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6 min read

Mastering the Planning Phase of Year-End Campaigns

Mastering the Planning Phase of Year-End Campaigns

Year-end campaigns that fall short aren’t because the graphics aren’t pretty, or the theme isn’t catchy, it’s usually because they aren’t planned well. 

A successful campaign is like conducting a symphony, where each instrument—be it source codes, donation form updates, or social engagement—must play in perfect harmony.

Imagine this: launching your campaign with all your emails and social posts scheduled and approved. Having ample time to engage on social, send additional emails as needed, and even do some a/b testing. This is the dream, right? 

Don’t worry, you are not alone this year-end. Myself: email lover, Brynne Krispin: social media maven, and iDonate: the donation form masters, are here in the trenches helping you along the way.

In my previous blog, I outlined the four phases of a campaign and provided a campaign brief template you should have completed and approved by stakeholders. 

As we remain in the planning phase, it's time to set deadlines and start drafting your copy—especially for Giving Tuesday on December 3rd.

And because we don't ever want to leave you hanging, we're giving you a free project management template to save you time and help you plan your year-end campaign.

Download the year-end project management template

Now, let's dive into my favorite topic: email.

Email marketing is a powerhouse, and the most frequent question I get is, "How many emails should I send for the year-end campaign?" 

My answer—13 emails, segmented into at least three audiences — 39 total email builds – often surprises people. 

But here's my hot take: in the battle for inbox attention, more can actually be better!

Here's a breakdown of an effective email strategy for the giving season:

🎁 2 pre-Giving Tuesday emails to build anticipation

🚀 3 on Giving Tuesday to maximize momentum

🙏 1 day-after thank you to show appreciation

💌 1 email a week before December's final push

🎉 2 emails on Dec 30 to create urgency

📧 3 emails on Dec 31 for last-minute giving

💥 1 January thank you and impact report to close the loop

That's 13 strategic touch-points crafted to engage your donors and drive results. With fierce inbox competition, maintaining a consistent presence ensures your message resonates.

The key? Each email must deliver value. Whether it's sharing compelling impact stories, offering exclusive content, or simply expressing gratitude, make every message count.

Tips for Writing Effective Emails:

  • Speak to the donor's motivation to give and their identity as a supporter of your mission.
  • Craft compelling subject lines and preview text that entice opens.
  • Personalize content to resonate with the reader's values and interests.
  • Include clear calls-to-action that guide donors on the next steps.

Remember, email is just one piece of the puzzle. Multi-channel campaigns amplify results. 

That's why Brynne and I are joining forces to be sure your email and social strategies are rock solid this year-end.

- Katelyn Baughan, KB digital


 

Planning Your Year-End Social Media Campaigns: Tips to Save Time, Prevent Burnout, and Drive Impact

Social media often feels overwhelming and puts a lot of pressure on small teams to churn out endless content in order to see results. But the good news is, there are ways to organize your social media campaign for maximum impact while saving time and preventing burnout by taking just a few steps. With these tools, your nonprofit can enter the busiest giving season of the year with confidence.

1. Start with a Social Media Audit to Focus on Your Efforts

One of the first steps to an efficient social media strategy is a comprehensive audit. This allows you to identify what’s working, what’s not, and where to direct your energy:

  • Identify Key Platforms: Based on engagement and reach, decide which platforms have been most successful for your organization. Concentrate efforts where your audience is most active to make the best use of time.
  • Update Profiles: Make sure each social media profile reflects your current mission, branding, and any campaign-specific changes.
  • Analyze Top-Performing Content: Review which posts performed best over the year. Can these be repurposed, adapted, or referenced in new ways? This is an efficient way to leverage content that’s already resonated with your audience.

Download the Social Media Audit Checklist to streamline this process and create a solid foundation for your campaign strategy.

2. Setup a Detailed Content Calendar to Reduce Decision Fatigue

Avoid the scramble by scheduling campaign content in advance. Aim to create a content calendar that includes:

  • Key Dates: Plan for important dates like Giving Tuesday (December 3rd) and other holiday benchmarks.
  • Content Phases: Divide your campaign into three phases:
    • Pre-Launch: Warm up your audience with mission reminders, teasers, and engaging stories about your work.
    • Launch Phase: Focus on impact posts, testimonials, and clear calls to action.
    • Thank-You & Follow-Up: After donations roll in, continue to engage by showcasing gratitude and the real-world impact of contributions.

A planned content calendar helps your team know what’s coming up, reduces daily decision-making, and allows room for real-time engagement. Use this project management tool template (provided for free!) to track approvals, deadlines, and publishing dates.

3. Build a Template Toolkit for Consistent, Time-Saving Visuals

Visuals play a huge role in keeping your campaign cohesive and impactful, but creating each one from scratch can be exhausting. To save time while maintaining quality:

  • Use Canva Templates: Start with a set of customizable Canva templates for each type of post—stories, static posts, updates, and thank-yous. This way, your branding and messaging remain consistent, and there’s less time spent on design.
  • Save a Reel Template Series: Reels are high-engagement opportunities, so design templates for updates, countdowns, and interactive elements like polls or Q&A sessions. This keeps your visuals fresh and easy to produce on short notice.

Templates not only help you create on-brand posts quickly but also make collaboration simpler, allowing your team to add and edit content without reinventing the wheel.

FREE: Download 15 Canva templates to help you get started!

4. Schedule Wisely, and Don't Overcommit

It’s easy to feel the pressure to “post everywhere,” but doing too much can lead to burnout without necessarily improving results. Here’s how to work smart:

  • Focus on Your Core Platforms: Choose one or two platforms that drive the best engagement and prioritize content there.
  • Batch Your Work: Schedule blocks of time for creating content, scheduling posts, and engaging with your audience. This approach minimizes the interruptions that come with frequent posting and allows you to dedicate time for real-time interaction.
  • Automate: Use scheduling tools like Planable or Hootsuite to plan posts in advance, but build in breaks to review real-time engagement. Automated scheduling allows you to focus on high-quality interactions and feedback from your audience without constantly logging in to post.

5. Set Realistic Goals for Organic Social Media's Role

Organic social media isn’t primarily a conversion tool; it’s a means to prime and remind your audience, keeping your nonprofit top-of-mind. Here’s how to manage your expectations for social media’s role in your campaign:

  • Think of Social Media as the Starting Line: Social platforms introduce your mission, provide regular reminders, and point followers to your donation page or email list.
  • Mix Storytelling with Calls-to-Action: While organic social might not generate immediate donations, it can set the stage. Posts that tell a story (especially video) often increase engagement by over 70% and can drive people to click through to your website.
  • Measure Engagement Over Conversions: Track sends, comments, shares, and link clicks rather than just direct donations from social. Engagement shows that your message is resonating, leading to increased awareness that fuels other channels, like email.

6. Use Data Trends to Fine-Tune Your Campaign

Inform your social media strategy with the latest trends in nonprofit social media:

  • Leverage Keywords: Posts using campaign-specific keywords can increase reach by 30-40%.
  • Be Consistent: Regular posting keeps your nonprofit top-of-mind. Aim for at least three posts per week to stay visible, with strategic posting leading up to key campaign dates.
  • Create Interactive Content: Polls, questions, and quizzes can spark engagement and deepen your audience’s connection with your campaign.

Taking Care of You While You Take Care of Your Campaign

Year-end campaigns are a marathon, not a sprint. By setting up a streamlined content calendar, using visual templates, and focusing on meaningful engagement rather than perfection, your nonprofit can stay energized throughout the season. You’ll be poised to deliver impactful, well-organized campaigns that build donor trust and drive results, all without overwhelming your team.

Download the tools provided, take things one step at a time, and remember that quality engagement outperforms sheer volume. Here’s to an impactful, well-prepared campaign that leaves your team feeling accomplished, not exhausted!

- Brynne Krispin, Cause Fokus



In the next few months, we will continue to keep you on track with your campaign planning. 

Each month we will release a new blog post and podcast that will walk you through the 4 phases of running a campaign: Planning, Warm-up, Launch, and Post-launch.

Here’s what you can expect:

  1. September - Campaign Kickoff & Planning 
  2. October - Project Management & Content Creation (this blog!)
  3. November - Designing and Writing Emails 
  4. December - Launch
  5. January - Reporting + Post Campaign Actions

Happy campaigning!


About the Authors

  • Brynne Krispin is a social media strategist for NGOs and purpose-driven businesses. She specializes in making complex issues resonate with audiences. With a decade of experience in DC, her team at Cause Fokus uses empathy-based marketing to transform passive viewers into loyal advocates.
  • Katelyn Baughan is a nonprofit email consultant and founder of KB Digital, dedicated to helping organizations leverage email marketing for impactful fundraising. With experience managing multi-million dollar campaigns for clients like National Geographic and The Trevor Project, she combines expertise and a passion for making a difference to maximize nonprofit success.
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