It’s the happiest season of all -- and the busiest season for giving. December is traditionally the largest giving season of the year, with many nonprofits and ministries receiving 30 to 40 percent of their annual contributions in December (according to Network for Good and Charity Navigator), with 10 percent of that amount donated on the last two days of the year. Even more specifically, statistics show a significant spike in giving from noon to 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve as donors rush to beat the deadline to qualify for charitable giving tax deductions.

With dozens of family-members and friends visiting your church for the first time this month, and with givers scrambling to get their year-end donations in before the 31st, it is no exaggeration to say that the funding you receive in December will have a significant impact on your operating budget for the new year.

Your supporters and potential donors are already feeling generous. Why not make year-end giving as easy as possible? As you plan your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, be sure to devote ample time to planning and promoting a special offering.

Here are some tips for maximizing your holiday season giving:

• Consider earmarking a special Christmas Eve offering to raise funds for a specific mission or organization
• Break out specific needs by budget amount so that people can envision exactly what they are helping to purchase (Example: $100 will provide 30 Bibles to impoverished children)
• Promote on social media. Be sure to spread the word about your Christmas fundraising efforts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
• Develop a special campaign hashtag
• Update your members regularly on fundraising goals as they are met
• Have small groups compete against one another to raise the most money
• Remind members about this last-minute opportunity to donate and have a tax write-off for the year
• Incorporate a text-to-give component through a service such as Textify
• Remind supporters that their gift to your ministry is a gift that keeps on giving

How do you increase charitable giving during the busy holiday season? With text-to-give options, you cut through all the marketing messaging during the holidays and give supporters a simple way to share the spirit of giving.