Edwards + Strunk, Inc.

At the New Markets Tax Credit conference in Miami Beach. Hope we have success working for our clients.

"Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for."

— Seamus Heaney
Irish poet
1995 Nobel Laureate

The Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce honored Maternal and Family Health Services this evening for their 50 years of service to the women and families of eastern Pennsylvania. Congratulations to every member of the staff and Board of Directors at MFHS, especially our colleague and friend, Dr. Maria Montoro Edwards, President and C.E.O.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, so of course, it’s time to start thinking about your Year End Efforts!!!

As I’ve gotten older it has amazed me how quickly time passes. Even during this odd moment (Covid19) the weeks seem to fly. Wasn’t it just St. Patrick’s Day? Easter? With that in mind, this is a perfect moment to begin to create a plan for your 2020 year end giving. Taking an hour or two now will help ensure your success in 6 months.

A significant number of pledges are made and fulfilled in November and December. Many organizations report that those two months represent 50% of their fundraising total each year. With that in mind, every non-profit needs to have a focused effort of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for year end.

Developing a plan, sharing it with your leadership, staff, and volunteers — then actually enacting your plan, on time — will help you make your year end goals. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Significant Dates you can’t control: Thanksgiving (November 26), Giving Tuesday (December 1), Christmas (Friday, December 25), New Year’s Eve (Thursday, December 31).
• Significant Dates you can control:
o Year End Plan developed and approved (July 15) including:
▪ Major Donor Strategy
▪ Sustaining Donor Strategy
▪ Giving Tuesday Strategy
▪ Christmas Gift Strategy
o Year End Materials developed and produced (September 15)
o Monthly Plan Review (August 15, September 15, October 15, November 15, December 15)
o Stewardship plan (September 15)

Actually using your working plan (if it was produced on paper it would have a lot of pencil marks, coffee stains and dog-eared pages) will help keep your organization’s fundraising on track. COVID 19 has brought a lot of fundraising to a halt, or at least has slowed the pace. While no one knows what the future holds, well-managed donors tend to make gifts at year end. A strong Year End Plan can make a giant difference in predicting your level of success.