End-of-Year Solicitations for Major Gifts Officers: How to Max Out Your Giving Season

The end of the year is fast approaching—cue the Christmas carols, holiday lights, and of course, the critical fundraising push for nonprofits like yours. For major gifts officers, this is crunch time. 

Generosity is at its peak during these last few months - in fact, 30% of annual giving happens in December alone. 

But, how do you make sure you’re tapping into that generosity effectively? In this article, we’ll break down the key solicitations that a nonprofit major gifts officer should be making before the calendar year wraps up. Let’s dive into some practical (and fun!) strategies to finish the year with a bang.

1. LYBUNT and SYBUNT Donors: Your “Comeback” Stars

Alright, let’s talk about a couple of acronyms that might not sound pretty, but can have a big impact on your year-end fundraising: LYBUNT and SYBUNT.

• LYBUNT stands for “Last Year But Unfortunately Not This Year,” referring to donors who gave last year but haven’t given yet this year.
  
  
• SYBUNT means “Some Year But Unfortunately Not This Year,” focusing on donors who gave at some point in the past but have fallen off the radar recently.

Year-end is the perfect opportunity for a gentle nudge to these supporters. Maybe they’ve just forgotten to donate, or they’ve been overwhelmed. Either way, they’re often more likely to give again because they’ve already shown they care.

How to Reach Out:

• Personalized communication is key here. Send them an email or letter with a heartwarming story about how their past support made a difference.  
  
  
• A simple call works wonders, too. For example, if they helped build your parish’s youth ministry program last year, tell them about a recent retreat that touched the lives of 50 teens and ask for their help to keep the program going.  
  
  
• Urgency is important. Remind them that their gift before year-end not only supports your mission but could also count as a tax-deductible donation.
  
  

Example:

Imagine this: "Hi John! Last year, your gift helped us renovate the chapel at St. Mary’s School. Thanks to your generosity, hundreds of students now have a sacred space for prayer and reflection every day. As the year comes to an end, would you consider renewing your support to continue our work of shaping the next generation of faithful Catholics?"

2. Giving Tuesday: A Day of Global Generosity

Let’s face it—Giving Tuesday is like the Black Friday of the nonprofit world, but instead of crazy shopping deals, it’s about a global day of giving. If you’re not tapping into Giving Tuesday as a major gifts officer, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.

The great thing about Giving Tuesday is that it creates an atmosphere of worldwide generosity. People love being part of something bigger than themselves, and what better way to connect your major donors to that spirit of giving?

How to Get Involved:

• Get ahead of the game. Start reaching out to your donors a few weeks before Giving Tuesday. You don’t want to be one of 200 emails they get that day—you want to plant the seed early.
  
  
• Frame the ask as something special. For instance, you could invite them to make a substantial gift in support of a challenge or matching campaign (more on that next!).
  
  
• Celebrate your Catholic identity. Tie your message to your mission. Remind them of how their gift will support a ministry that furthers the faith and inspires others.
  
  

Example:

"Giving Tuesday is just around the corner! What if your gift could inspire even more generosity? This year, we’re asking you to make an early donation to St. Benedict’s parish renovation fund. Not only will you help restore the sacred beauty of our church, but your gift can also be matched dollar-for-dollar to double the impact!"

Giving Day Game Plan

It takes more than an email and a few social media posts to see success with a giving day.

Petrus has compiled THE game plan for a successful giving day. It will give you a comprehensive, step-by-step plan to maximize fundraising, avoid common pitfalls, and confidently run a high-impact campaign.

Whether you’re new to giving days or have tried and struggled before, the brand new course “Raising Money with a Giving Day” will help you achieve your fundraising goals.

3. Challenge Gifts: The Power of a Matching Gift Campaign

Speaking of doubling the impact, let’s talk about challenge gifts. Challenge gifts are like the secret sauce in your fundraising strategy, especially at the end of the year. 

How it works: 

You ask a major donor to give a challenge gift, and then you use that gift as a way to inspire others to give. Essentially, it’s like saying to the rest of your audience, “Hey, this generous donor will match every dollar you give—so your donation goes twice as far!”

How to Set Up a Challenge Gift:

• Identify a major donor who has a strong passion for your cause and would love to inspire others to give. Let’s say Mrs. Smith has been a big supporter of your Catholic school’s scholarship fund. Ask her if she would consider making a challenge gift to encourage more people to contribute.
  
  
• Create a sense of excitement around the challenge. Use phrases like “Help us unlock a $50,000 matching gift!” This gives donors the feeling that their contributions are part of something bigger.
  
  
• Augment an Appeal: You can tie this challenge to Giving Tuesday or your year-end appeal to create a sense of urgency and participation.

Example:

“Mrs. Smith has generously offered a $25,000 matching gift to the St. Francis School Scholarship Fund. That means every dollar you donate between now and December 31st will be doubled! Together, we can help twice as many students receive a faith-based education.”

4. The Year-End Appeal: Personalizing the Big Ask

Ah, the year-end appeal—it's the grand finale of your fundraising year. This is when you make your boldest asks, and the key here is personalization. 

This isn’t the time for a generic email blast or newsletter. Your major donors deserve to feel like the VIPs they are, and your outreach should reflect that.

How to Personalize:

• Handwritten notes or personal phone calls go a long way. If you’re asking for a major gift, let’s say $10,000 or more, a personal touch shows that their contribution really matters.
  
  
• Tie the ask to the impact they’ve had in the past. Remind them of a project they’ve supported, like funding a new refrigerator for your parish kitchen or helping to launch a new ministry. Then, ask them to continue that support with a year-end gift.
  
  
• Remind them of tax incentives. As we all know, donations made before December 31st count toward the current tax year. Mention this as a little nudge to encourage giving now instead of waiting until next year.

Example:

“Dear Mr. Johnson, your generous support last year helped launch our parish’s food pantry program, which has already fed over 300 families in need. As we approach the end of the year, we’re asking for your help again to expand this vital service. A gift of $10,000 would allow us to serve even more families in our community.”

5. Stewardship and Follow-Up: Keep the Momentum Going

Just because you’ve secured those year-end gifts doesn’t mean your job is done! Stewardship is crucial. Major donors want to know that their gifts are making a difference, and if you show them that impact, they’ll be more likely to continue giving in the future.

How to Steward:

• Send a heartfelt thank-you immediately after the gift is made. Include a story or example of how their support will help.
  
  
• Share an impact report early next year. This can be as simple as a letter or email showing how their contribution was used.
  
  
• Stay connected. Don’t let them go quiet until next December. Invite them to events, send them updates, and continue building the relationship throughout the year.

Ready to Make Your Year-End Asks?

There you have it—five key strategies to make sure your year-end solicitations are effective, engaging, and inspiring. From re-engaging LYBUNT and SYBUNT donors to securing challenge gifts and making personalized asks, these steps will help you end the year on a high note.

Remember, the work you’re doing as a major gifts officer isn’t just about hitting a financial goal. It’s about connecting donors to your Catholic mission, making them part of something bigger, and changing lives through faith-filled generosity. So go out there, and make those asks with confidence!

The end of the calendar year is coming fast, but Giving Tuesday is coming up even faster!

To make a giving day successful you MUST start planning several weeks in advance.

Get the game plan that will walk you through the preparation for and execution of a giving day based on what has made other Catholic nonprofits successful with giving days.

Check out Raising Money with a Giving Day HERE