‘Tis the Charity Season

During the last few weeks of the year, surveys show that charities and nonprofits raise close to 50% of their annual contributions. And it’s the time once again when nonprofits are gearing up for the upcoming waves of donations and contributions during the holiday season. Thanks to the Internet, you can find an abundance of ways your organization can make the most with this upsurge of generosity. Here are some tips to drive those donations towards the end of the year:

Stories to Share – Ask those that your organization helps to express or tell their story. You can showcase that story as a post or a video, and share with donors the type of impact they create. The showcase doesn’t have to necessarily ask for donations; you can provide other ways supporters can help, and then list donations as a secondary option.

Signify the Holidays – From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, and every holiday in between, you should make an effort to be active with your supporters. For New Year’s, you can have donors contribute as a New Year resolution, or have them donate in recognition of someone they’re thankful for around Thanksgiving. Christmas could be donating a gift for those in need; the possibilities could be limitless.

#GivingTuesday – The first Tuesday after Thanksgiving is the national day of giving. Your nonprofit could take advantage by offering special donation rewards like matching a donation dollar for dollar, or a two-for-one donation offer.

Transparency is Key – Be able to clearly convey to your supporters how their donations are used; that can be done with a simple email, or a grand presentation of some kind. Donors are gratefully at ease when they know how far every dollar goes.

Hosting & Promoting – Events are best this time of year for receiving donations. And even though they may require proper planning, you always have your network of supporters and volunteers to rely on. Food shelters can host a canned food drive, animals shelters can have a day where kids make animal-shaped holiday cards, and homeless shelters can serve meals.

Check out the popular, event-planning website, Inspherio, for ways to coordinate your holiday event, and post photos of your event or donation gathering on social media with #nonprofitnovember.

Giveaways – Offer a holiday themed giveaway. You could be giving away event tickets, consumer items, or even team up with a local grocery store to give away coupons. Whatever you decide to do, promote it often on every social media channel your organization has.

The list can go on and on, but however you decide to engage your supporters, now is the perfect time. And all those contributions can quickly and easily be reported on your Form 990 (Long) or Form 990-EZ through ExpressTaxExempt. Our bulk upload feature allows you to enter all of your contributors at once with no hassle.

Our live team of professionals in Rock Hill, South Carolina is ready to contribute with any assistance you may need e-filing your exempt tax return. We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, at (704) 839-2321, or email us 24/7 at [email protected]. Chat with us too at www.expresstaxexempt.com.