Don’t Wait for October: Three Smart Moves for Q4 Fundraising Success

Q4 starts October 1, but the work that shapes year-end fundraising results should begin before then. With a few weeks left to prepare, now is the time to get your data, people, and priorities in place. You do not have to turn over every stone at once! One focused, data-driven move each month can keep your team aligned and your year-end fundraising on track.

Start planning these activities now so they’re ready to execute throughout Q4.

September: Get It on the Calendar

Goal: Protect time for year-end planning before calendars fill up.

What to do: Before anything else, open your calendar. PTO schedules, conferences, holidays, and year-end deadlines can make Q4 surprisingly difficult to coordinate. The strategic work still happens in October, November, and December, but now is the time to reserve the space for it. Sometimes the most important year-end fundraising task isn’t an analysis or campaign. It’s getting the right people in the room.

October: Hold a Major Gifts Year-End Strategy Meeting

Goal: Focus your energy on the right people and ensure your best prospects don’t fall through the cracks.

What to do:

• Convene your prospect management staff, gift officers, and leadership for a half-day, decision‑oriented session
• Prioritize top prospects for Q4 closes and upgrades and get their opportunity data updated in the system.
• Reset “stuck” prospects by reassessing strategies, due dates, and next steps.

Tools:

• Pipeline report: Includes the status of planned asks, including target ask amount, ask date, stage, primary relationship manager, and next step.
• Portfolio activity report: Recent and planned touchpoints (meetings, calls, emails, event invites), with overdue actions flagged.

Tip:  Here is a suggested agenda. Also note that Campbell & Company can help you develop pipeline and portfolio reports in your CRM or in Power BI so they refresh automatically and are easy to use in this meeting and in ongoing prospect strategy meetings (we recommend holding a 60-minute meeting every 2 weeks).

November: Prepare Your Ask Amounts

Goal: Give annual fund donors a specific, evidence-based ask that encourages them to stretch.

What to Do:

• Define segments (e.g., “renew at $X,” “stretch to $Y,” “transformational at $Z”) based on data—e.g. last gift date and amount, capacity band, and level of engagement. Donors that are already giving larger amounts and that are more engaged are likely more open to a stretch ask.
• Set a recommended ask per prospect, with a round, confident number (e.g. $1,500 vs. $1,475).
• Stress‑test: Share lists out with prospect managers and other staff who may have input or context

Tools:

• Excel or Google Sheets: Combine past giving history (last gift, largest gift, giving cadence) with capacity and engagement indicators (ratings, wealth screening, business news, volunteer leadership).
• Increasingly, AI‑assisted modeling through your CRM or another tool can help suggest ask amounts.

Tip: The latest FEP data offers a mixed picture: overall retention improved slightly to 43.3%, but the sector continues to struggle turning first-time donors into repeat supporters. Notably, donors giving $1-$100 were the only segment to see retention gains in early 2026. The right ask amount can help bridge the gap between a first and second gift, giving newer donors a clear and achievable next step. Campbell & Company can help define ask amounts for your year-end campaign.

December: Reengage Lapsing Major Donors—with an Assist from AI

Goal: If they haven’t responded to meeting requests, send your best tailored—and data‑informed—email.

What to do:

• Pull data from your CRM for LYBUNT/SYBUNT major donor prospects who have not responded to meeting requests: name, last/largest gift, designated interests, recent engagement, capacity band.
• Segment by interest (e.g., scholarships, research, arts) and by last gift band.
• Draft email variants reflective of the segments and merge relevant data fields.
• Personalize the top tier (top 25–50 donors): add a personal line, reference a shared connection or past conversation.

What to use (Tools):

• Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini to draft individualized outreach at scale.
• Your CRM data (giving history, programs funded, event attendance, volunteer roles, notes on interests).
• Your brain – these communications should be reviewed carefully by gift officers.

Tip:  Here is a starter AI prompt for the mailing. Campbell & Company can help you pilot this approach—but if you work on your own be sure not to input PII (personally identifiable information) into AI unless it is a closed system.

The Q4 Imperative & Opportunity

Q4 moves fast. With a clear focus for each month and the right data at your fingertips, you can protect your pipeline, strengthen your asks, and reengage high-value donors before December 31. If you do nothing else, schedule your strategy meeting now, set evidence-based ask amounts in November, and make your December outreach personal.