Year-end isn’t just another campaign window for nonprofits. It’s often when 17–30 percent of annual revenue is raised. This year, amid economic shifts and donor fatigue, the stakes are higher than ever. But smart planning, blending strategy, storytelling, and logistics, can turn the pressure into opportunity.
Here’s how nonprofits across the world thrived recently, and what yours can do in 2025 to get ready.
Global Spotlight: Fascinating Year-End Campaign Wins
Canada
- Terry Fox Run remains Canada’s largest peer-to-peer fundraiser, raising $26.6 million in 2024. Digital tools and community storytelling scaled participation despite in-person fatigue (Peer-to-Peer Forum).
- SickKids Foundation’s Million Reasons Run grew participation by 60% in 2024 thanks to integrated social campaigns and alumni networks engaging via Instagram and text reminders.
Australia
- The End of Financial Year (EOFY) giving model crossed $38.3 million in mid-2024. One shelter in Sydney, Sanctuary, increased donations 20% year over year by introducing contactless donation kiosks in community centers and promoting on Facebook with urgency messaging (Raisely).
Scotland
- The Kelpies Experience, a community climb of the iconic sculptures, became a standout event for one charity, raising both money and awareness by offering tiered participation levels, storytelling via regional media, and local business sponsorships (Scottish Charity Air Ambulance).
Germany
- WWF Germany’s ActionPanda campaign drove a doubling of donations during December–January. Peer-to-peer teamwork via the iRaiser platform delivered €534 million in online giving in 2023, a sign that digital-first strategies can outperform traditional mass appeals (WWF Germany via Getunik).
What That Means for You in 2025
These campaigns leveraged urgency, regional culture, and community. You can build your own version now:
- Audit your donor calendar:
- Determine high-impact windows: Giving Tuesday, year-end match periods, community-aligned events.
- Mark key logistical dates: holidays, shipping cutoffs, internal approvals.
- Tell through shared purpose:
- Frame your campaign around a mission moment: what your supporters did last year, what impact you aim for now.
- Mix visuals, testimonials, and urgency into emails, social posts, and member updates.
- Multiply impact across teams:
- Coordinate development, advocacy, volunteer, and membership teams.
- Turn advocacy asks into fundraising momentum and volunteer recruitment into donor onboarding.
- Enable frictionless giving:
- Highlight recurring giving, peer referrals, and mobile giving.
- Automate confirmation emails, thank-you messages, and next-steps for repeat actions.
- Lean on digital but get personal:
- Offer a peer-to-peer or challenge option, like a virtual run or member match.
- Include segments for major donors, legacy prospects, and newer supporters.
- Create a membership at the center:
- Make your year-end campaign feel like an exclusive member gathering.
- Use virtual events, early-access newsletters, or holiday cards to show care beyond the ask.
A Membership Organization That Chose Community, Not Profit
One client, a membership organization, shared that their typical fundraising events felt transactional: good for revenue but not for relationships. Last year, we helped them pivot to a year-end “Member Celebration Day.” It wasn’t a fundraiser per se; rather, an inclusive, hybrid (in-person & streaming) event that featured:
- Peer-led storytelling
- A low-commitment raffle (entry supported the cause but wasn’t the ask)
- Live volunteer thank-you messages
- A soft appeal at the end: just enough to cover event costs and take minimal momentum into next year
The result: membership retention went up by 13% year over year, new referrals increased, and donor gratitude scores rose. In other words, they reinvested into community. And it paid off.
Round-Up October Checklist for 2025
| Action Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Mark your calendar (G-Tuesday, holidays) | Anchor campaigns to predictable windows |
| Launch a mission-forward storyline | Make it about impact, not just need |
| Align teams across dev/comms/volunteers | Amplify voices collectively |
| Leverage digital tools & personalization | Lower friction, increase connection |
| Center your members or volunteers | Build loyalty, not just donations |
| Project cost-neutral impact | Win hearts and numbers |