Raise more this winter: when to ask for end-of-year donations

Winter might feel far away, but now's the perfect time to get prepped for winter fundraising. The first step to a successful winter fundraising campaign is planning. And the best way to plan is to look at the data – and as the world’s most trusted online fundraising platform, we’ve got plenty. 

We crunched the numbers and are excited to share the best times for charities to ask for end-of-year donations. And don't worry – we accounted for things like when people typically get paid, when most people are off work, and more! 

Use these to plan your communications and get more donations at the end of the year. 

• The 1st of every month 

The first day of the month typically coincides with payday, and sees an uplift in donations. 

• Wednesday - Friday 

The most generous days of the week. Charities see more donations come in on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. 

• The 30th of November 

The 30th of November is the peak day for most donations over the entire winter period. 

• Morning and evening 

In November, mid-morning and evenings see peak activity, with 10am and 8pm seeing most donations made. 

• Around Christmas 

In December, the average donation is £28, and during Christmas week (with people more likely to be off work), 11am is the most popular time to donate. On Christmas Day most people donate in the morning between 9am-12pm. 

Whether your charity is running a Christmas campaign or not, timing your comms in the run up to Christmas and over New Year is key. Your supporters’ inboxes will already be flooded with retail emails from companies all the way up to Christmas Eve - so think carefully about when you contact them.  

Additional Key dates to Consider: 

Try to get any scheduled comms sent out before 20th December. 

•  21st to 25th December people usually start their annual leave this week so they’re not checking their emails as much, plus companies really ramp up their comms for last minute sales. Think about sharing impact stories and how donations have already helped so far to engage your supporters. 
•  Post-Christmas (26th to 1st January) most people are busy with their friends and families, so this is the perfect opportunity to focus on campaign updates rather than making donation asks. In the first week of January, comms where you ask people to make plans for the year (e.g. do a 10k race in April) perform quite well because of ‘new year, new you’ messaging. 

Plan your asks around the times and dates above and you'll be prepped for your best end-of-year fundraising campaign ever! 

For our full list of recommended times, expert planning tips, and inspiring winter fundraising examples... 👇

Get our free 2024 winter fundraising guide