Year-end giving timeline: 4-week campaign plan & examples

The end of the year is one of the most generous times for giving, and one of the biggest opportunities for your nonprofit to shine. But with so many moving pieces and deadlines, it’s easy to feel unsure about where to start (or how to make the most of it).

You’ve got this—and we’re here to help.

We’ve put together a simple, four-week year-end giving timeline, a free checklist to keep you organized, and real examples from nonprofits that crushed their campaigns. Use them to finish the year feeling confident, inspired, and ready to raise more. 

Key takeaways 

• Focus on timing 🗓️ Up to a third of annual giving happens in December—with 10% occurring in the final three days of the year—making a strategic timeline from Giving Tuesday through Dec. 31 essential for maximizing donations.
  
• Segment for success 💸 Tailoring outreach to specific donor groups with personalized messaging significantly increases engagement and conversion rates during year-end campaigns.
  
• Automate to save time ⏰ Using email sequences, donor management tools, and task tracking ensures your team can focus on connecting with donors—not administrative work.
  
• Sprinkle in some urgency 🔥 Combining matching gifts, countdowns, and time-bound language motivates donors to act now instead of delaying.
  
• Use multiple channels 🤳 Successful year-end campaigns use a mix of email, text, social media, and mobile-friendly donation pages to meet supporters where they are.
  
• Simplify year-end giving with Givebutter 🧈 Take the stress out of year-end fundraising with beautiful fundraising pages, personalized emails, donor engagement, and every payment method (yes, even Venmo and Cash App!)—all in one easy-to-use platform.

Year-end giving by the numbers 

November and December really are the most wonderful times of the year if you’re fundraising for a nonprofit or another worthy cause. 

Let’s look at the numbers:

• In 2024, 36.1 million people participated in Giving Tuesday, raising $3.6B for good causes in just the U.S. 💛
• Roughly 17-33% of all annual giving happens in December. 📅
• 10% of annual giving occurs in the last three days of the year alone. 💰

Why are end-of-year donations so high? Beyond the usual holiday generosity, many individuals and institutions make last-minute gifts to reduce their taxable income (and make a difference, of course) before the tax year ends on December 31.

Dive deeper

Explore the latest year-end giving statistics →

Download your free year-end giving checklist 

Stay one step ahead this giving season with our free year-end fundraising checklist. It walks you through every stage of your campaign, from your Giving Tuesday kickoff to your final thank-you on December 31. Use it alongside this timeline to stay organized, confident, and ready to raise more.

Freebie alert!

Download your free year-end giving checklist →

Year-end giving campaign timeline: From Giving Tuesday -> December 31

Your year-end giving campaign will run at full speed from Giving Tuesday through December 31, but every strong finish starts with a solid plan. Here’s how to structure your timeline for maximum results.

Week 1: Set up your goals and systems (early November) 🎯

Start by getting your systems in shape. Create a dedicated year-end campaign page or donation form that’s match- and DAF-friendly for simplified giving. Make sure your communication channels are ready too—design and schedule automated text and email appeals so you’re not scrambling later. 

Use your donor management system to segment lists, clean out unengaged contacts, and track supporter activity. Finally, update your website with fresh year-end messaging and use a task manager to assign responsibilities, monitor progress, and keep your team aligned.

💪 Pro tip: Givebutter has everything you need for a successful year-end giving campaign—all in one place! Explore our top-rated features for fundraising, donor management, and nonprofit marketing. 

Get started

Learn how to set up a year-end donation page that converts →

Week 2: Launch & engage (Giving Tuesday week) 🚀

It’s go time! As Giving Tuesday arrives, focus on who you’ll ask and how. Segment your donors into groups and tailor your outreach so every message feels personal and meaningful.

Try breaking down your outreach like this:

• Major donors: Invite them to amplify their impact with a leadership gift or matching challenge through a personalized email or phone call.
• Recurring supporters: Ask for a one-time Giving Tuesday boost alongside their usual monthly gift.
• New donors: Welcome them to your community and invite them to be part of the global giving movement.
• Lapsed donors: Reconnect with a “we’ve missed you” message and a fresh reason to give.

There are, on average, 121 emails in a person’s inbox. So you want to make sure that you're spending just as much time thinking about the subject line and what people see in their inbox as you do on the actual [body of] the email. — Katelyn Baughal, Nonprofit Email Consultant 

Week 3: Add fuel (mid–late December) 🔥

This is your time to shine. As the month winds down, keep the momentum going with updates, reminders, and special opportunities to give.

To spark more generosity, announce:

• Corporate sponsorships or employer matching programs
• Limited-time matching gifts
• Recurring options like monthly giving
• Special perks for donors (VIP merch, giving circle invites, or event access)

Week 4: Close strong (Dec 29–31) 🏁

The final stretch! With just days left in the year, inspire action through emotional storytelling and a sense of urgency.

• Use time-bound language: Phrases like “Give before midnight!” or “Don’t miss your chance to make an impact” work wonders.
• Be specific: Show donors exactly what their gift makes possible.
• Highlight matching gifts: Set a clear deadline to double or triple their impact.

💪 Pro tip: Prep your thank-you email and social post now so you can hit send right after midnight!

After the clock strikes midnight (Jan 1–8) ⏱️

You did it! Now it’s time to celebrate your donors, wrap up reporting, and lay the groundwork for next year.

Send personalized summaries with donation totals, impact reports, and tax receipts. Update your board members, staff, and partners to align on lessons learned, and express gratitude through emails, calls, or social posts so donors feel seen and inspired to give again next year.

More to explore

Learn how to write a year-end appeal that resonates (free template!) →

5 end-of-year giving campaign ideas and examples you can learn from 

Need a bit more inspiration before you jump into creating your own campaign? Check out these five real year-end giving campaign ideas from nonprofits—and why donors love them.

1. Nantucket Shellfish Association 🐚

For over 20 years, the Nantucket Shellfish Association has helped protect and preserve Nantucket’s harbors, water quality, and shellfish fisheries. Their year-end campaign proves that sometimes, simplicity is the secret to success.

⭐ Standout feature: Progress bar

💛 Why donors love it: A goal bar or fundraising thermometer is one of the best ways to motivate supporters. It's a visual cue that shows exactly how close you are to reaching your goal and encourages donors to help you cross the finish line. 

2. Save The Great South Bay 🌊

Save The Great South Bay Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing The Great South Bay on Long Island. Their page is a masterclass in effective year-end giving—user-friendly, clear, and full of ways to make an impact.

⭐ Standout feature: Clear giving options tied directly to tangible impact 

💛 Why donors love it: By connecting donation amounts to real impact, supporters can feel even better about their contributions. They know exactly where their money is going and how it helps this nonprofit further its mission.

3. Randy’s Rescue Ranch 🐴

Randy’s Rescue Ranch is a 20-acre farm that’s home to dozens of animals, including horses and differently-abled dogs, that have survived abuse, neglect, and abandonment. For their end-of-year fundraiser, this nonprofit asks one simple question: Would you please consider donating $50 to feed our horses next year?

⭐ Standout feature: Easy, seamless social media sharing 

💛 Why donors love it: With the ability to share the campaign across all major social media platforms—and through tools like Givebutter’s Meta fundraising integration—donors can not only show off their contributions, but inspire their network to give too.

4. PetConnect Rescue 🐶

PetConnect Rescue is a foster-based, nonprofit animal rescue that saves at-risk dogs and cats, provides them with quality care, and helps them find loving homes. Their New Year's Eve match challenge is a perfect example of urgency in action, making for a wildly successful end-of-year fundraising campaign.

⭐ Standout feature: Up to $5K board match

💛 Why donors love it: Instead of creating a more generic campaign or call to action, PetConnect Rescue gives donors a clear deadline for year-end donations (midnight on New Year’s Eve) and offers them a chance to double their impact through donation matching. Talk about motivation!

5. Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute 🔎

As a global resource for the cystic fibrosis community, the Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute (CFRI) is dedicated to finding a cure through research, education, advocacy, and support. To maximize donations at the end of the year, this nonprofit took storytelling to a whole new level.

⭐ Standout feature: Custom video 

💛 Why donors love it: Written storytelling is powerful, but video takes emotional connection to another level. With music, real-life testimonials, and snapshots of your work, donors feel even more connected to your mission and the communities you serve.

Even more to explore

Check out 25+ winter fundraising ideas to snowball support →

Access free, easy, and fun year-end fundraising with Givebutter

By planning ahead, engaging donors intentionally, and keeping your message consistent, you’ve set the stage for a strong year-end finish. It’s never too early to start planning your year-end giving strategy—and with Givebutter, you’ll have everything you need to make it your most successful (and stress-free) season yet.

Create beautiful fundraising pages, send personalized emails, accept every payment method (yes, even Venmo and Cash App!), and track donor engagement, all in one easy-to-use platform built for changemakers like you.

Want to save even more time during the holidays? With Givebutter Plus, your team can automate donor communications using powerful workflows, securely create, schedule, and share reports automatically, and manage all of your team’s to-dos in a centralized task manager. 

Create your free Givebutter account today and make this your most successful—and stress-free—year-end campaign yet.

FAQs about end-of-year donations 

Why do people give at the end of the year?

People tend to give at the end of the year because they want to maximize their charitable deductions before the December 31 deadline. Plus, the holiday season naturally inspires feelings of gratitude, compassion, and self-reflection,  which can encourage people to donate to causes they care about.

How do I create year-end giving receipts in QuickBooks?

To create year-end giving receipts in QuickBooks, log in to your account and navigate to Nonprofit → Enter Donations (Sales Receipts). Then, enter the donation details (date, amount, and a note that no goods or services were provided) and click Save & Close.

If you use Givebutter Plus, you can streamline this entire process by syncing your donation data directly to QuickBooks Online. This lets you skip manual entry, reduce errors, and stay in control of how your data flows between platforms.

What should I do with year-end giving statements?

Here’s what to do with your end-of-year giving statements:

• Send them to donors for their tax records
• Use the statements to thank supporters and show their total giving for the year
• Review donor data to identify top supporters and engagement opportunities for the new year
• Use insights from your year-end giving statements in your impact and annual reports
• Keep copies of year-end giving statements on file for compliance and auditing purposes

If you’re tracking donations in Givebutter, you can easily export donor histories, generate custom reports, and ensure every statement aligns with your year-end communications.