September Matters: Let's Make Year-End a Little Less Stressful?
- T. Clay Buck
- Sep 23
- 5 min read
Ah, September! The smells of Pumpkin Space wafting through the air, dreams of sweater weather on its way, Halloween decorations making their way into front yards while its still 90 degrees out . . .
A reminder that donors didn't disappear this summer. The so-called "year-end surge" isn't really donor behavior, its fundraiser behavior. We flood the market with appeals and messages, so naturally more people give now. Because this is when we ask the most. Still, it's a critical time on the fundraising calendar.
That’s exactly why September matters. This month isn’t “warm-up to year-end.” It’s the inflection point. The choices you make right now—about stories, data, and donor strategy—will either set you up for confident, intentional fundraising, or lock you into December chaos.
Here are three things that can help make your next three months a little less stressful:
1. Lock In Your Stories (Before You’re Desperate for Them)
Every December, we scramble to find “just one good story.” That’s a recipe for stress and delay. The organizations that thrive in Q4 have already mapped out which stories they’ll use and where.
Think of your fall communications as a narrative arc, not a one-off appeal:
October appeal: Set the stage with a compelling beneficiary story—an individual or family who embodies your mission. Make it specific, personal, and relatable.
Thanksgiving message (mid-November): Shift the lens to gratitude. Highlight a donor impact story or share directly from a program staff member about what generosity makes possible.
Post-Thanksgiving / Giving Tuesday: Focus on urgency and momentum. Short, punchy stories work best here, often paired with a match or goal. (Remember: it's called GIVING Tuesday, not ASKING Tuesday.)
Mid-December appeal: Return to a more expansive beneficiary story with clear call-to-action language. By now, people expect to see you in their inbox and mailbox—don’t disappoint them.
Post-Christmas / year-end push: A final reminder and invitation, supported with either a staff perspective or a closing beneficiary highlight. Keep in mind that timing is not case - the urgency isn't because of year-end. Unless, of course, your mission does actually stop at 11:59:59 on December 31.
And it’s not either/or. Every one of these touchpoints should run across channels: direct mail + email + social reinforcement.
A story that works in print can be trimmed for email, excerpted for social, and deepened on your website.Don’t wait until November to chase down the details. Sit down with your program staff now, capture their perspectives, and build a small but sturdy “story bank” that carries you through the season. Bonus points: keep the idea that you're inviting the donor to participate with you in the mission. We often focus so much on beneficiaries we lose sight of our colleagues DOING the work. Share the story of your program team, the people working directly with the beneficiaries and invite the donor to be a partner with them.
2. Audit Your Data (Because Messy Data = Messy Revenue)
If your data is messy now, your fundraising will be messy later. And at year-end, every mistake costs more.
Here’s where to focus your September data work:
Address hygiene: Run NCOA and CASS updates on your mailing list. Every undeliverable piece is wasted money, and fixing it as you go means reprints, rush fees, and stress.
Email deliverability: Use a reputable email hygiene tool to identify invalid or dormant addresses. A cleaner list improves inbox placement for everyone.
Segmentation rules: Double-check your criteria for lapsed donors, mid-level, monthly, and major gift segments. Make sure each group has a clear communication plan and isn’t falling through the cracks.
Gift coding: Verify that tributes, memorials, soft credits, and designations are entered correctly. You don’t want to offend a donor by misreporting how their gift was recognized.
Testing gift forms: Click through your own donation forms and test them on desktop and mobile. Are the amounts right? Is the copy aligned? Is it easy to complete?
Strong data isn’t about being “tidy.” It’s about giving donors a seamless experience, honoring their intent, and capturing the full value of their generosity. Even a 1–2% improvement in accuracy or deliverability can mean thousands of dollars more in December. Need help with data cleaning? Check out our Generosity FINDER report and reach out if its something that would be of interest - getting all your data fixed at once? Yes please!
3. Get Ahead on DAFs (and Tax Timing)
Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are no longer a niche giving vehicle—they’re mainstream. Billions of charitable dollars sit in DAF accounts, waiting for recommendation. And September is the right time to get intentional about them. Here’s how:
Identify last year’s DAF donors. Tag them in your system and create a dedicated year-end communication stream.
Educate broadly. Add a line to your appeals, emails, and website that explicitly says: “Yes, we accept gifts through Donor-Advised Funds.” Don’t assume donors know.
Plan timing. Many DAF sponsors have their own cut-off dates for year-end recommendations. Remind donors in early November so they don’t miss the window.
Think IRA and beyond. Tax law changes in 2026 will affect retirement accounts and charitable giving incentives. For some donors, making strategic decisions in 2025 (and even late 2024) could ease their tax burden later.
September is an excellent moment to raise awareness and encourage conversations with advisors.This isn’t about being a tax expert—it’s about being a proactive partner.
Work with your finance team or planned giving consultant now, translate the complexities into donor-friendly language, and position your nonprofit as the place where generosity meets smart planning.
The Bottom Line
Donors aren’t waiting for a year-end letter to remind them they care. They’re already ready. The real question is whether you’ll meet their attention with clarity and intentionality—or scramble at the last minute and hope for the best.
September isn’t the start of donor season. It’s the start of your season. And if you do the work now—lining up stories, tightening your data, and getting ahead on DAFs and tax planning—you won’t just survive December. You’ll maximize it.
✅ Your September Fundraising To-Do List
Stories
Identify 3–4 core stories (beneficiaries + staff)
Map stories across October–December touchpoints:
October appeal
Thanksgiving gratitude message
Giving Tuesday push
Mid-December appeal
Post-Christmas reminder
Prep cross-channel versions (mail + email + social)
Data
Run NCOA and CASS updates on mailing lists
Clean email lists for invalid/dormant addresses
Double-check segmentation for lapsed, mid-level, monthly, and major donors
Verify gift coding (tributes, memorials, soft credits, designations)
Test donation forms on desktop + mobile
DAFs + Taxes
Tag last year’s DAF donors and plan dedicated comms
Add “Yes, we accept DAF gifts” to appeals + website
Remind donors in early November about DAF sponsor deadlines
Talk with finance/planned giving advisors about 2026 tax changes
Prep simple donor-friendly language on DAFs + IRAs
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