Last year, Dana was at her kitchen table at 9:30 on the night of December 18, writing an email that had to go out at eight the next morning. This year she's writing that email in the first week of November, when she's rested and has time to think. In episode four of Finish Strong, we build your email calendar from November 1 through midnight on December 31, so your donors hear from you when they're ready to give.

In this episode you'll learn how to:

• Get past the fear of "too much email." Most organizations email too little, and donors who are ready to give need a reminder.
• Plan four phases: echoing the letter in early November, the Giving Tuesday run-up, December 2 through Christmas, and the final week.
• Write about twenty emails in a few batches instead of one at a time in December.
• Mix five types of email (story, impact update, match countdown, thank-you, and last call) so twenty emails don't feel like twenty asks.
• Stop asking once someone gives, and move them to a thank-you track.
• Write versions for monthly donors and lapsed donors, and keep the real ask for top donors personal.
• Get the mechanics right: send from a real person, keep it plain, use one clear link, and make sure your donation page works on a phone.
• Use AI to draft from your letter and calendar, then edit every line by hand.

Riverbend Community Food Pantry is a fictional organization, but if you've worked at a small nonprofit, you'll recognize it. Every email is a chance to show your donors what their generosity is already doing.

Resources mentioned

• Finish Strong Full Course
• Free 12 Days to Build a Great Year-End Fundraising Plan