Ep. 176: 3 Psychological Triggers That Drive Donors to Give Again Before Year-End
EPISODE 176
3 Psychological Triggers That Drive Donors to Give Again Before Year-End
About the Episode:
If you’re worried you’re behind on year-end fundraising, take a breath; December isn’t over. In fact, the most generous days of the year are still ahead.
In this episode, I break down the three hidden psychological reasons donors give again before year-end, even if they've already given this month. I go deep into donor momentum, identity and reciprocity, and why “donor fatigue” is one of the biggest myths in our sector. You’ll learn how to use progress updates, public-facing goals, segmentation, tailored messaging, and consistent communication to activate second gifts without feeling repetitive or overwhelming. If you’ve been worried about asking again or feeling late in the game, this episode will give you the clarity, confidence, and data-backed strategy to finish the year strong.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
Why December remains the most generous month of the year
The psychology behind donors giving twice in a short window
How the Zeigarnik Effect makes donors want to “finish the goal”
Why public-facing goals and progress bars dramatically increase conversions
How donor identity and reciprocity activate second gifts
The myth of monthly donor “offense” and why you should ask them again
Why internal fatigue is misinterpreted as donor fatigue
How staying visible sustains momentum (and silence breaks it)
Why December 31 outperforms GivingTuesday nearly 3:1
The importance of resending emails to non-openers
It’s not your stories—it’s how you’re telling them. If your amazing work isn’t getting the attention (and donations) it deserves, it’s time for a messaging shift. The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide guide gives you 10 done-for-you donor prompts to make your message impossible to ignore. Get it for free here! https://christinaedwards.krtra.com/t/xKuLs6tOiPZa
Christina’s Favorite Takeaways:
“Donors give again at year's end for reasons that most fundraisers never even talk about.”
“People act when they see progress.”
“Donors act when they see something happening, not when everything is vague or static.”
“Pick a goal where you feel like your donors will rise to that occasion, it is achievable, and build momentum from there.”
“Donors want to end the year as their best selves.”
“December is the month of reciprocity, social good, and giving.”
“People want to end the year living in their values, to see the change, to seed the change they want to see in the world or their community. They want to feel connected and purposeful.”
“Donors give again when you don't go quiet.”
“December 31 brings in nearly three times as much revenue as GivingTuesday.”
“If you disappear, the donors forget; if you stay present, donors respond.”
“People are always online, and they will give if it feels good, if you remind them, if it is aligned, purposeful, and timely.”
“Movement creates momentum, and silence breaks it.”
FREE Resources from Splendid Consulting:
How to Work with Christina and Splendid Consulting:
Double Your Donations - Raise More From Your Laptop Without Chasing Grants or Galas
Easy Emails For Impact™ - Turn Your Inbox into an Income Stream
Donations on Demand: Build a $5K Email Campaign System in 30 min/week
The SPRINT Method™ - Fundraise Like a Pro, 5 Figures At a Time
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Christina Edwards 0:21So if you're feeling behind right Now, just take a deep breath with me right December isn't over, and, in fact, the most generous days of the entire year are still ahead. I know that's wild. I know you might not believe me, but just stay with me for today's episode. Donors give again at year end for reasons that most fundraisers never even talk about. And today's episode will help you understand the psychology behind second gifts, even in the same month, crushing that myth of donor fatigue. We're going to talk about donor fatigue today and the three truths that explain why donors are most ready to give right now. So we'll cover donor, momentum, identity and reciprocity and staying in forward motion. So let's get into it.
Christina Edwards 1:37
This episode is really, really timely because I just finished up a group coaching call for my program, the purpose and profit club. And inside that group program, we had the topic today of like, the last two weeks of December, and the organizations in that program were planning on, what's the plan for those next two, those final two weeks of the year? And there was the strategy of the plan, there's the mindset of the plan, and then there's the audience to roll out the strategy. And you can have a really great strategy, but if you don't have a large enough audience, or large enough segments of your audience, the strategy doesn't work. You can have a really great strategy, a really great audience, but if your mindset is in the gutter and you're like, Listen, I don't bug anyone. I think that they're already really fatigued, then the strategy And the audience won't work you with me.
Christina Edwards 2:45
so with that, let's start with the 3 hidden reasons why donors give again, yes, again before your end in these final few weeks. So reason number one, we're going to talk about donor momentum. People act when they see progress. This is huge. So humans respond to this movement, this collective change, this like, if you've ever thought about something you were on the cusp of attending, like, a dinner, an event, a march, a rally, anything, and you're like, I kind of want to, I kind of want to go to that dinner. I kind of want to go to that thing. But then you noticed that three other friends were posting about it, or two other friends asked you if you were going suddenly, what happens you're it's that FOMO too, but it's that I don't want to miss out on it, but also that momentum of a movement. So donors act when they see something happening, not when everything is vague or static.
Christina Edwards 3:41
So there's something called the Zeigarnik Effect. Yes, the zygartic effect actually tells our brain and our brain notices unfinished goals. So that means that progress updates actually activate attention in our brain and action because donors see a loop they want to close, it doesn't feel finished. They didn't hit their goal. That's that Zeigarnik Effect kicking in, and that's why a numerical and visual updates really do the heavy lifting here a progress bar that moves so all of our clients at the at year end, we want to see donation pages with a clear, specific goal and that that progress bar, that thermometer, right? How far away are you to that goal? That goal feels real, and that number shifts they can literally see before they give the $100 donation, and after that, that thermometer go an inch up. So we see this all the time, where a client goes from year end fundraising with no clear goal to here is our target. Here's where we are, and donors immediately jump in for the first. First time ever, I've had clients who, for the first time ever, hit their internal goal, because they made it public and because that donor momentum carried further. So imagine this. Imagine that you're thinking, Yeah, we need to raise $50,000 but you've never actually put that public facing. It's not on your donation page, it's not on your emails. It's not on your social posts. There is no thermometer. It's time to have one. So that's step one. Is picking a goal that is public facing. Now I suggest, and we have an entire philosophy inside my programs on goal setting, so I suggest picking a goal that is attainable, that doesn't feel like impossible for you. So that's the first thing. Then you want to make sure that you have a donation tool that can help you do the heavy, heavy lifting with showcasing that goal. And that's where that zygonic effect really kicks in.
Christina Edwards 6:19
and that's why I suggest that you pick a goal that feels achievable. Because if you're like some people, and you picked a goal and you're like, we're not even close to it, we're not even 5% there, then you chose the wrong goal. So you want to pick a goal where you feel like your donors will rise to that occasion and it is achievable and build momentum from there. Think about the psychology of this. It's hard for donors to jump on what they feel they perceive as an impossibility, but they will absolutely rally around something already in motion. Think about a fundraiser that is 25% away from their goal. People will rally even one that's 50% away from their goal, but if they land on a page and you are you have $100 donation and a goal of $100,000 what do you think that donor might be thinking they're going to see that impossibility? So if you choose 100k goal, make sure you're at least in the realm of achieving it, meaning that you have, number one, the strategy. Number two, the audience. You have enough donors in your donor and Ambassador network, and number three, the mindset to achieve that goal. Now sometimes I hear, listen, people don't care about the numbers. I get it, and I've said some flavor of that before. Numbers alone won't help you achieve your year end goal, but they are a piece. They're like part of the recipe of achieving it. So donors want to see traction. They also want to have that tangibility. How much are you trying to raise? Remember, if you don't have a goal, it's like you and me are going for a Sunday drive. We are just driving in the car without directions. We have no destination in sight, versus I pick you up and I'm I'm taking you out to the best tacos in Atlanta. You and I both know exactly where we're going, so they want to have that number, that destination, that urgency built in, so that progress, those progress updates and goals, help create a sense of the collective movement.
Christina Edwards 8:28
and this is a big one, shouldn't we wait until we're closer to share progress? Shouldn't we wait to talk about our goal and how close we are to our goal until we're like almost there no donors want to be part of that movement. They want to create the momentum with you. They don't want to just watch it happen. And so it does take guts to say, this is our big bowl goal, and let's go. And you can do that right now. If you didn't set a goal earlier in December, it is not too late to set a goal. People respond because they want to finish what they started. They respond because they want to join something that's already moving. That's why we see people give twice, even in the same month, even to the same year end campaign.
So let's dig into Reason number two, identity and reciprocity. Donors want to end the year as the their best selves. There's something really interesting that happens in December and January. So January is very much we have been conditioned. It's our it's our New Year's resolution. It's New year, new you. It's where you are suddenly going to do all of the things that make you the best version of yourself, right? So for a lot of people, that's like health and wellness. For some people, it might be more of style and beauty. It might be figuring out family dynamics. It might be reading more. Everybody has their own personal goals, right? But January has been become something that we are like, conditioned that January is that month, and I would argue December is the month of reciprocity. December is the month. Of social good. December is the month of giving. December is the month you want to end the year. Even for the people who are like 2025 sucked, or however they feel about it, they still want to end the year on a positive note.
Christina Edwards 10:22
I and that's why it's a myth that donors don't want to be asked twice. The truth is, donors don't want to be asked vaguely, and donors don't want to hear you repeat yourself. So if you're going to ask again, please don't say you can make a difference 10 different times in December, right when your campaign is clear, tangible, specific donors give again because it aligns with their identity. People want to end the year living in their values, to see the change, to seed the change they want to see in the world or their community. They want to feel connected and purposeful. You've seen this like think about your donors, your hundreds or your 1000s of donors, that's why they give someone gives to a year end appeal, and then maybe they give to your next Ask, because it's, it's tied to a story that's so resonant to them, a tangible need. Monthly donors do this all the time. There are so many people that are nervous to ask their monthly donors to give a one time more significant gift at your end, or really at any point? Well, I don't want them to think that they are I should segment them out, because they already give each month and they I shouldn't ask them to give. Again, wrong. Remember, they're giving monthly because they feel so connected to your cause. They if they choose not to give, they won't give. But it is your job to invite them to for that choice, to invite them in for the opportunity. And I find when the ask is campaign based and strong and brave and not generic, they make a gift that identity drives generosity and that gratitude activates reciprocity and that reflection increases giving. So when donors feel connected, when they feel seen, when they feel appreciated and heard, they give again. And if they can't give, what do they do? They share it with a friend. They post it on their stories. They share it on Facebook. I see this time and time again, people want to see you win. Now you could argue not everybody wants to see us win. Okay, sure, but you know who definitely wants to see you win? Your donors. Your donors. Think about the stock market. Think about a stock that you may have in investment account. I'm going to choose a stock. I'm going to choose Home Depot. Okay, Home Depot. If you have stock in Home Depot, or you have stock in Apple, do you want to see it lose? Do you want to see it go down? I am actively investing in this stock. No, I want to see it go up. It is the same. So if I invest $1,000 in your nonprofit organization, I don't want to see you barely scrape by to your goal. I want to see you win. And that means that sometimes I'm going to invest more. I'm going to invest again, I'm going to talk about it, I'm going to share it with a friend. I'm going to advocate for it. People want to see you win,
Christina Edwards 13:21
Now if you're thinking, won't it feel ungrateful to ask again? Will it be offensive to ask again if somebody has given already, not if the ask is tailored? Think about that. How can I tailor this ask so that I know? So if I think about your group, your segment of monthly donors, I want to go ahead and identify and call out, Hey, we know you give every single month. We know that you generously show up every single month because you care about our cause, like you're acknowledging what they're already doing. You're not just you're not talking to them as if they're a non donor. So that's the first piece. And then you can literally say, here's the gap we're facing, or here is the opportunity we have, or here is how far away we are from our goal, or here's what's possible in 26 when you have that specificity, it doesn't feel offensive, it doesn't feel like the wrong tone. It actually is an opportunity to deepen their own impact. Remember, you're not pressuring. You're inviting. They don't have to give. That's their choice. You're inviting them to give. That's the nuance here.
Christina Edwards 14:40
I want you to think for a moment about the January self, the aspirational self. Who is she? Who are they? What are they into? They're their best version of themselves. So again, they're the person who reads. 30 books a year. Who loses 20 pounds? Who, whatever that is, you know, lifts more weights, like whatever the gets their 10,000 steps in. I'm thinking of every possible January goal, right? That aspirational version people will act in alignment with that aspirational, deep part of themselves, right? And your year end messaging simply gives them an opportunity to remember who they want to be, who they already are. That's our job. Look what you've already helped create, what you've already helped create. You've already helped 156 families this year. You've already spay and neutered 433 cats this year, like that. That that matters, right? They've been a part of that, and maybe they have a deeper, bigger desire, and you can, you can speak to that in your appeals. So
Christina Edwards 16:03
all right. Reason number three, this may be the most important of the three. I don't know. This is something that I think is really, really rampant. When you're feeling tired, exhausted, you're feeling the donor fatigue. You have a projection that your donors are getting fatigued, even though your donors haven't actually said that, and so if that's you, reason number three is donors give again when you don't go quiet. Internal fatigue makes nonprofits go quiet. Donors are not fatigued. Donors are not tired of you. Donors are actually living in their own rhythm. Y'all. They have not been on baited breath, opening every single email, direct mail piece, text message you've sent them. We're up in our stuff. They're not up in our stuff, right? They're busy. Think about the December holidays. Think about the month of December. Here's my month of December, school, programs, meetings, parties, work, family, life, friends, holiday shopping, everything, right? That was just the first 10 things that came to mind, right? Doctor's appointments. Why are there so many doctor's appointments in December? Right? There's so much happening. So not everybody has been reading and looking and consuming 100% of your content. I promise you they are not nearly as fatigued with your organization as you think they are.
Christina Edwards 18:14
if you hear nothing from today's episode, I want you to lean in and hear this. December 31 the last day of the year brings in nearly three times as much revenue as Giving Tuesday. What three times, nearly three times as much revenue as Giving Tuesday. Think about how important we all prioritize Giving Tuesday, and we should, but it ain't over till it's over. So I really want you to think about those for our clients, the last three days of the year are really, really important, and that stat is from next after so the final full week of the year brings in 32% of all online giving. That's not donor fatigue, that's donor momentum, waiting for you and your leadership and your ask email does the heaviest lifting here. This is why I love email, because, listen, I want you to be celebrating. I want you to have time off. I want you to be hanging out with your friends and family. I want you to be taking a day nap, right? So email does the heavy lifting. You can write these emails in advance. You can schedule them out. You could do a single one hour text a thon that will move mountains, personal outreach from a board member just for an hour, a short text, a thon or phone, a thon that has meaningful, significant five and maybe even six figure impact, that staying in motion signals belief and confidence for you, internally as an organization, and for your donors to rise to the occasion. So remember, if you disappear, the donors, forget if you stay present, donors respond, and we have the data to back it up.
Christina Edwards 19:52
And if you're like so many of my clients and so many people inside of my communities, you're not alone if you're thinking. But donors are getting so many emails. Christina, you're saying to send emails, I don't like emails. Emails, too many emails. They're getting emails from brands. This is Blue Ocean opportunity for you as a nonprofit. Nonprofits are not inundating consumers, aka donors, with emails, you are a mission. You have so much more story and more heart that is a wallet opening than any other brand could. Your updates are meaningful in a completely different way than the West Elm 50% off sale if you're thinking, I don't want to overwhelm people, you're not overwhelming people. Overwhelm comes from clutter. Overwhelm comes from saying the same thing again and again again.
Christina Edwards 20:50
Overwhelm comes from having multiple calls to action in a single email because you were too scared to just send out one email that says, last chance to donate, last chance to give a heartfelt year end update with a real goal. Does not overwhelm it connects. Maybe you're thinking, but people are tired in December, Christina, they're off work. They're not even checking your email. Lies, lies, lies. Think about Thanksgiving Day, Christmas day, Saturday, Sunday. I'm trying to poke holes on holidays here in time off. Now, you may be different, you may be different, but if we're going to speak globally, I would say I certainly see a lot of family members on social media on those holidays and on the weekend, and I see them checking their email, and I see them checking their WhatsApp and their slack, right?
Christina Edwards 21:52
so people are online, and they will give if it feels good, if you remind them, if it is aligned, purposeful and timely, and it's okay to ask again. You're not bothering them. You're not pestering them. That's not the energy that writes a high converting email or a high converting ask. Okay, your donors are adults with agency. If they don't want to give, they won't. They're tired of hearing from you, they'll unsubscribe. But when you sit on the sidelines and you don't do it because you've decided, for everyone that they're tired and fatigued or have given as much as you can. You're taking away that agency. You're taking away that opportunity and and ultimately, you're taking away the impact from the people you serve. Don't do that. Remember, that movement creates momentum, and that silence breaks it.
Christina Edwards 22:46
so let me give you three things to do next. Send a progress update. Send a progress update after GivingTuesday in the last half of the year, that is numerical, that is visual, that also has heart and story in it, since a tailored second ask to anyone who gave in the last 60 days. I know, I know, I know that might feel hard, but you can do it now. You can do this to a segment that would be more of an advanced technique that we would support you in the club. To do, maybe you want to segment out a certain audience. That's okay, but I really want to push you, especially with individual donors who are giving under $1,000 a year, send it again. Resend your year end to meet emails to non openers. That's a really good one that you can do, because remember, not everybody is opening and E reading your emails. You don't need a new idea. You need follow through. You need commitment. You need courage for this. Remember the myth of donor fatigue. I've yet to meet the person. I still haven't met them, and I've attended a lot of conferences. I've been in a lot of meetings and groups and communities that are outside of our sector, that are in the for profit sector. And when I tell them I work with nonprofits, I'm yet to meet the person that says, oh my god, I get so many emails from this nonprofit, all they do is ask me, I haven't met that person. I've met tons of people who say I support a nonprofit, and, you know, I don't hear from them much, or I give each year, but they don't really ask for more. I've heard quite a few of those. So don't worry about donor fatigue. The truth is, maybe there's some staff fatigue, some leadership fatigue, but that's why we're scheduling out a lot of what we've talked about today. Donors are not tired. Donors are generous. Donors are reflective. They want to be they want to see the world in the best possible way. They want to be the person who supports that vision. They give again when you stay connected and when you ask, so you're not behind, you're not too late. If you're starting at zero or starting at step 90, you can still take action based on this this episode today, the most generous days of the year are still ahead. I know that's wild, so stay in motion. Stay visible. If you find yourself going through a spiral of negativity, we're like, oh, we're too far away from. Goal. It's not going to happen. I just want you to go to bat for why it's possible. Why is it also possible? How is it also true that you will hit your goal? Your donors will follow the rhythm you set. It starts with you.
Christina Edwards 25:44
I want to go deeper with donor psychology, digital fundraising, year end and q1 growth. The place to do it is inside the purpose and profit club, my group coaching program and inside the sprint method, my program for solo shop founders and EDs. This is where you learn to lead with courage. This is where you learn to lead and see results that back up that leadership. You can go to splendid atl.com, forward slash, start for details on both. I'll see you next time you.