It may feel early, but the fundraisers who sleep well in December are planning now. 

When September rolls into October, we like to call it the sweet spot. You’re far enough from year-end to be strategic, but close enough that what you do now directly impacts your results.  

The truth is: It’s not too early to start your year-end campaign... but it can quickly become too late. 

We’ve worked with organizations that are drowning in fall events or Q3 reporting. Understandably, year-end planning can fall off the radar. But every time we help a client map it out in September, the relief is palpable. They know they’ve cleared a runway instead of scrambling to take off in November. 

At Broad Oaks Consulting, we’re booking fall strategy sessions because we know how powerful early planning can be. In just two hours, our team is helping nonprofits build ready-to-go, multi-channel campaigns designed to inspire action and drive results.  

In this blog, we’re giving you a peek behind the curtain and sharing three smart moves you can make right now to skip the panic and prep with purpose:  

1. Assess & Reflect 

Ask: What worked last year? What didn’t? 

• Start by pulling last year’s metrics – opens, clicks, gift amounts, and retention. What stood out? What fell flat? 

• Which formatting was most compelling? What subject lines led to the most opens?  

• Last year, one of our clients discovered that a simple email on GivingTuesday outperformed all other December emails. No banner image, just a powerful subject line and compelling, focused message 

• Review giving totals and donor retention for the campaign. Did you attract new donors, or was it the same loyal group as years past? 

• Identify gaps, surprises, and opportunities.  

• What denominations did last year’s gifts come in at? Were your impact statements effective? 

• Did someone unexpected step up to give, or did someone you expected to donate fall away? 

• Will you have a matching opportunity this year?  

• Collect internal feedback from staff and board. Review any A/B test results from past campaigns. 

Pro Tip: Use a simple chart to list the specific campaign(s), channels, performance, and lessons learned from last year’s year-end. 

2. Clarify Your Messaging & Goals 

Ask: What do you want your donors to feel, know, and do? 

• Define your year-end fundraising goal.  

• What is the main goal? Are there mini-goals tied to specific giving circles or gift levels? 

• One organization we worked with built its whole campaign around a single mother’s story. The result? They raised $140,153 – exceeding their $135,000 goal – because the message was so clear: this is who you’re helping, and this is how. 

• That clarity sets you up for strong messaging – like a compelling ‘Help us raise $XX in XX days’ rally cry. 

• Identify the primary story or theme that ties your appeal together. 

• What’s the most urgent problem you are solving for at year’s end?  

• Is there a client or program element that will be directly impacted by year-end gifts?  

• Doing this helps clarify what’s at stake and sharpen the message for your donors. 

• Outline your call-to-action(s) across all channels.  

• Develop impact statements that communicate “a gift of $## has XX impact on…” 

• Doing this engages donors more deeply, especially online. 

Pro Tip: Start drafting or refining your storytelling arc now – don’t wait until November. 

3. Build Your Campaign Backbone 

Ask: What needs to be in place before November? 

• Draft your campaign timeline (mail, email, social, video, giving page). 

• When and where will your campaign run? Direct mail, email, and social media are our recommended channels. 

• Gather or create visual assets and testimonials. 

• Add a video, thank-you message, or multimedia element. 

• Build your mailing list and prep segments. 

• Will you target SYBNT/LYBYNT lists in a round one mailer before opening it up to a larger audience in a second big push? 

Pro Tip: Create a "launch folder" with all assets and deadlines ready to go.  

One of our favorite tools? A shared launch folder. We deliver our year-end clients a version that’s campaign-ready – with timelines, mail merge tips, and copywriting content. We recommend they drop the rest in: segment lists, Canva files, everything. You may barely touch it in October, but when November hits, your campaign runs itself. 

Think of September as the moment you're laying the tracks. Wait too long, and you’ll be racing to catch a train that’s already in motion.  

Let’s skip the panic this year. 

Our Amplify Strategy Sessions help you walk away with a complete, ready-to-execute campaign plan in just two hours. 

• Clear messaging 

• Donor segments  

• Multi-channel rollout plan 

Need someone to walk alongside you? Too busy to tackle this by yourself? We’ve got you!  

We’ve helped dozens of nonprofits turn good ideas into clear, compelling campaigns that get results. Don’t wait until it’s too late – book your fall session now and walk into year-end ready to go.