It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Year-End

Your job is to create a deadline that is believable and that you are willing (and able) to follow through on. For example, "With your support, we will increase the hours of our shelter in 2012, meaning 100 more people each week will receive the help we provide."

Whatever you promise must be feasible, and your organization has to stand behind it. You owe it to your donors to report back to them early in 2012, letting them know if you met this goal with their help and telling them about the expanded program they helped make possible.