Get to Know Your Competition.
Your supporters are holiday shopping, not making a donation. Take a look at mainstream e-commerce sites like Amazon, Best Buy, Itunes, and make sure your own organizations e-commerce section provides a similar and intuitive user-experience. Another words make it easy for them to quickly view the gifts you are selling and to purchase them. Streamline your purchasing process to three or four simple steps: Add to Cart > Enter Your Information > Personalize Gift Card > Review & Place Order.
Understand What Motivates Donors.
“We’ve found that gift-giving programs draw on different donor motivations than traditional end-of-year fundraising, so nonprofits shouldn’t necessarily think of those programs as competing with each other,” said M&R.
Consider surveying your donors to learn what motivates them to purchase holiday gifts that support causes. It’s also a good idea to segment your list between gift-givers and donors. Then, take a look at the overlap between your donor and gift-giver file to determine if this strategy makes sense for your organization.
Be Specific, But Make It Special.
Gifts should be compelling and personal. Make sure you seed your catalog with appealing graphics and include a pithy description for each gift.
Don’t Forget The Gift-Wrap!
Packaging always matters. Use eye-catching images.
Give Supporters Lots of Options.
Offer donors multiple fulfillment modes, whether paper cards with printed custom messages sent to the recipient by your organization, e-cards for immediate (or scheduled) delivery, or printable cards the buyer can put in an envelope and bring to a holiday party.
Promote Away!
Personalize your emails, time them right and: