How do you handle calendar year-end (November-December) communications when your nonprofit’s fiscal year actually ends June 30?
That question came up today during our Sharing Your Progress Accelerator program.
Here’s the conundrum:
If you try to talk about your accomplishments from the last 12 months in December, you are technically in the middle of your operational year. So the programming you describe doesn’t match up with the financial information you might also be sharing.
But if you wait to talk about your results til the late summer, you miss out on the traditional year-end fundraising and engagement season that runs roughly from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, when people are generally more inclined to support causes like yours.
Here’s one solution:
Do “progress reporting” in December that talks about the good work you’ve done recently, up to the last 12 months, not tied to any specific financial information. Make it very conversational and full of gratitude to your community of supporters.
Then, in summer, do something for those “insiders” who are more interested in your financials and matching that up with programming accomplishments. This will likely be much more limited in distribution.
How do you approach this problem? Other suggestions? Please share in the comments.
