Don’t Panic! Why a Slow Start to Your Year-End Appeal Is Completely Normal

Year-end giving is the most important time of the year for nonprofits. December alone typically accounts for 30 – 40% of annual donations for North American nonprofits, making it a make-or-break period for hitting your yearly fundraising goals.

But your year-end appeal is more than a final push to meet your annual funding targets… it’s the foundation for funding the programs and initiatives that will deliver more impact in the year ahead. Falling short on your revenue goals could mean fewer resources to power your mission forward.

That’s why year-end appeals are so critical – they offer the final and often best chance to close funding gaps by tapping into donors’ generosity during the holiday season and leveraging the urgency of tax deadlines.

Year-End Giving Trends Unpacked

So now we’ve established the importance of year-end giving, what happens if your appeal starts slower than expected?

Here’s the good news: a slow start to your appeal is totally normal.

Most fundraisers know the last three days of the year, especially December 31, are crucial, bringing in a large share of annual revenue thanks to tax deadlines and the holiday giving spirit.

And having worked with hundreds of incredible nonprofits worldwide, we’ve seen this pattern hold true time and time again. But there’s more to it than this…

How December giving plays out in three phases

To give fundraisers more confidence about hitting their all-important year-end appeal targets, we dug into the data of our North American customers and found a clear and consistent trend in year-end giving.

A steady and gradual build-up (Dec 1–22): 

Donations come in steadily, fueled by the initial digital appeal launch and Wave 1 direct mail landing.

Momentum grows but dips around Christmas (Dec 22–30): 

By week 4, giving accelerates as donors respond to final reminders (including Wave 2 mail) and urgent digital messaging. However, we see a slight donation dip around Christmas (December 24 – 26) as donors focus on the holidays.

A final day spike (Dec 31):

The last day of December sees a massive surge in donations, often making up 20% of December’s total revenue. Year-end giving campaigns usually resonate strongly after the holiday celebrations, as people reflect on gratitude and generosity and are motivated to make tax-deductible contributions before the year ends to maximize their tax benefits.

From Data Insight to Year-End Action Plan

Here’s some tips on how to make the most of these data insights and help you reach your year-end appeal goals:

Come back strong after the “Christmas Dip”

Scheduled automated email campaigns and social media posts for December 27th, when donor engagement tends to rise again and people start looking to the year ahead.

Maximize the “Final Day Spike”

Ensure your final appeal push is well-planned and your activities and assets are highly visible. This could include targeted emails, urgent text messages, and social media posts that highlight the tax benefits of donating before midnight on December 31. Create smart audiences to send automated email reminders to different donor groups like your high-value donors who have not yet given or recurring givers who have not made an additional gift to “help you reach your targets”.

And remember to ensure your website and donation platform can handle the expected surge in traffic. Any technical glitches on this day can cost you dearly.

TL;DR Key Takeaways from the Data

• Most giving happens late: Most year-end donations roll in during the last week of December, particularly on December 31.
• Christmas is a pause, not a problem: The brief holiday dip is a natural part of the December giving cycle – prepare to return strong after the holiday celebrations.
• Year-end success is all about timing: Knowing these trends allows you to plan your outreach and maximize donations strategically.

Practical Tools to Boost Your Campaign

If you’re feeling anxious about your year-end results, now is the perfect time to focus on what you can control. We’ve created resources to help you drive more donations and hit your goals:

Read Our Blog: How to Maximize Your Year-End Campaign: Packed with actionable tips for improving your appeal while it’s live in market.

Use Our Free Appeal Target Calculator: Benchmark your current performance and gain confidence in your appeal’s trajectory.

Stay the course: December is a marathon, not a sprint

A slow start to your end-of-year appeal doesn’t mean you’re off track – the most important days for fundraising are still to come. So stay focused, use proven strategies, and tap into Dataro’s free tools for fundraisers and other smart strategies to finish strong and maximize your impact.