December is another two weeks away, and we will have to wait over a month for Christmas, but the festive atmosphere is already around! Christmas lights, trees, elves and the occasional Santa are here, and, just like every year, people need the urge to do something good. So are you ready for your Christmas fundraising campaign?

According to the statistics, exactly 1/3 of all the online donating activity every year happens in the last month of the year and 22% of the yearly donations take place on December 30 and December 31. Having this in mind, this post will offer 3 tips to help you attract some of that online donating activity to your charity and use December to make up for any other months when you were short on donations and giving.

 Tip No. 1: Be Mobile-friendly Actually, this tip applies to all your fundraising campaigns throughout the year, so if you haven’t gone mobile yet, consider it a good time to try now. Having your donating page mobile-friendly and responsive will make it much easier for people to donate. Make sure that once they click the ‘Donate Now’ button (or any other call-to-action button you might have), they will be engaged with a user-friendly process with no obstacles or distractions. That means: ask only for the information you need; don’t put any other links; make sure the donating process is not too long; do offer different ways to complete the transaction so that people can choose the easiest / most preferred one. And while you are at it, make sure your website and all its features work properly and are easy to use and navigate.

Tip No. 2: Make it Christmas-themed The Christmas spirit is at the door and is planning to stay for at least 6 weeks, so you can make a good use of it. When you are preparing your campaign, consider using Christmas colours, images, tunes – everything that will remind your charity’s friends and supporters that you need their help in the season of love, giving and compassion. Moreover, make sure you associate your cause with Christmas – show people why you need more donation exactly at this time of the year, how you are going to use them and what difference every single one of them will make if they contribute. People need to know that they will really help, and you are in an advantageous position as they are already resolved to help – so you just need to show them your cause is worthy of their help!

Tip No. 3: No Christmas Holiday for You!  We know how much you enjoy working for your charity and fundraising, so it probably wouldn’t be a problem for you not to take a week off for Christmas. This is exactly the time when you need to be active. Make sure your social media profiles are up-to-dates and that you build your Christmas fundraising campaign at all fronts. December is the most important month of the year for your charity and you cannot afford letting it ‘do on its own as best as it can’. With all this in mind, make sure there is always someone at your office throughout December and maybe think of a little social event to bring in people together and to give the campaign some local coverage.

Christmas time is really important, so you need to make sure your campaign is organised and run properly in order to make the most out of it. Therefore, check your online system and ensure it is up-to-date so people can use it without any problems, and do use Christmas and its spirit to your advantage throughout December. Good luck! (And do share your Christmas fundraising ideas in the comments section below!)