Annual Campaigns

If you are among the many nonprofits that raise 40 percent or more of their annual incomes in December, you might already be thinking about your year-end appeals. Indeed, with so much at stake, beginning the process during the hot summer months barely can be considered an early start.

Three fundraising professionals shared 30 ideas for fundraising success at Fund Raising Day in New York. Here are ideas 1-10.

Annual giving to George Washington University increased 9 percent in 2011, with annual donations to the university topping $5.3 million as of June 6.

Annual giving — all directly solicited gifts of up to $25,000 — represents 5.7 percent of the $92 million raised by GW so far this year. Complete fundraising totals will not be calculated until after the end of the fiscal year, June 30.

Last year, giving reached $4.8 million, up 14 percent from 2008.

Although annual giving rose, overall fundraising remains comparable to last fiscal year, when GW took in $93.82 million.

We've all heard the studies that claim a glass of wine with dinner is good for your health. As it turns out, injecting a little bit of wine into your organization's special events can be quite good for your fundraising health as well.

Toys“R”Us announced its fifth annual nationwide in-store fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks, North America’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, raised more than $3 million across the U.S. and Canada. Coinciding with Autism Awareness Month in April, all Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores in North America, along with Toysrus.com/AutismSpeaks and Toysrus.ca, encouraged customers to donate. The campaign raised $2.3 million in the U.S. and $700,000 in Canada. Donations collected will help fund global biomedical research for autism, raise public awareness about the disorder and provide support for families affected by autism.

Despite a tough economy, the United Way of the Southern Tier’s 2010 fundraising campaign set an all-time record, bringing in more than $4.5 million in community donations, officials announced Tuesday.

The campaign total of $4,533,643 was an increase of $134,631 from 2009. It broke the previous record, set in 2008, by nearly $5,000.

YMCA of the Triangle raised just more than $4 million in its annual WeBuildPeople campaign, the most ever for the annual effort. The campaign provides funds for families, adults and children to participate in YMCA programs, regardless of their ability to pay.

The YMCA also received a $200,000 gift from the SAS Championship.

Even with a strong annual-giving program in place, I found the greatest payoff came from looking deeply to evaluate the program comprehensively and strategically.

Each year, by introducing one strategic, well-planned, high-impact change, we were able to see more than 10 percent growth annually.

Over time, I compiled a list of best practices to help me evaluate my program and stay focused on the essentials:

The Salvation Army raised a record $142 million during the 2010 annual Red Kettle Christmas Campaign. The increase of just over two percent from 2009’s record of $139 million raised reflects the continued determination of every American to support their neighbors during challenging economic times. The Salvation Army’s 2010 campaign employed traditional efforts with volunteers, celebrity endorsements and corporate partners such as Walmart and Sam’s Club, along with new technology and social media tools to set a campaign record for the sixth year in a row.

As charities gear up for the third holiday fund-raising season in a down economy, nonprofits are searching for ways to unlock the Grinch-like spirit gripping many donors. But finding new approaches that produce strong results remains elusive for many groups.

An organizations seeking a new way to solicit is the Nature Conservancy — starting its online year-end campaign 15 days earlier this year. But the organization is avoiding asking for money right away, instead spotlighting what scientists say about environmental issues and other topics.