The complete end-of-year fundraising guide

Strategy, a September to January calendar, segments, appeal copy, channels, thank-yous, tax certificates for BE, FR and NL, and measuring.

Why year-end matters, and how to approach it

For many non-profits the last months of the year are the busiest time for giving. People think about generosity, tax, family and the year behind them. Many organisations see a large part of their annual gifts arrive in November and December. How large a part is different for each organisation, so look at your own figures from last year instead of trusting a general number.

A year-end campaign is not a louder version of your normal appeal. It is a short, planned programme with one story, one goal and several touches over about ten weeks.

Five principles

1. One story, one ask. Pick a single, concrete need, such as winter meals for 200 families. Resist listing everything you do.
2. Your own supporters first. Past donors give far more readily than strangers. A common rule of thumb is that retention is cheaper than acquisition.
3. Several touches. One mail is rarely enough. Plan 6 to 10 messages across channels, each with a reason to exist.
4. Make giving easy. One link, a clear amount choice, a phone-friendly form, the ability to give monthly.
5. Thank beautifully. The thank-you decides whether people give again next year.

Start from last year

Open last year's records and write down, for November to January: number of gifts, total, average gift, number of new donors, number of returning donors, and which message brought what. This is your baseline. Without it you cannot say whether this year was good.

Baseline sheet
Gifts last Nov-Jan: ...
Total: € ...
Average gift: € ...
New donors: ...
Returning donors: ...
Best-performing message: ...
Biggest problem: ...

If you do not have last year's data in a usable form, this year is the year to start tracking it. The campaign you run now becomes next year's baseline.

Set a realistic goal and a simple plan

A goal should be big enough to excite people and small enough to believe. Build it from the bottom up, not from a wish.

Build the goal from your audience

Take your segments (next chapters) and estimate for each how many people might give and how much. Use last year as a guide and adjust modestly.

Worked example (invented numbers)

• Loyal monthly donors (80 people): ask for one extra gift, 25 might give an average of €40 = €1,000
• Donors of the last 12 months (400 people): 60 might give an average of €45 = €2,700
• Lapsed donors, 13 to 36 months (300 people): 15 might give an average of €35 = €525
• Volunteers and event guests (250 people): 15 might give an average of €30 = €450
• New supporters via social media and fundraisers: €800
• Company partners: €1,500

Total about €6,975. The goal is €7,000. The numbers are invented to show the method: people x share who give x average gift.

Plan on one page

• Story: the single need and who benefits.
• Goal: amount, number of gifts, number of new monthly donors.
• Segments and messages: who gets what.
• Calendar: see the next chapter.
• Roles: who writes, who sends, who thanks, who answers donors.
• Budget: design, printing, postage, tools, time.
• Tracking: a campaign tag on each link so you know which message brought which gift.

Decide in advance what you will do if you are behind at 1 December and what you will do if you are ahead. A plan B, such as a matching offer from a company partner or a last-days appeal, is easier to make calmly in September than in a panic in December.

The calendar from September to January

Work backwards from 31 December. Most of the real work happens before December starts.

September: prepare

• Look at last year's results and write the baseline.
• Choose the story and the goal. Collect photos, quotes and a short video if possible, with consent.
• Clean your lists: remove duplicates, mark people who have unsubscribed, fix obvious errors.
• Check your donation page works on a phone and shows the monthly option.

October: warm up

• Send an impact update to donors: what their gifts did this year.
• Recruit a company partner for a matching gift or a prize, if you wish.
• Write all mails and social posts now. Test them.
• Check your tax-certificate data (see the chapter on tax): addresses and details complete?

November: first ask

• Early November: preview to your most loyal supporters ("you hear it first").
• Mid November: main launch mail to all segments, the story and the ask.
• Social media starts. A paper letter to your top donors, if you use post.
• Late November: a short reminder with progress.

December: peak

• First week: a second story, a progress update.
• Mid December: reminder to non-openers with a different subject line.
• Around 20 December: a "last chance for this year" message that mentions the calendar year. Be accurate about cut-offs. Ask your payment provider how late payments are registered in the year.
• 29 to 31 December: last call to people who may want their gift in this year.
• Thank every gift within 48 hours, including at Christmas.

January: close

• Total, thank everyone together, tell the result.
• Prepare tax certificates (next chapters).
• Evaluate and write the baseline for next year.

Rule of thumb: avoid sending more than your supporters expect. Two to three messages a week in the final days can work if each is short and relevant, but check your unsubscribe rate and listen.

Segment your supporters

Not everyone should get the same message. Segmenting does not need software magic. A few groups are enough.

Seven useful segments

1. Monthly donors. Thank them first. Do not ask for more in the same breath as the thanks. Offer an optional extra gift or an upgrade at most once.
2. Recent donors (gave in the last 12 months). They know you. Ask for a gift again, referring to their last gift.
3. Major donors. A personal call or visit, not a mass mail.
4. Lapsed donors (13 to 36 months). A "we miss you" message with a concrete update.
5. Volunteers, members, event guests. They gave time. Invite them to give money too, without pressure.
6. Subscribers who never gave. Tell the story, show impact, ask for a first small gift.
7. Company partners and sponsors. A tailored mail or call.

Tips

• Keep a person in one primary segment so they do not receive five versions of the same ask.
• Exclude people who just gave from the reminder mails. Nothing annoys a donor more than being asked again the day after giving.
• Respect unsubscribes and consent. This is both the law and good manners.
• Greet people by first name. A first name merge is simple and still works.

Table in words (invented sizes)

Monthly donors 80, recent donors 400, lapsed 300, volunteers/guests 250, never gave 900. Each segment gets its own opening paragraph and ask amount; the story stays the same.

Suggested ask amounts are based on the person's own history. A common approach is to suggest an amount at or slightly above their last gift, with two other choices.

Appeal copy templates you can copy

Good appeals are simple: a person, a problem, a solution, a clear ask, and thanks. Use short sentences and the word "you".

Launch mail (all recent donors)

Subject: Winter is coming. Will you help Amina keep warm?

Dear [first name],
Last winter, Amina came to our centre on a cold night with nothing but a thin coat. This year we expect [number] people like her.
With €[amount] we can [concrete result]. With your help we can reach [goal] by 31 December.
Last time you gave €[last gift]. Could you help again this year?
[Button: Give now]
Thank you for being part of our story.
[name], [role]
P.S. Your gift is [tax text for your country, if applicable]. [Link]

Lapsed donors

Subject: We still think of you, [first name]

Dear [first name], in [year] you helped us [result]. Since then, [concrete update]. We would love to have you with us again this winter. Even [small amount] makes a difference: [result].
[Button: Give again]

Reminder to non-openers

Subject: [Number] days left to help [goal]

Hi [first name], we are at [amount] of [goal]. [One sentence of story]. Can you help us over the line?
[Button]

Last call

Subject: Last chance to give in [year]

Dear [first name], today is the last moment to include your gift in [year]. [One sentence of impact]. [Button]. Thank you, whatever you decide.

Social post

[Photo] "[Short quote]" ([first name, with permission]). Together we can [result] before 31 December. We are at [amount] of [goal]. Give or share: [link]

Copy tips

• Subject lines: be clear first, clever second. Avoid all caps.
• One button, repeated at the end.
• Describe what a gift does ("€30 buys a warm meal for two families") only if the number is true for your organisation.
• Always include a postal address and an unsubscribe link in mails.

Choose your channels

Do not try everything. Pick the channels where your supporters already listen, and do those well.

Email

The workhorse of year-end. It is cheap, measurable and personal. Plan a sequence rather than a single mail. Make sure your sender name is a person or organisation people recognise, and that mails look right on a phone.

Post

For older donors, major donors and organisations with a loyal mailing list, a printed letter still works. Include a clear way to give: a short link, a code, or a payment slip, depending on your country's habits. Mail it early enough to arrive before the busiest weeks of the postal service.

Phone and personal contact

Call your top donors to thank them before you ask. A personal thank-you call in November often says more than any mailing.

Social media

Good for stories and for sharing, less good for asking directly. Use stories, short videos, and a countdown. Invite supporters to share a personal fundraising page.

Your website and donation page

• A banner or pop-up on your site that links to the campaign page.
• A donation page with the story, a photo, amount suggestions and a monthly option.
• A thank-you page that confirms the gift and suggests one next step, such as sharing.

Events and partners

A winter market, a concert or a company matching gift can add a human moment and a deadline. Keep the effort in proportion to the result.

Monthly giving as a goal

A monthly donor gives many times and is usually easier to plan around. At year-end, offer monthly giving as a second option next to the one-off gift, not instead of it.

Budget the channels

Write the cost per channel (design, printing, postage, tool fees, time) and, after the campaign, the gifts per channel. Next year, put your effort where the return was best.

Thank-yous: the part that decides next year

Gifts in December arrive in a rush. The thank-you is not a formality: it is the first part of next year's campaign.

Thank in layers

1. Instant: the confirmation page and automatic email right after the gift. Warm, short, with what the gift does.
2. Personal: within 48 hours for larger gifts, a human note or call.
3. Collective: in January, a result mail to everyone: what you raised together and what it means.
4. Later: an impact update a few months on.

Instant thank-you template

Subject: Thank you, [first name]!

Dear [first name], your gift of €[amount] has arrived. Thanks to you, [what it does]. We will tell you in January what we reached together. If you need your tax certificate, [what to expect, see below].
Warm thanks, [name], [organisation]

Result mail in January

Subject: Together we did it: [result]

Dear [first name], thanks to [number] of you we raised €[amount]. That means [concrete result]. Here are [photo/quote]. In the coming months we will [next step]. Thank you for being part of this.

Practical points

• Do not put an ask in the thank-you.
• Thank monthly donors separately and often.
• Be honest: if you missed the goal, say so and say what it still achieved.
• Make sure thanks reach people who gave anonymously or via a fundraiser page: thank the fundraiser too.

Make a list of who thanks whom before the campaign starts. One person per name is better than a vague promise that "the team" will do it.

Tax certificates: Belgium, France and the Netherlands

Year-end is also when donors ask about tax. This chapter lists the official rules for three countries as read on government pages. Rules change and depend on your situation: check the official page for the year of the gift, and ask your accountant or the tax administration when unsure. This is not personal tax advice.

Belgium (FOD Financien)

• A donor gets a tax reduction of 30 percent for gifts made since 1 January 2025. Older articles may still say 45 percent.
• The gifts to one recognised institution must be at least €40 per calendar year; several gifts in the same year to the same institution can be added up.
• The ceiling is 10 percent of net income or €408,130, whichever is lower.
• Only recognised institutions can issue the tax attestation. According to the tax administration, most institutions send the attestations in March or April of the following year, and the organisation reports them through Belcotax-on-web. The donor's national number is mandatory on the attestation since 2024.

France (service-public.gouv.fr, impots.gouv.fr)

• Donors get a 66 percent reduction of the gift from their income tax, capped at 20 percent of taxable income. Excess carries over five years.
• A 75 percent rate applies to help for people in difficulty, up to €2,000 (that ceiling applies since 14 October 2025); above that, 66 percent.
• The organisation issues a receipt on the official model, Cerfa 11580. The donor keeps it for three years after the tax year.

The Netherlands (Belastingdienst)

• A regular gift to an ANBI is deductible above a threshold of 1 percent of the threshold income (minimum €60), with a maximum of 10 percent of the threshold income.
• A periodic gift has no threshold. It requires a written agreement, for at least five years, with the same organisation. The maximum is €1,500,000 a year in 2025 and 2026.
• Cash gifts are not deductible.

Admin checklist for your team

• Collect the details the country requires at the moment of giving (name, address, and in Belgium the national number) and tell donors why.
• Check that your organisation's recognition (Belgium) or ANBI status (Netherlands) is up to date and visible on your page.
• Work out the total per donor per calendar year, and check the minimum.
• Send certificates at the time your country expects, and tell donors in advance when they will arrive.
• Keep copies and a log of what was sent to whom.

Mail text: "Your tax certificate for [year] will be sent in [month]. To receive it we need your [required details]. Please fill them in here: [link]. Questions? Reply to this mail."

Measure the campaign

Measuring is not about proving you were good. It is about doing better next year with less guessing.

Numbers to track

• Total raised and number of gifts, compared with last year's baseline.
• Average gift per segment.
• Response rate per segment: donors who gave divided by people asked.
• New donors and how many are monthly.
• Retention: how many of last year's donors gave again.
• Cost per euro raised: total campaign cost divided by total raised.
• Per message: sent, delivered, opened, clicked, gifts. Note that open counts depend on images loading, so treat them as an indication.
• Unsubscribes and complaints to see if you pushed too hard.

Worked example (invented numbers)

Segment: recent donors, 400 people asked. 56 gave a total of €2,576. Response rate 56/400 = 14 percent. Average gift €46. Campaign cost allocated to this segment: €200. Cost per euro raised about €0.08. The numbers are invented to show the calculation.

Evaluate with three questions

1. What worked better than we expected?
2. What did we send that no one reacted to?
3. What will we do differently in September?

Write the handover

On one page, record the dates, messages, segments, results and lessons. Add the baseline numbers for the next campaign. Share the lessons, and the real results, with your board and with your donors.

Template

Campaign report
Goal: ... Result: ...
Gifts: ... Average: ... New donors: ... Monthly: ...
Best message: ... Weakest message: ...
Cost: ... Cost per euro raised: ...
Three lessons: ...
Actions for next September: ...

What to do next in WeGlow

Here is what exists in WeGlow today to support a year-end campaign. Features depend on your organisation's settings.

Collect gifts

• A donation page with one-off and monthly gifts, each with its own amounts and labels, which works on a phone. Glowie can draft a campaign or donation form as a card that you review and confirm before anything goes live.
• Supporters can start their own fundraiser page for your campaign.
• If your organisation has written a thank-you text, WeGlow sends a thank-you mail after each gift. Write that text before November.

Segment and send: WeGlow CRM and WeGlow Mail

• WeGlow CRM keeps one dossier per person with a timeline, notes, tags and gifts. Smart lists refill themselves from filters, for example "gave in the last 6 months". You can import a CSV with undo, merge duplicates and set tasks for personal thank-you calls.
• WeGlow Mail has a block editor, a send-test-to-yourself option, a pre-send check, scheduling, personalisation with {{first_name}} and a compliance footer with an unsubscribe link. Contacts that bounced or unsubscribed are excluded. Per campaign you see sent, delivered, opens, clicks and bounces. An automation can send a mail after a new donation.
• Mail is free up to 250 contacts. With the Pro platform plan (€40 per month or €400 per year, excl. VAT) mailing is included up to 2,500 contacts. Without Pro, Mail starts from €19 per month (excl. VAT) for up to 1,000 contacts, and CRM from €29 per month (excl. VAT) for up to 1,000 contacts. Check the current prices in your dashboard.

Tax certificates

For Belgian organisations with tax certificates switched on, you can send the yearly certificates to all eligible donors with one click, and the CRM has an "Attesten" tab with a completeness view and a sent log. The data can be exported for Belcotax. For French organisations, WeGlow produces numbered tax receipts (reçu fiscal): one per one-off donation, and a single yearly receipt for monthly donors. The organisation remains responsible for the legal content.

Your first steps

1. September: write your thank-you text and check your donation page.
2. October: build your segments as smart lists, and draft your mails in WeGlow Mail.
3. November: schedule the launch mail and the reminders.
4. January: send the result mail and the tax certificates.

Try it in your WeGlow dashboard.

Read next

More on this topic:

• Year-end fundraising campaign: a September to January plan
• The complete guide to a fundraising event
• The Complete GivingTuesday Guide for Non-Profits

Sources

• FOD Financien: giften: 30 percent for gifts since 1 January 2025, at least €40 per year and per institution, ceiling of 10 percent of net income or €408,130, attestations usually in March or April.
• service-public.gouv.fr: dons aux associations: 66 percent and 75 percent rates, the €2,000 ceiling for the 75 percent rate, the 20 percent ceiling and five-year carry-over. The Cerfa 11580 receipt model and the three-year retention come from earlier checked WeGlow notes based on service-public.gouv.fr and impots.gouv.fr (BOFiP).
• Belastingdienst: gift aftrekken: the 1 percent threshold with a minimum of €60, the 10 percent maximum, periodic gifts without threshold and the €1.5 million maximum for 2025 and 2026.
• BOFiP: reçus et justification (impots.gouv.fr): the organisation issues the receipt, its contents, three-year retention, no attachment with an online return.
• FPS Finance: attestations for gifts (non-profits): at least €40 per calendar year, national register number mandatory since 2024, Belcotax-on-web.
• Belastingdienst: agreement for periodic gifts: at least five years, keep the agreement.
• WeGlow features and prices: checked in the WeGlow code base, the internal verified-facts sheet and the subscription plans table on 2 October 2026. Check the current prices in your dashboard.

Worked examples and amounts are invented. Rules of thumb are labelled as such. The tax pages were checked on 2 October 2026 or taken from earlier checked WeGlow notes based on the same official pages; rules and years change, so confirm on the official page. This is not tax advice.

More from Glowie

• How do I deduct a donation from my tax in Switzerland?
• How does the tax reduction for a donation work in France?
• How do I deduct a donation from my tax in the Netherlands?
• How does Gift Aid work in the UK?
• How does a tax certificate for a donation work in Belgium?

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