Gear Up for a Holiday Fundraising Campaign With These Tips

A majority of Americans view the holidays as a time for giving. A 2011 American Red Cross survey revealed that seven out of 10 Americans say it's important to give to charity during the holiday season.

As your nonprofit gears up for a holiday fundraising campaign, hundreds of other charities are doing the same. Consumers have hundreds of messages flying at them during the holidays. To make yours stand out, craft a campaign with a clear purpose and easy ways to help. Technology is your best asset during the fundraising process. A social-media campaign combined with easy ways to contribute electronically can extend your nonprofit's reach and raise awareness for your cause.

Plan before you launch
A change-as-you-go fundraising campaign only results in mixed messages and disorganized execution. The work you do before a campaign may be more important to its success than the work you do during. As a starting point, brainstorm the ultimate goal of your fundraising campaign. That's the message you want to keep in mind throughout. Donors don't want to hear you're halfway to hitting your goal; they want to hear you're halfway toward building a well in an impoverished region. Determine how much money you have to spend on a campaign, and allocate resources toward supplies, marketing and other imperative tools. You don't need a line-by-line budget off the bat, but your campaign needs basic parameters with which to operate.

Let social media spread your message
When most people imagine holiday fundraising, they think of festive collectors ringing bells outside of department stores. The Salvation Army is still going strong with that model, but large-scale fundraising has taken on new life online. Social media is one of your greatest assets as you roll out a fundraising campaign. Most people donate to charity based on their emotional connection to a particular cause or organization. Twitter, Facebook and other social-media platforms provide the chance to build these connections and raise awareness.