By Jason Smith, Senior Consultant
Year-end giving can feel overwhelming for schools. The calendar is crowded, donors are busy, and development teams often feel pressure to do everything at once. But effective year-end fundraising does not have to begin with a massive campaign, a perfect message, or a polished presentation.
It can begin with a simple, personal plan.
The most important opportunity at year end is reconnecting with the people who already care deeply about the school’s mission. A practical year-end fundraising plan can start with three focused steps: identify, connect and meet.
Step 1: Identify 25 Priority Donors
Start by building a focused list of 25 priority donors.
These are not simply the people with the largest giving histories. They may include donors who have shown strong interest, families with meaningful relationships to the school, past supporters who have been quiet recently, or people who could make a significant year-end gift if personally invited.
The goal is to move from a vague sense of “we need to reach everyone” to a clear understanding of “these are the people we need to engage first.”
A list of 25 is small enough to be manageable and large enough to create meaningful opportunity. It helps the team focus energy where relationships matter most. This group will be the foundation of any other broader engagements you are able to make before the end of the year.
Do not over think this and do not take more than 30 minutes building it (you can refine later if necessary).
To build this list, ask:
- Who has the strongest relationship with the school?
- Who has given generously in the past?
- Who may be ready for a more personal conversation?
- Who needs to hear directly from school leadership before year-end?
- Who would appreciate being seen, thanked, and invited personally?
- Who is respected by other families in the school community?
This step brings order and focus to the usual year-end rush. Instead of reacting to the chaos, you can now focus on a core group of key relationships.
Step 2: Reach Out to Five People This Week
Once your list is built, choose five people and reach out this week.
The outreach does not need to be polished. In fact, it will be more effective if it feels personal, direct, and human. A short text, a personalized video message, a phone call, or a handwritten note will be more meaningful than a carefully designed message sent to hundreds of people. You may even find them in the pick up line or at their child or grandchild’s athletic event.
“A student said this about our school the other day and I immediately thought of you.”
“I was welcoming first time parents to our school last week and remembered when we first met when Sam was in Kindergarten.”
“Enjoy this video of our recitation this week.”
The purpose is not to make a formal ask. The purpose is to grow (or re-establish) the relationship.
The key is to make the donor feel known, not targeted. Your priority donors rarely respond to generic communication. But they do respond to people who know them. A personal note or call communicates that the donor matters beyond a transaction.
Step 3: Schedule Three In-Person Meetings This Month
From those five personal outreach efforts, aim to schedule three short in-person meetings in the next 3 weeks.
In-person meetings create space for real conversation. They allow school leaders to listen, share vision, answer questions, and understand what motivates the donor. They also make it easier to connect year-end giving to something meaningful and specific.
The meeting does not need to be complicated. It can be coffee, a campus visit, a short office conversation, or a meeting after an event. What matters is that it happens intentionally.
A good donor meeting should include three things:
- Gratitude
Begin by thanking the donor for past generosity, involvement, encouragement, or commitment to the school. - Listening
Ask what is going on personally. Then ask what the donor values most about the school, what they are seeing, and what hopes they have for the future. (In these conversations, saying “tell me more” is a better tool than responding to all their questions). - A meaningful invitation
At the end of the meeting, ask if you could have a conversation between now and the end of the year about a gift. Ask when the appropriate time to do that would be. Clarify what they’d like to know before that meeting. Schedule it if possible.
The best fundraising conversations are not rushed. They are relational, thoughtful, and rooted in shared commitment.
Why This Simple Plan Works
Many schools feel pressure to solve year-end fundraising with more activity: more emails, more events, more reminders, more appeals. But more activity does not always create more connection.
This three-step approach works because it narrows the focus.
Instead of trying to reach everyone at once, you start with the relationships most likely to matter.
Instead of waiting for the perfect message, you initiate personal contact.
Instead of hoping donors respond to broad communication, you create space for face-to-face conversation.
Year-end fundraising does not have to be chaotic. With a clear list, a few personal touches, and intentional meetings, you can move from overwhelm to action.
Have questions about this approach or want to know what comes next? Contact Jason Smith, Senior Consultant, jsmith@thefocusgroup.com.
About the Author
Jason Smith is a Senior Consultant with The FOCUS Group and brings more than 25 years of experience in ministry and nonprofit leadership. His background includes leadership roles with Young Life, where he helped develop leaders and strengthen teams in support of mission growth. Today, Jason helps organizations build meaningful donor partnerships that inspire generosity and advance lasting kingdom impact.
We’ve been privileged to help many organizations be more effective in their fundraising by learning and implementing relational fundraising principles in their work with donors. Want to talk?