The Dog Days of Summer Are Here. Is Your Year-End Campaign Ready?

September 2026 Newsletter

Hey Reader

We’re officially in the dog days of summer.

Beach trips are winding down. The last few BBQs are making their way onto the calendar. Vacations are wrapping up. And hopefully, you’ve had at least a little time to unplug, recharge, and enjoy everything summer has to offer.

But as much as I hate to be the person who brings up December while it’s still 90 degrees outside (at least here in DC)…it’s time to start thinking about your year-end fundraising campaign.

I know. Too soon? Maybe for holiday music. Definitely not for fundraising.

The strongest year-end campaigns don’t come together in the last few weeks of December. They start with a clear strategy: reviewing what worked last year, identifying your priority audiences, developing a compelling case for support, gathering stories, and mapping out how email, social media, your website, direct outreach, and other channels will work together.

Our latest article, “How to Build a Successful Nonprofit Year-End Fundraising Campaign,” walks through the process step by step from campaign planning and donor segmentation to storytelling, the donation experience, and what happens after someone gives.

🔗 Read: Read the article + download our free Nonprofit Year-End Fundraising Campaign Planning Checklist

So, enjoy those last summer weekends. Fire up the grill. Get in one more beach day.

But maybe carve out a little time between now and Labor Day to get the year-end fundraising conversation started. Your December self will thank you.

Happy Celebrating

—

Nathan

CEO, Market Me Consulting

Nonprofit Marketing

How to Build a Successful Nonprofit Year-End Fundraising Campaign

Learn how to plan a successful nonprofit year-end fundraising campaign, from messaging and storytelling to donor outreach, digital promotion and follow-up.

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Check out these articles that contain helpful marketing tips and tricks!

Fundraising Growth Continues to Mask a Shrinking Donor Base: Why fundraising growth may be hiding a bigger challenge and what the decline in the number of donors means for your strategy.

101 Digital Marketing and Fundraising Best Practices: A massive (but useful!) checklist covering the digital marketing and fundraising fundamentals every nonprofit should have on its radar

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