to 1,000 contacts. Check the current prices in your dashboard.

Which items matter most if I am short of time?

Start with a goal in one sentence, a donation page you have checked with a test gift yourself, and a thank-you email that is ready. Those three things decide most of whether your campaign works. The rest of the list is a bonus you can add later.

Can I reuse the list later?

Yes. Change the dates and use the same list for a spring or autumn campaign. The order stays the same: preparation, donation page, list and messages, campaign, thank-you. After each campaign, note what you would do differently next time.

When should I start my year-end campaign?

We suggest September for preparation, so your donation page is tested in October and your messages are ready in November. That is a rule of thumb, not a legal rule. For a small organisation a shorter preparation can be enough.

How much must a gift be to be tax-deductible in Belgium?

For gifts made since 1 January 2025 there is a 30% tax reduction, from at least €40 per year per recognised institution, according to FOD Financiën. Most institutions send the certificates in March or April. This is not personal tax advice.

Set up your campaign in your WeGlow dashboard and tick off the list, step by step.

Sources

Giften (FOD Financiën): 30%, €40 per year per institution, certificates in March or April
service-public.gouv.fr: 66% and 75% up to €2,000
Belastingdienst, giften: Dutch rules

(checked on 2 October 2026)