You know how the song goes: it’s the most wonderful time of the year. With Halloween and Bonfire Night out of the way, we’re officially in the festive season. The sudden surge in Christmas adverts is proof enough of that. And with people in a more giving mood, that could mean a lot of potential for many charities.

From Black Friday in November through to the start of the New Year, there are some new avenues for fundraising you can look at. So why don’t we take a look at how you can make the most of the holiday period? Here are some of our suggestions for how you can bring in more festive donations.

Take advantage of the sales

Two big sales periods are coming up – you have Black Friday and Boxing Day sales. Being a charity, you might not traditionally take part in these, but you can still take advantage of the theming.

Many people use these sales to shop for presents. So even if you’re not offering massive discounts, you can still advertise that your charity shop has the perfect gifts inside. Reclaimed fashion or vintage decorations can go down a storm with the right person. Make sure your shop has appropriate festive signage to bring those shoppers inside.

If not sales, why not these?

If you’re not a fan of the consumerist focus of sales, there are alternatives. There are two in particular that you might not have heard of. The first is Giving Tuesday. This is an alternative to Black Friday and was created to encourage the opposite behaviour: to give back to someone else instead of buying for yourself. It began in 2012 and has picked up a dedicated following. So why not encourage your donors to take part?

The other option is Green Friday – another Black Friday alternative. Instead of being hunched over a laptop scouring the web for deals, Green Friday encourages people to get active, spend time with family, and give to worthwhile causes.

So if Black Friday isn’t your style, why not advertise these days instead? Put some more good out into the world and encourage people to practise positive behaviours.

Get personal

This time of year is great for reaching out to donors with that personal touch. To push them gently towards donating their money, goods, or time, why not send them a Christmas card to show them how appreciative you are? Just including their name can go a long way. Even better if you can include figures about how much they’ve donated.

And if sending out cards sounds like too much for your operation to handle, e-cards sent via email can work just as well. Again, the more personalised, the better. Emails with personalised subject lines are 26% more likely to be read.

If you need a special design for the occasion, lean on your volunteers. With the rise in digital volunteers, there will no doubt be someone out there with great graphic design skills who will be willing to help you out.

Get creative

The list of ideas you could use is never-ending. Here are some of our favourite ways you could spice up your donation process:

A donation advent calendar – This would work well as an email campaign. A festive email every day throughout December to encourage people to donate. Make it a pound a day and get people involved.

A call with Santa – Kids love visiting Santa, so why not set up your own meet and greet with him? If it’s easier, make it digital. And charge a small donation. You get some money, parents have happy kids – it’s a win-win.

Gift wrapping service – It’s many people’s least favourite part of the year: gift wrapping. So why not offer that to your donors – for a small donation, of course.

Partner with a local company – If you’re a local charity, the chances are you won’t be able to partner with some nationwide brand. Why not reach out to a local business and see if you can encourage donations that way?

There are plenty of ways to make the most of the festive cheer if you just get a little creative. Whether you take one of our suggestions or come up with your own, a subtle shift in your approach can yield great results.

The festive season is one of the busiest times of year for retailers. Make sure your charity shops are prepared for the rush. Don’t let old, slow EPoS systems slow them down. CHARiotWeb has been designed with charities in mind. To find out more, reach out on 01204 706000.