Download the 15 year-end giving campaign ideas to increase donations
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The holiday season is a prime time for generosity, with churches receiving an average of 30% of their annual donations in December alone. This makes a strong year-end giving campaign essential for hitting financial goals and setting your ministry up for success in the coming year.
However, this doesn’t mean you have to stick with the usual bake sales and donation drives.
From interactive events to personalized donor experiences, here you’ll find 15 creative year-end giving campaign ideas to help you engage your congregation in meaningful ways, reach new potential donors, and maximize their support. We’ll also provide actionable takeaways as well as how to avoid some common year-end giving mistakes.
Tired of the same old raffles where everyone's hoping their ticket gets picked? A reverse raffle shakes things up.
Here's how it works:
It's surprisingly fun to bow out for a good cause while cheering on the remaining participants. Whether you host it live or virtually, everyone stays engaged. It's a fresh way to add excitement and collective generosity to your end of year giving campaign.
The new year is all about fresh starts and renewed commitment, which makes it the perfect time for legacy pledges. These pledges begin with a single December donation that rolls into a manageable monthly contribution.
For donors, it’s a meaningful way to stay involved long-term without a big upfront commitment.
For your organization, these pledges create a steady stream of recurring revenue in the months that follow.
You can take your legacy pledge a step further by including a monthly donation letter. This is a powerful way to build a deeper connection with your supporters. That’s because each month, they’re reminded of their ongoing impact, and you’re able to sustain your mission well beyond the holiday season.
A virtual gift-wrapping service combines convenience and impact in a way that’s hard to beat. Donors can add a touch of meaning to their holiday gifts by making a donation to “wrap” them with a custom message that highlights your cause. This works especially well for busy supporters who want to give back but are short on time.
It’s a quick, low-barrier way for them to engage with your church while sharing the spirit of giving with friends and family. Plus, every virtual gift-wrapped message spreads more generosity and awareness of the year-end giving season.
One popular end-of-year giving campaign idea is selling personalized holiday ornaments. Each holiday ornament represents a specific campaign or impact area, so donors can feel a personal connection as they decorate their homes. It’s a visible reminder of your church right on their tree.
You can take this a step further with a virtual “impact tree” on your website or social media pages that lets supporters see their ornament contributions displayed alongside others. This sense of community, combined with the tangible memento, makes the campaign memorable and visually engaging.
As for creative online church fundraising ideas, a “Match a Day” countdown builds excitement, creates a sense of urgency, and takes advantage of the power of compounding. That’s because each day, a different sponsor or donor matches contributions, doubling the impact of every gift.
This approach builds momentum over time, with each new match adding excitement and urgency. Mixing up themes or challenges for each day can keep donors engaged by giving them reasons to check in and share. As the end of the year draws closer, the countdown generates a buzz that keeps your congregation active, motivated, and ready to give back before the clock runs out.
An interactive QR code scavenger hunt brings your church’s mission to life by scattering small stories about your impact throughout the community on and offline. Supporters scan QR codes at different locations to uncover real-life stories of how your work is changing lives.
This approach is particularly engaging because it invites supporters to explore your church’s mission on their own terms while adding an element of discovery. If they’re active on social media, they can share their finds with friends, which creates a ripple effect that spreads awareness beyond just your donor base. It’s a creative, interactive way to deepen connections and generate conversation around your mission.
Similar to a “Match a Day,” a “Golden Hour” donation is another way to create a sense of FOMO and excitement around year-end giving. Throughout December, you can announce surprise match hours when every donation is doubled. These time-limited matches work because they add a layer of scarcity. Supporters only have a short window to make their contributions go twice as far.
Golden hour events also give you multiple opportunities to promote your fundraising effort in bite-sized bursts rather than just one big ask. It’s a fresh way to maximize impact and boost donation volume.
A social media impact chain taps into the power of personal stories to create a ripple effect of peer-to-peer fundraising. Each donor shares why they gave and tags a few friends to join in. This creates a chain of support. To make it even more engaging, you can add small incentives or shout-outs for those who start the longest chains or bring in the most friends.
This end-of-year fundraising campaign works well because it leverages social proof. It is also why crowdfunding platforms are so successful. That’s because people are more likely to give when they see friends or family involved. Plus, it gets your mission in front of new audiences in a fun, shareable way that feels personal rather than promotional.
A virtual resolution auction encourages your congregation members to make a pledge that benefits a specific cause as they move into the new year. Supporters “bid” by promising to give up a bad habit or take on a positive one. They can also document their journey on social media to spread awareness and inspire others.
For example, a donor might pledge to go meatless once a week or commit to a daily gratitude journal, all in support of your mission. This idea works well because it’s both fun and personal. Donors are motivated to stick to their resolutions by tying them to a cause they care about. Plus, by sharing their resolutions online, they’re helping to spread the word in a way that feels organic and meaningful.
Virtual holiday greeting cards offer a personal, heartfelt way for churchgoers to give back while sharing your mission with their loved ones. Each card is customized with a message about the donation made on behalf of the recipient. This works because it allows church members to share the holiday spirit while introducing family and friends to the church they care about.
Digital greeting cards are also quick, eco-friendly, and easy to send. So, it is simple for donors to spread awareness and create new connections for your church during the season of giving.
Nothing says community like sharing a beloved family recipe. Invite your congregation to donate in exchange for access to a holiday recipe swap, where they can submit their favorites and receive recipes from others. Afterward, compile these into a digital cookbook that each congregation member receives.
It’s a great way to create festive and nostalgic feelings, and it offers churchgoers something tangible that connects them to your congregation. Plus, a recipe book is something people often revisit. So, it becomes a recurring reminder to donate each year.
DIY holiday garland kits offer a hands-on way for donors to connect with your church. Whether made together at the church or individually at home, each garland decoration represents a different impact area. Families and groups especially enjoy these kits as a holiday activity that also supports a meaningful cause. It’s effective because it turns giving into an experience, especially for parents looking to engage their kids in the spirit of generosity.
Plus, supporters end up with a festive decoration that reminds them of your organization’s impact every time they see it.
Everyone loves good news, especially nowadays when the only things that seem to spread far and wide are hate and fear. With a “good news” subscription, churchgoers receive weekly emails full of hope featuring stories of how their contributions are making a difference. It’s a simple way to offer value back to your members while keeping them connected to your mission.
Similar to good news subscriptions, church members can show their appreciation in a unique, personal way with “Jars of Joy” for larger donations. Each jar is filled with handwritten thank-you notes from people directly impacted by your church. It’s a heartfelt way to give back to those who’ve helped you reach your goals.
These jars work because they bring the donor into the circle of impact. It also gives them a tangible reminder of the lives they’ve touched. It’s simple, memorable, and speaks volumes about the value of their contribution.
This is a way to tap into a powerful and trending year-end giving campaign theme—Giving Tuesday—that is picking up steam each year. Giving Tuesday is a powerful opportunity to rally support, but adding interactive elements can make it even more impactful.
Set up a countdown with milestones, mini-challenges, and live updates on funds raised to create excitement throughout the day. This approach builds urgency and gives supporters multiple reasons to check in, share, and participate. By making it interactive, you’re helping donors feel part of something bigger.
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As the year draws to a close, an effective end-of-year giving campaign can make a powerful impact on your ministry. You can rally support, build community, and secure ongoing donations to propel your church’s mission and impact in the new year.
However, the right approach is key. You need to create engaging, creative campaign ideas, ensure your messaging is clear, and make it easy for donors to participate in ways that resonate with them.
Using the best tools to support your campaign makes all the difference. That’s where Subsplash Giving shines. It equips your church with features that simplify giving and encourage recurring contributions, like creating a dedicated end-of-year giving website, adding giving buttons to your emails and social media, and even allowing you to set up in-app and text-to-give campaigns in minutes.
Plus, the new Campaigns & Pledging feature allows you to run dedicated campaigns with clear goals and encourage pledge commitments. This feature helps supporters break down their giving into manageable, recurring donations.
By providing multiple ways to give, you’re setting up your church for success and making it easier for supporters to show their generosity. With Subsplash Giving, these tools empower your church to reach its year-end goals and lay the foundation for lasting financial support.
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