The end of the year is almost here, and as members of your community are celebrating the holidays, they are also thinking about their year-end donations. According to Nonprofit Source 30% of annual giving happens in December, which means you have donors in your community who at this very moment are thinking about who they are going to give a gift to this year. So, how do you get these donors to give to your United Way?

On our blog, we always talk about the importance of telling your donors what issue your working on, the actions you are taking to impact the issue, and the results of those actions – also known as the acronym I-A-R. But one thing we don’t elaborate on as much are the two parts of results: stories and statistics.

We know that there are two types of people out there – those who want statistics about the impact you’ve made and those who want a story of someone you’ve helped. When you go to report your results, it is important to include some of each so that every person receives the information they need to decide to support your United Way.

Some people are very analytical. They think of things in statistics and percentages, and those people need to know the difference you made the previous year in statistics. They are the ones who will ask you questions like, “How many people did you help this year?” and “What percentage of kids who attended your summer learning camp are now reading on grade level?” These are valuable questions, and the answers will benefit even those who normally prefer stories. When making your end-of-year asks, we encourage you to select one program you run, and then provide one or two statistics about the impact of that program from the year before. So, using United Way of Greater Greensboro as an example, they provide this statistic for their Family Success Centers, “92 adults obtained a new or better job & 23 completed money management classes.” With this information, a person who thrives on statistics would be able to make the connection that because of their donation lives were changed.

Other people tend to prefer stories of those who were helped. Most people want to be able to connect with the story of another person in their community who benefited from their donation. While those who love statistics are asking questions about what happened because of their donation, story lovers are asking, “Who did I help?” They want a face they can put to the issue, a success story that could not have taken place without their donation. Again using United Way of Greater Greensboro (Greensboro, NC) as an example, they tell the story of Jamie. Jamie is a single mother who came to United Way of Greater Greensboro’s Family Success Centers with a goal of earning her GED. The Family Success Center was able to help her find childcare for her daughter, opened her very first bank account, and is planning to finish her GED this year. You can read Jamie’s full story here. Being able to hear Jamie’s story, and how their donation to United Way of Greater Greensboro is helping her receive her GED, is very motivating for donors. They are able to connect to her story and know that a member of their community was helped.

As you wrap up the year, give your donors and potential donors the gift of statistics and stories in all of your communications!