Ep 218| End-of-Year Fundraising: A Giving Season Roadmap for Nonprofits

Send us Fan MailYou can't repair the runway while the plane is taking off. 🛫That's Darrin Cook's blunt take on why Giving Season prep has to start in August, not November. Darrin joins Jena Lynch to break down how early infrastructure work, not last-minute campaign scrambling, drives real Giving Season results. He shares a framework for auditing donor data and donation flows now, building stronger donor segments, and knowing where automation earns its keep without losing the human side of donor stewardship. Plus, why protecting your fundraising team from burnout is part of the strategy, not separate from it.Head straight to the Donorbox Blog to dive deeper into Giving Season prep with a 3-phase roadmap to keep you on track from now until January, here.Chapters 00:00 Why Giving Season Prep Starts in August 01:47   Meet Darren Cook (MyMogul Media) 02:45  Don't Repair the Runway Mid-Flight: Giving Season Timeline 05:07  Systems Audit: Tech, Websites, and Mobile Optimization08:31  Nurturing Donors: Relationship Messages Before the Big Ask 11:14    Simple Donor Segmentation: 6 Key Groups to Target 14:55  Humanizing Automation: What to Automate vs. What to Keep Personal 18:10  Preventing Team Burnout During the Year-End Rush 19:51  The January Debrief: Turning Campaign Data into Next Year's Strategy 22:58  Where to Find Giving Season ResourcesAbout Our Guest Darrin Cook is the founder of My Mogul Media. Since 2009, he's helped nonprofits across the US build cleaner, more connected digital systems, so teams can stop grinding and start growing.About Our Host Jena Lynch is Head of Community Engagement at Donorbox and host of The Nonprofit Podcast, bringing practical strategies every week for nonprofits that want to raise more and do more.Resources and Links:My Mogul MediaDarrin Cook on LinkedInDonorbox Blog: Giving Season Fundraising, Your 3-Phase RoadmapDonorbox is a trusted fundraising platform used by more than 100,000 organizations worldwide, helping raise more than $4 billion for causes globally. Learn more at donorbox.org.Enjoying the show? Subscribe for more practical fundraising strategies, leadership insights, and tools to help your nonprofit grow sustainably.This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as legal or financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor for guidance specific to your organization.Support the show