Every nonprofit knows it: the end of the year is crunch time for fundraising. Nearly 30% of annual giving happens in December, with roughly 10% of all yearly donations occurring in the final three days of the year*. This makes year-end appeals one of the biggest opportunities to raise critical funds and deepen donor relationships.
Giving Tuesday kicks off many nonprofit’s year end fundraising campaigns. In 2025, over 38 million people supported nonprofit organization across the United States. At a 13% increase over last year, an estimated $4 billion was raised on this single day of giving!*
While Giving Tuesday is an invaluable launchpad, the rest of December is just as important, so don’t take your foot off the gas yet! With a strategic campaign, you can maximize the momentum you gained on Giving Tuesday and finish the year stronger than ever.
1. Extend Your Appeal Through December
Giving Tuesday should be the spark that helps you finish a strong year of fundraising. As the data shows, we know that a significant percentage of funds are given in the final four weeks of the year. That means you’re not done communicating your campaign!
In the final weeks, you should be prepared to:
- Follow up with Giving Tuesday donors. This helps you build a stronger donor relationship, which results in creating a long-time supporter.
- Share impact stories from the year. Remind supporters why your mission matters and why their donations are important.
- Show progress toward your fundraising goals. Let your audience know how close you are to reaching your goal and invite them to help you cross that line.
- Give them a sneak peek at the year ahead. Tell them how their donations will allow you to continue your work and what you have planned for 2026.
2. Share Your Story: Impact & Success
Your year-end campaign is also a chance to celebrate what your organization accomplished this year. People tend to give when they know how and why their dollars are needed. Use this time to give them a peek into to your biggest wins, impact metrics, and into the year ahead.
But don’t just rely on showing impressive numbers. Give a voice and story to those metrics. Use December to spotlight:
- Big wins and impact metrics. What goals did you meet? What stories demonstrate real change?
- Program successes. What programs were made possible with donor support?
- Use real voices. Share stories from beneficiaries, volunteers, staff, and community partners.
Donors want to see that their gifts are making a difference. Sharing authentic impact builds trust and inspires generosity as the year closes.
3. Highlight the People Behind the Mission
Fundraising is more than transactions, it’s about people and relationships. Use your year-end messaging to feature the community that makes your work possible.
- Staff members. Share their passion, expertise, and stories from the field.
- Volunteers. Spotlight their contributions and the energy they bring to your mission.
- Board members. Show how leaders are invested in your success.
- Donors. Celebrate supporters and the collective impact they fuel.
Showing the faces and hearts behind your organization makes your mission relatable and inspiring. Supporters are more likely to give when they feel part of the community they’re supporting.
4. Make Giving Easy and Engaging
A seamless donation experience is crucial at year-end when attention is high and time is limited. That’s where Kind Kiosk’s fundraising tools can make a real difference. Our customers have collectively raised over $1.5 million just this year through the Kind Kiosk platform, showing just how effective our modern, user-friendly giving experience can be.
Embeddable Donate Button
Fundraising with Kind Kiosk doesn’t have to stop at the Kiosk, you can use the Embeddable Donate Button to keep the same streamlined experience to your website. The button fits the design of your own website and uses the same configuration you use on the Kiosk. The customizations you have chosen in your configuration will work just the same through the button!
Enhanced Commerce Workflow
Increase your efforts to sell memberships or physical items as a final push at the end of the year! Our new product variants and inventory tracking enhance our Commerce Workflow to better fit your needs. These new features make it easy to sell items alongside donation appeals, perfect for year-end gift shops, holiday merchandise, or other impact-driven products.
Live Leaderboards for Friendly Competition
Whether you’re hosting an event or running a virtual campaign to close-out the final month, our live leaderboard showcases top donors in real time, encouraging friendly competition and community engagement that can amplify giving.
All of these tools help make your fundraising experience fast, fun, and donor-centric, a key to capturing gifts during the busiest giving season of the year.
As December closes and you work on the final donation push, be sure to thank your supporters personally and meaningfully. Show appreciation for every gift and share your vision for the year ahead. Let donors know how their support will continue to fuel impact in the coming year.
Year-end fundraising isn’t just about numbers. It’s about community, connection, and shared purpose. When nonprofits invest in storytelling, relationships, and engaging donor experiences, fundraising becomes a celebration of what we accomplish together!
If you need help setting up your year-end campaign with tools that elevate donor engagement and streamline giving, Kind Kiosk is here to support your mission!