Year-End Fundraising Resources
2025 has been a year of uncertainty for nonprofits who have had to navigate new threats such as cuts to federal funding and a volatile policy environment that threatens our missions, resources, and stability.
As we approach the busiest giving season, AFP would like to remind you, you’re not alone: AFP is here with tools, connections, and community, to help you finish 2025 strong and prepare for what comes next.
And despite the challenges… you’ve got this!
This collection of year-end fundraising tools and insights is designed to help you:
- Steer through uncertainty with strategies that respond to changing policy and funding realities
- Inspire confidence among your supporters, even as external conditions shift
- Strengthen resilience in your development operations as the year closes
Year-End Fundraising Webinars and Deep Dives
AFP Deep Dive: Maximizing Year-End Giving: Strategies for Holiday Campaign Success: Join Ken Miller, CFRE, on November 20, 2025 for a dynamic four-hour deep dive into holiday fundraising strategy and execution—designed for nonprofit leaders ready to maximize year-end giving. This interactive session blends data-driven insights with creative storytelling, covering everything from campaign goal-setting and dashboard tracking to donor-centric appeals, digital integration, and stewardship tactics.
AFP Webinar: How to Close Every End-of-Year Gift and Set Yourself Up for Success in 2026: Join us live on November 5, 2025 or watch later on-demand, for a practical session on mastering your year-end fundraising calendar. Learn when and how to connect with donors during the busiest season to close more gifts and start 2026 strong.
AFP Complimentary Webinar: From One-Time to Lifetime: Turning Year-End Donors into Recurring Supporters: The year-end giving season is a crucial period for nonprofits, often attracting a surge of one-time donors eager to support a cause. Check out this on-demand webinar to learn how to convert these year-end donors into recurring supporters. 
Don't forget! All AFP members receive a $100 credit for webinars and/or conference recordings. If you haven't already used your $100 credit, log in to our webinar platform now and add a webinar to your cart!
Positive Podcasts
Tax and Policy: Fundraising in Uncertain Times
Leaning Into the 2025 Tax Law: Why Fundraisers Must Step Up as Guides for Donors: This article reviews the changes included in the 2025 tax bill and how these changes will impact charitable giving. It provides fundraisers with recommendations on what to do now and in 2026 to ensure that your fundraising team and your supporters understand the changes and can develop a plan to maximize benefits for donors while boosting charitable giving.
Federal Taxes and Charitable Giving: This article reviews the areas of fundraising that will be impacted by the 2025 tax law changes, and in what scenarios you may need to talk to your donors about the impact of these changes.
Universal Deduction Secured Through Advocacy Efforts, But Challenges Remain in Final Tax Bill: This article by Lisa Chmiola, vice-chair, external relations for the AFP Global board, highlights the role of AFP's advocacy in securing positive aspects of the tax bill, including the universal tax deduction, and what we can do offset the impact of negative provisions.
AFP Complimentary Members-Only Webinar: Fundraising in Uncertain Times: How to Be Proactive to Secure Your Funding: This on-demand webinar is designed to show participants how they can best prepare and plan a roadmap to funding success in an uncertain political climate. Learn how to engage with varying constituencies, from those who are supportive of the new government direction, to those who strongly oppose it, to those who are neutral and taking a “wait and see” approach.
Fundraising in a Rapidly Changing Political Environment: This Advancing Philanthropy article explores recent policy changes in the United States and their impact on fundraising, offering four strategies for nonprofits to cope with the rapidly changing political environment. (Available Exclusively to AFP Members)
Strategies for Collaboration and Diversification
Many Ways to Give: The Importance of Diversified Nonprofit Funding: How do we keep our mission strong when funding gets tight? The answer lies in resilience, and resilience begins with diversification. This article explores ways to diversify your funding sources and reduce your reliance on any one source, boosting your nonprofit's ability to weather uncertainty.
Diversifying Your Donor Base: This Advancing Philanthropy article highlights strategies for expanding your donor base in the face of declining donor retention statistics. (Available Exclusively to AFP Members)
Unlikely Alliances: Building Funding Partnerships That Bridge Interests: This Advancing Philanthropy case study on the U.S. military and a civilian nonprofit illustrates how organizations that may not initially appear aligned with your mission can actually offer opportunities for cross-sector collaboration. (Available Exclusively to AFP Members)
Why Interdependence Is the Future of Nonprofits: Think of the nonprofit sector like a forest: When our ecosystem undergoes a seismic shift and policies threaten to uproot our work, we lean on one another to stay grounded. This Advancing Philanthropy article advocates for collaboration to help nonprofits thrive in challenging times. (Available Exclusively to AFP Members)
AFP Connect Discussions on Year-End Fundraising (Available Exclusively to AFP Members)
AFP's member discussion forum, AFP Connect, is the perfect place to ask questions and get advice from over 26,000 of your fellow fundraisers.
Plus, browse previous discussions to see what others are asking and the solutions members have provided on topics like:
- Year-End Tax Summaries
- Changing Goal of Year End Appeal
- Follow Up Letters for Year End Appeal
- End-of-Year Appeal: What to Include in Appeal?
- Holiday Cards and Using the Help of Volunteers?
- End of Year Donor Appeal
- End of Year Gift Question
- Annual Contribution Summary Letter
- How Do You Cycle Your Communication to Donors to Push Both Giving Tuesday and End of Year Appeal?
Mental Health Resources
Balancing Time Off with the Demands of Year-End Giving: In this article, Robert D. Taflinger CAE, CFRM shares strategies for fundraisers to balance the demands of the year-end giving season while prioritizing their well-being. It emphasizes the importance of planning vacations in advance, leveraging automation tools to maintain donor engagement, and using mobile apps to stay connected when full disconnection isn’t possible. 
Self-Care Tips for Fundraisers: In this article, Linda McGhee , JD, Psy.D shares tips from her AFP LEAD 2023 session, Self-Care for Those Who Lead: Healing for Leaders And Setting The Corporate Culture for Intentional Self-Care. Tips include self-inventory, doing the inner work, starting small, and being consistent.
Mental Health — Donor Events as the Only Fundraiser of Color: By: Kathi Barber: Self-care and other specific strategies are vital to overcoming stress and anxiety as a BIPOC fundraiser. The anticipation of being the only person of color at a donor event can cause severe stress and anxiety—and possibly negatively impact mental health. Among other tools, self-care is an important way to maintain positive mental and physical well-being. (Available Exclusively to AFP Members)
Raising Funds, Raising Futures: A storytelling series from AFP’s Women’s Impact Initiative that highlights the lived experiences of fundraisers who are also working parents and caregivers. Through written and video interviews, the series shares their challenges, triumphs, and insights, building a more inclusive conversation about balancing caregiving and careers in fundraising.