Very few stations that I know of end the year not needing more money. More money equals more ministry.
Most of the reasons I hear from radio stations about why they don’t want to do a year end fundraiser is because they don’t believe it’s a good time to raise money. Or they feel their listeners are burned out on fundraising. Neither of these two reasons are rooted in reality.
1) Christmas is a great time of year to raise money!
As the holiday season approaches, the mindset of most people is feeling generous. They’re buying Christmas presents…they’re entertaining and being entertained. And a lot of folks are outside their normal routines.
In the last couple of weeks ShareMedia came along side a few of our clients and we had huge year end fundraisers. Over 90 percent of the donations were one time gifts on credit card. For two clients, that meant well over $800,000 was in their bank accounts within days of their event. And here is the best part, listeners were thanking the radio stations for a chance to give at the end of the year!
2) Your listeners are not burned out on fundraising, your staff is.
During an average week some listeners tune in only 15 minutes a week. Other listeners are tuned in for 8-12 minutes a day. I know it sounds crazy but some of your year-end listeners totally missed your last fundraiser and their chance to give.
I know another fundraiser means hard work for you and your staff, however, you have listeners who want to give you money. Why wouldn’t you do the extra work to get the money you need to end the year strong and do more ministry?
3) Be aware of what you are doing and how you are asking.
Just because you do a year end fundraiser doesn’t mean you’ll have good results. ShareMedia has researched what works during a year end fundraiser and what elements makes it successful.
I was sharing with a client station that if they would add this one key element to their year end fundraiser they would see unbelievable results. Last year they raised $190,000 during their year-end event. With the addition of a key element, this year they raised over $450,000. Needless to say the fundraiser went well and the one new element was a hit with their listeners.
Fundraisers aren’t successful because you decide to have one. It takes time, effort, research and teamwork for a fundraiser come together and become a success for your station.
I’m sure at this point it’s too late to think about a year end fundraiser but I would encourage you to consider it for 2016. Yeah it’s extra work, however, it could mean ending the year strong and beginning the new year even stronger.
Your audience is ready to make a year end gift to your ministry, don’t miss the opportunity to ask them.
