While planning for the festive giving season starts long before the 1st of December, there’s still plenty you can do over this period to set yourself up for success in the new year. To help you get a head start, we’ve put together this checklist for 12 days of major gift fundraising.
- Day 1: Re-segment your donor list based on this year’s engagement.
- Day 2: Publicly recognise and privately thank the volunteers who have supported your organisation this year.
- Day 3: Send personal, handwritten thank-yous or possibly a small gift representing your charity to major donors.
- Day 4: Submit your data for your 2026 wealth screening.
- Day 5: Conduct a short donor insights survey and use that feedback to shape your 2026 stewardship strategy.
- Day 6: Revisit your table of gifts – what went well and what needs revisiting in the new year?
- Day 7: Send an end-of-year impact roundup that shows results, not just activities.
- Day 8: Check who’s still hot by auditing and reranking your prospects for next year.
- Day 9: Review your donor conversion rate to ensure it matches your expectations.
- Day 10: Start the conversation about planned giving, using the festive goodwill to highlight a variety of giving options.
- Day 11: Clean and update your donor database for easy outreach in the new year.
- Day 12: Ask your existing major donors, trustees, ambassadors, and volunteers to make introductions and widen your supporter network.
Will 2026 be the year you discover your major gift fundraising potential? If so, we’re here to help. At Prospecting for Gold, we specialise in research, wealth screening, consultancy and regulatory compliance, making fundraising more effective and successful.
Get in touch to start your research-based fundraising journey.