Top Five Strategies to Ensure Your Fundraising Thrives After Election Season

Chapter Leadership Brief 11.15.24

By Terry Pearl
Founder & Chief Philanthropy Partner, 360 Philanthropy Partners

In honor of 360 Philanthropy Partners’ fifth anniversary this month, I’m excited to share our Top Five Strategies to help fundraisers overcome the unique challenges of the post-election season. Election cycles often disrupt philanthropy, as donors may feel fatigued, financially stretched, or distracted from their usual support for nonprofits. But with the right approach, you can re-engage donors, refresh your appeals, and stand out in this competitive landscape.

Here are five strategies to supercharge your fundraising efforts after election season:

1. Reconnect and Reengage with Your Donors

Election cycles often create donor fatigue, as people are inundated with appeals, campaign messages, and news. After such an intense season, donors may need a gentle reminder of your mission’s core values and the positive impact your organization delivers. Now is the perfect time to reset relationships by tailoring your outreach to express gratitude and renew connections.

Practical Tips:

• Segment and Personalize Outreach By Recent Engagement History:
  • For donors who paused giving, create messaging that empathizes with the financial demands of election season.
  • For consistently active donors, reinforce their commitment with specific impact stories to remind them why their contributions matter. “Your support has been a constant force for our community. Thanks to you, children are thriving in our literacy programs. Together, we can keep this momentum going.”
• Offer a “Welcome Back” Message: For lapsed or lower-frequency donors, consider a friendly “Welcome Back!” message that updates them on an exciting new program or upcoming initiative. For donors who haven’t given in over a year, launch a “Looking Forward Together” campaign, emphasizing the sustained impact of their past support and inviting them to play a meaningful role in 2025.

2. Highlight the Stability and Long-Term Impact of Your Mission

Election seasons can create uncertainty, and donors may be drawn to causes that offer a sense of stability and continuity. Position your organization as a consistent, reliable force for good with a mission that outlasts political trends.

Practical Tips:

• Create Messaging that Emphasizes Consistency: Consider a campaign series titled “Building a Future Beyond Politics,” focusing on the stability and relevance of your work regardless of the political climate. An email campaign could be sent as part of a “post-election reset,” re-centering around your mission’s timeless impact.
• Share a Three-Year Vision: Offer donors a glimpse of your organization’s long-term impact plan. Show them how their contributions today can make a lasting difference over the next three years, especially in areas they’ve previously supported.
• Showcase Organizational Resilience: Reinforce that your organization has weathered many seasons of change. Highlight past accomplishments and milestones to assure donors that their support contributes to a strong, enduring foundation.

3. Host a “Community Over Politics” Event to Reengage Your Audience

When people are often looking to move beyond the intensity of election season, hosting a virtual or in-person “post-election reflection” or “community forward” event allows your supporters to reconnect in a nonpartisan setting. This is an ideal platform for discussing the positive changes your organization brings to the community and inviting donors to share feedback.

Practical Tips:

• Include Interactive Engagements: Add a Q&A session with your leadership team, a “donor spotlight” where a loyal donor shares their reason for supporting your mission, or a roundtable discussion on upcoming projects.
• Offer a Glimpse of Future Goals: Use the event to highlight upcoming initiatives or your organization’s vision, demonstrating the forward-thinking nature of your work.
• Encourage Feedback: Create polls, breakout rooms, or feedback forms so supporters can express their feedback and passion for your mission, and feel a sense of shared ownership in your work.

4. Revamp Donor Engagement Based on Election-Driven Donor Behavior

Political giving seasons often shift donation patterns, making it a critical time to review and refresh your fundraising campaigns. By analyzing your data and segmenting donors who paused giving or altered their usual patterns, you can create targeted re-engagement strategies.

Practical Tips:

• Focus on Data-Driven Insights: Review recent donor behavior to identify metrics like average gift size, response rates, and retention among various segments. For example, identify lapsed donors and reach out with a “we’ve missed you” campaign, which emphasizes both impact and gratitude.
• Test New Campaigns: Experiment with formats like peer-to-peer challenges, video storytelling, or donor-led “micro-campaigns.” These approaches add variety to your appeals and can capture attention in a crowded landscape.
• Leverage Technology for Donor Engagement: Make it easy for donors to give and stay informed. Consider using digital engagement tools like QR codes, AI-created personalized email journeys, or dedicated campaign landing pages that simplify the donation process.

5. Double Down on Stewardship to Anchor Long-Term Relationships

After an election cycle, donors need to feel appreciated and valued. Developing or refining your stewardship program now will not only foster goodwill but also help turn single donations into lifetime commitments.

Practical Tips:

• Create a Year-Round Gratitude Plan: Map out gratitude touchpoints throughout the year, like thank-you emails, milestone updates, and special recognitions.
  • For example, establish a “donor appreciation month” with exclusive impact stories or thank-you videos: “This Donor Appreciation Month, we want to celebrate you! Thanks to your support, over 200 students accessed our scholarship fund this year.”
• Offer Insider Access for Major Donors: Major donors often appreciate behind-the-scenes insights. Send a quarterly email from your leadership or host insider sessions, creating a sense of exclusivity.
• Celebrate Milestones Together: Use your organization’s anniversaries, such as our own five-year mark at 360 Philanthropy, to thank your supporters and recognize their contributions. Acknowledging milestones together fosters a sense of shared journey and achievement.

Honoring Our Five-Year Anniversary with Lasting Impact

As 360 Philanthropy Partners celebrates five years of partnering with nonprofits to build sustainable, community-driven fundraising strategies, we’re reminded that successful fundraising goes beyond individual campaigns. It’s about building resilient relationships that empower organizations to thrive and achieve long-term impact.

By focusing on thoughtful donor engagement, embracing community-centered approaches, and nurturing genuine appreciation, your organization can move forward from the election season into 2025 with renewed strength and a clear vision for the future.

Ready to turn post-election challenges into fundraising strengths? Connect with 360 Philanthropy to discuss how these strategies can work for your organization and help you exceed your goals. Let’s build a thriving future for your mission and the communities you serve.

After working in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years, Terry Pearl became the Founder & Chief Philanthropy Partner of 360 Philanthropy Partners to help nonprofit leaders and board members shift from a state of financial uncertainty and strategic ambiguity to one of abundance, fundraising confidence, and strategic clarity. Throughout her career in fundraising, strategic planning, and board development, she has raised over $200 million for various global nonprofits. Terry's consulting work has supported a wide range of partner organizations, such as HousingPlus, the College Completion Innovation Fund at CUNY, the Society for Nuclear Medicine, the American Society of the University of Haifa, the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, Cohen Veterans Bioscience, Children's Tumor Foundation, and the Green Beret Foundation, among others.