February has arrived! And with it, comes much attention toward February 14—Valentine’s Day.
Maybe you love this day; maybe you do not. Regardless, we are inundated with store displays of big red hearts, stacks and stacks of candy, rows and rows of cards for many different situations and more. (I feel like the store shelves magically turned around over night from Christmas items to Valentine’s Day items).
With a certain set of circumstances, Valentine’s Day can be an effective opportunity for a fundraising appeal.
I’ve seen excellent event connections over the years. Targeted direct mail appeals can generate great results (“targeted” being key here!). Opportunities for a donor to contribute as a Valentine’s Day gift for someone is another effective activity. Your nonprofit would send the “Valentine” letting the recipient know about the gift in their honor.
Now is the time to develop a Valentine’s Day appeal! Here are some guiding questions to determine your readiness.
Valentine’s Day Direct Mail Appeals
- Do you have a mailing list with information to target, such as which people are a “couple”?
- Can you connect your appeal to your online presence, mirroring graphics and providing a “Donate Now” button for ease of giving?
- Are there systems for timely recognition and follow-up?
The answer to these questions will guide you toward the best appeal to your donors. I find that the most successful of these types of campaigns are to a mailing list of “warm” donors who already give and are familiar with your nonprofit.
Valentine’s Day Events
If you’ve decided to do an event around Valentine’s Day, you are probably well into the planning. If you are thinking about doing a new event, start your planning now for 2020:
- This year, note the other community events taking place.
- Keep an eye out for highly popular sports events, like theSuper Bowl.
- Watch for popular entertainment packages (e.g., hotel/dinner packages). You don’t want to compete with any of these, so plan around them.
Additional Resources
Do-Jiggy offers information on their “10 Best Valentine’s Day Fundraising Events” in this article https://www.dojiggy.com/valentines-day-fundraising-ideas/. Check it out. There are several good ideas including information on a non-Valentine Day events for those folks who aren’t into the day.
Roses are the traditional flower of the day on February 14. Better Fundraising Ideas suggests selling roses as a Valentine’s Day fundraising. Read more about that and other Valentine’s Day fundraising ideas at https://www.better-fundraising-ideas.com/valentine-fundraising-ideas.html.
There’s a wealth of information online about Valentine’s Day (and other holiday) fundraising ideas. This can make it easy if it’s your first experience with an appeal connected to February 14. Here’s an article full of additional ideas from Fundraising Ideas: https://www.better-fundraising-ideas.com/valentine-fundraising-ideas.html.
