Why should you donate by fiscal year end?: Messaging that actually motivates donors
Every year educational institutions go all in on a push to get donors to make a gift by fiscal year end. We dedicate significant staff hours, time, energy and resources driving those last important dollars and gift counts, trying to bridge any remaining gaps between performance so far and our fiscal year goals.
Why is fiscal year end important for the university?
We need to meet our goals for the current financial year, report out on performance, lock in budgets and start the clock again to drive funding for the next fiscal year. We know that closing out the fiscal year successfully is a crucial component of our institution's overall strategic financial health and our ability to deliver on our mission.
Why can driving giving at fiscal year end be so tough?
From a donor's vantage point, June 30 (or whatever date your institution closes out its fiscal year) can seem like an arbitrary point on the calendar, often overshadowed by summer activities and personal priorities.
Why would a donor care about June 30?...
It’s the middle of the summer. They are travelling on vacation, ushering their kids to camp or working on that long-awaited home project. The timeline has nothing to do with calendar-year end tax year cut offs. They may have paid attention to that giving day you threw in April or May but by June many have moved on to family members’ graduations and globe trotting. Moreover, not every prospective donor understands what is a “fiscal year,” why it is broken up at the half-calendar-year mark for universities, and what effect that has on the way the institution operates financially. By simply writing the words “fiscal year” in a direct appeal piece not only are we making a lot of assumptions of a reader’s business acumen but we are also not tying it to real-life impact for our students, faculty and staff.
So how do we communicate the “why”? How do we create urgency and share why giving now is important?...
The key to overcoming this disconnect lies in shifting the focus from an administrative deadline to the tangible impact on the academic experience.
Frame the “why” around the language and impact of the upcoming academic year instead of the fiscal year and on the next cohort of incredible students.
Communicate that…
We need to fund the scholarships and innovative programs that provide hands-on learning experiences that will be life-changing for our incoming class of students.
We need investments in next school year’s student research projects with faculty, capstones, art showcases, semesters abroad and internship stipends that will set up our juniors and seniors for career discernment and holistic success.
The “why” is everything.
Our students, faculty and staff depend on that “why.” Our donors will make a tremendous impact on educational opportunities for our best and brightest as a result of their investment through the university by fiscal year end. That is why it is imperative they take a moment while lounging on their beach chair to click that “give now” button on their phone by June 30.
Your students are counting on individuals in our community’s investments to make their next academic year truly transformational.
If you empower your development teams and potential donors with this messaging consistently through all your fiscal year end mailers, calls, social media posts and email campaigns, I promise you will be much more successful in driving dollars to what matters most.
If you have any questions or need further guidance, connect with me.
I’m here to support you!
Good luck — you got this!
Jen Stirling
Principal Consultant, Brighter Philanthropy —
Fundraising consulting for higher ed and K-12
As your partner, I’ll bring my considerable expertise, high-energy efficiency, optimistic realism, relational approach, and fresh perspective to guide your team and help your institution reach its goals, enabling more students to thrive. I offer support for campaign services, development organization assessments, staff coaching and board development.
