Maximize Year-End Giving: Key Moments to Inspire Generosity

Did you know that 98% of faith-based givers are committed to maintaining or increasing their contributions in 2024? This insight from our latest research highlights the eagerness within your congregation to give. 

As the end-of-year giving season approaches, places of worship have a unique opportunity to tap into this spirit of generosity. The final months of the year are rich with significant religious and cultural holidays, each offering a powerful moment to deepen spiritual commitment and inspire giving. 

In this blog, we’ll explore how your place of worship can strategically leverage these meaningful days to nurture generosity and maximize end-of-year donations. 

October

Clergy Appreciation Month

Clergy Appreciation Month is a dedicated time to recognize and celebrate the spiritual leaders who guide their congregations through faith and service. By focusing on appreciation, faith leaders can encourage the congregation to reflect on the vital role of clergy in their spiritual lives. 

This reflection naturally leads to a desire to give back, not just as a form of material support, but as an expression of gratitude for the spiritual guidance and community leadership that clergy provide. 

Ideas to encourage giving: 

• Special offering: Set up a giving envelope for Clergy Appreciation or dedicate a portion of the month’s offerings specifically to clergy support or a special project in the clergy’s honor.  

• Personalized messages: Ask congregants to write notes of appreciation along with their donations, creating a personal connection between giving and gratitude.  

• Clergy-led giving campaign: Have clergy members lead a giving initiative that benefits the broader community, allowing congregants to honor their leaders by supporting a cause they champion. 

Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur

These High Holy Days are deeply spiritual times for Jewish communities, marked by introspection, repentance, and renewal. For faith leaders, these days offer an opportunity to guide congregants in reflecting on their spiritual journey over the past year. 

This period of reflection can be a powerful motivator for acts of charity, as congregants seek to align their lives with the values of justice, mercy, and generosity that are central to these holy days. 

Ideas to encourage giving: 

• Renewal pledge: Encourage congregants to make a giving pledge at the start of the new year, symbolizing their commitment to renewal and community support. 

• Teach the meaning of Tzedakah: Use sermons or educational sessions to teach the importance of tzedakah, reinforcing that giving isn’t just an act of charity but a fundamental aspect of donors’ faith. 

• Community service projects: Organize service projects that culminate in giving opportunities, such as funding a local food bank or supporting community renewal efforts. 

Diwali

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. Diwali is an opportune time to encourage your congregation to spread light in their communities through acts of generosity. 

By framing giving as an act of spreading light, you can encourage your congregation to contribute to causes that uplift and brighten the lives of others — aligning their generosity with the festival’s deeper spiritual themes. 

Ideas to encourage giving: 

• Festival of Lights campaign: Create a giving campaign where each donation is symbolized by lighting a candle or lamp, visually representing the impact of collective generosity. 

• Community partnerships: Partner with local organizations to host a Diwali event where proceeds go toward community upliftment or a cause relevant to the congregation’s values. 

• Giving as renewal: Frame giving as a way for congregants to renew their commitment to community service and charity, aligning with the festival’s theme of renewal. 

November 

Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving, gratitude is at the forefront of people’s minds. This cultural holiday offers an opportunity to guide your congregation in recognizing the blessings they’ve received throughout the year and to express that gratitude through acts of giving. 

By connecting the concept of thankfulness with generosity, leaders can inspire their congregants to share their blessings with others, reinforcing the idea that gratitude is best expressed through action. 

Ideas to encourage giving: 

• Gratitude offering: Encourage congregants to give a special “gratitude offering” during Thanksgiving services, reflecting on their blessings and sharing them with others. 

• Thanksgiving dinner fundraiser: Host a community Thanksgiving dinner where the proceeds support a local charity or church initiative. 

• Stories of impact: Share stories of how past giving has impacted the community, inspiring congregants to contribute to ongoing or new initiatives. 

December 

GivingTuesday

GivingTuesday serves as a global reminder of the power of collective generosity. Held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, it was created as a response to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, encouraging people to shift their focus from buying to giving.  

It’s a day when individuals, communities, and organizations come together to support causes they care about. For faith leaders, it’s an opportunity to align this global movement with the mission of their place of worship and inspire their congregation to give. 

Ideas to encourage giving: 

• Mission-focused campaign: Create a dedicated GivingTuesday campaign and highlight specific projects or needs within the church that congregants can contribute to, such as building renovations, outreach programs, or support for the less fortunate. 

• Social media engagement: Utilize social media and online platforms to spread the word and make it easy for people to participate in this global movement. 

• Matching challenges: Engage a local charity to match all donations made on GivingTuesday, amplifying the impact of each gift. 

Christmas

Christmas is a day that embodies the spirit of giving, rooted in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It provides a profound opportunity to encourage your congregation to reflect on the gift of Christ and to respond by giving to others. 

Faith leaders can inspire their congregants to see their giving as a way to share the love and light of Christ with the world. Encourage your congregation to honor the spirit of Christmas by supporting the church’s mission and helping those in need. 

Ideas to encourage giving: 

• Advent giving calendar: Create a daily giving challenge throughout Advent, where congregants contribute a small amount each day leading up to Christmas. 

• Christmas Eve offering: Host a special offering during Christmas Eve services, with a focus on supporting the church’s outreach programs or a specific charity. 

• Gift of giving: Encourage congregants to give a donation in someone’s name as a Christmas gift, providing them with a certificate or card to present to the recipient. 

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a celebration of resilience and the triumph of light over darkness. This holiday offers a chance to inspire your congregation to contribute to causes that embody these themes, such as supporting those who are facing hardship or helping to sustain community projects that bring hope and light to others. 

By aligning acts of giving with the values of Hanukkah, leaders can encourage their congregants to see their contributions as a continuation of the Hanukkah miracle in today’s world. 

Ideas to encourage giving: 

• Eight days of giving: Encourage congregants to participate in eight days of giving, aligning each day with a different cause or need within the community. 

• Hanukkah fund: Establish a Hanukkah fund where donations support ongoing community projects or new initiatives that align with the values of the holiday. 

• Service-led giving: Host a Hanukkah event where congregants can contribute through acts of service, with an option to donate as part of the celebration. 

Kwanzaa 

Kwanzaa, a celebration of African heritage and community values, is a powerful time to promote giving that strengthens these bonds. For faith leaders, it represents an opportunity to encourage their congregants to invest in their community by supporting initiatives that uphold the principles of unity, self-determination, and collective responsibility. 

Connecting the act of giving with these cultural values can inspire congregants to view their contributions as a means to build and sustain a stronger, more vibrant community. 

Ideas to encourage giving: 

• Unity fund: Create a Kwanzaa-themed giving campaign that supports community development projects or cultural programs that resonate with the principles of Kwanzaa. 

• Cultural event fundraiser: Host a cultural event during Kwanzaa, with proceeds supporting local initiatives that align with the holiday’s values. 

• Shared gifts: Encourage congregants to share their blessings by contributing to a communal fund, which is then distributed to support various causes. 

End-of-year 

The final week of the year is a time for reflection, renewal, and setting intentions for the year ahead. It’s also a critical period for year-end giving, as many individuals seek to make final contributions, often motivated by the opportunity to maximize their charitable tax deductions. 

This period, marked by both closure and anticipation for the new year, is ideal for fostering generosity. Faith leaders can seize this moment to encourage congregants to reflect on their blessings and give back, closing the year with a spirit of gratitude and hope. 

Ideas to encourage giving: 

• Year-end challenge: Create a year-end giving challenge with a specific financial goal that supports a key church initiative for the upcoming year. Use this time to emphasize the impact of donations and how donors’ contributions help sustain the church’s mission into the new year. 

• Tax benefit reminder: Remind congregants of the tax benefits of giving before the year ends, making it an opportune time to donate. 

• Reflective giving: Encourage congregants to reflect on the past year’s blessings and make a final donation as a way to give thanks and prepare for the year ahead. 

Harness the power of year-end giving 

As the year comes to a close, these days provide faith leaders with a unique opportunity to inspire generosity while honoring the deeper significance of each celebration. 

By strategically aligning giving initiatives with significant religious and cultural holidays, you can help your congregation express their faith through acts of generosity, ensuring a strong finish to the year and a bright start to the next.