It’s no accident that GivingTuesday is December 3. The last quarter of the year is when nonprofits typically see the most donations. Nearly one-third of annual giving happens in December, and 10 percent happens in the last three days of the year (people want to get those tax credits!).

How can you take advantage of the most generous time of the year? A mini-campaign that integrates fundraising, social media, and PR is one way to make sure you’re reaching as many people as possible and driving them to donate through your GiveGab campaign, donation form, or Giving Day profile.

Here are some tips on how to build your own year-end campaign:

1. Content

Videos, photos, blog posts, and graphics can really help tell your story to potential donors. You don’t have to start from scratch. Think about how you can repurpose existing content for your end of year campaign.

Compelling stories of people who have benefitted from your organization’s services are one of the best ways to share your impact in a very personal way. These do not have to be highly produced videos. A video testimonial from someone who was impacted by your organization filmed on your smartphone is a great start and can be shared on your website, GiveGab fundraising page, in emails and on social media platforms.

Facebook and Instagram stories are easy tools to tell your organization’s story in a meaningful way. These can be a series of photos, videos or graphics.

Even a static graphic can be an impactful piece of content. Can you show the impact your organization has made so far this year in a tangible way? For example, We fed X number of people or We rescued X number of animals. Those kinds of numbers along with a photo can be very powerful.

2. Urgency

In your messaging, can you convey a sense of urgency around the needs of the populations you serve? For example, if you had X amount by the end of the year, what would you be able to do / who would you be able to help? What could that dollar amount solve for your organization?

This type of urgency in your messaging can also be a part of your content — a video message from a volunteer, board member, CEO or person who might be impacted by a donation.

3. Consistent Call to Action

Make sure that all parts of your campaign lead people to your donation page. When someone visits your website, there should be a very clear and visible link to your campaign/donation page. Same with email communications — make sure you are linking to your donation page. You want to make it super easy for people to give!

4. Influencers

Who are influencers within your network? Look at their reach on social media — how many followers do they have and how often are they posting? Ask if they would be willing to produce their own video testimonial or photo and post on their social media, website or blogs to encourage donations and increase awareness of your organization. Don’t forget to have them the link to your donation page!

5. Media Pitches

The holidays are usually a time when the media, particularly TV stations, are looking for positive, feel-good stories. If you have a compelling human interest story that shows how someone your organization has helped is now giving back — that is TV gold.

A few tips on media pitching: Don’t pitch to everyone, and make sure your pitch is really brief. Keep it to three paragraphs or less and include the Who-what-when-where-why. Do your homework and research the types of stories the reporter usually covers before reaching out.

6. Social Media

Paying to boost your social media posts will help ensure they get seen by the right people. For a few hundred dollars per post, you can increase your visibility, which can lead to more clicks and more donations.

Start promoting GivingTuesday at least one week before. By varying the content, you can keep people engaged (but not burned out by the end of the promotion). Consider rolling out the content as a series — are there 3-5 compelling stories you can parse out each day?

The key with any successful campaign is integration — making sure you are using all the arms of your organization to share your message and drive people to an action (donating, in this case). With these tips, you can harness the tools you already have to make this year’s holiday giving season merry and bright.

Author Bio:

Kate Lino is the founder and owner of k8 Communications, offering nonprofit consulting that is unique to each organization’s needs. She has over 20 years of experience in communications, including the national headquarters of the American Heart Association and managing a portfolio of 120+ nonprofit accounts with The Charity Network. She is passionate about helping nonprofits use communications to drive awareness and impact.