Early October
- Pick one story and one number from this year that show what a gift did. Get written permission from anyone you will name or picture.
- Set the goal, the dates and who signs the appeal.
- Clean the donor list: update addresses, merge duplicates, and mark anyone who asked not to be contacted.
- Draft the appeal letter, the email series and the giving page together, so they say the same thing.
- Check that your state charitable solicitation registrations are current where you will be asking.
November
- Thank last year’s donors before you ask again: a short note or video, with no ask in it.
- Mail the letter in mid-November so it lands before the holiday rush.
- Plan GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, as its own short email and social push.
- Test the giving page on a phone: it should take under a minute to give.
December
- Send two or three reminder emails in the last week. Many gifts arrive in the final days of the year.
- Call your top donors personally. A short call beats another email.
- Thank every gift within 48 hours, and record how and when you thanked it.
January
- Send year-end giving statements, with the wording the IRS requires for gifts of $250 or more.
- Send a short report on what the campaign raised and what it will do.
- Write down what worked while you still remember, and set next year’s dates.
These guides are general practice tips, not legal, tax or compliance advice. Follow IRS rules and your states’ requirements, and have a person review donor communications before they go out.