If you’ve worked in child advocacy, victim services, or community justice for more than five minutes, you know what uncertainty feels like.
Federal funding shifts like VOCA aren’t just numbers on a page — they’re lifelines. And when those lifelines fray, the work doesn’t stop. The kids still need interviews. The families still need care. The frontlines don’t get a pause button.
That’s where donor strategy — the kind rooted in community, urgency, and heart — becomes essential.
At Guardify, we’ve seen this firsthand. Since our inception, we’ve helped raise and contribute more than $700,000 to Child Advocacy Centers through our grant funding programs. And the biggest lesson we’ve learned?
Donors don’t give to budgets. They give to impact.
As the year draws to a close, here are five practical ways to strengthen your donor base and bring in more support — without losing sight of why you do this work in the first place.
1. Harness the Year-End Window
Nearly one-third of all one-time gifts happen in December — and a large portion comes in the final three days of the year.
That’s not just a statistic. It’s opportunity.
Create urgency and momentum by planning key campaign moments from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. Your supporters are already in a giving mindset — meet them there with clear calls to action and meaningful reminders of how their gifts protect children.
2. Adapt Your Fundraising Strategy
Federal grants are powerful, but they’re unpredictable. Your donor base, on the other hand, is steady and local. Treat them like the foundation of your mission — because they are.
Shifting part of your focus to individual giving doesn’t replace those federal dollars; it stabilizes your work against the unknown. Build a plan that combines both: consistent public funding and a loyal community of donors who believe every child deserves safety and support.
3. Create a Matching Gift Challenge
Matching campaigns are one of the easiest ways to inspire quick, generous giving.
Find a local business, board member, or partner to match up to a set amount. Run the campaign for a limited time — for example, from Giving Tuesday through mid-December — and share updates as you reach milestones.
When donors know their gift will be doubled, they give faster and with more heart.
4. Turn Your Team into Storytellers
Your team witnesses moments of courage every day — a child feeling safe enough to smile again, a caregiver who finally exhales, an advocate who stays late so no detail is missed.
Invite staff to share those moments (without names or details) and use them to build a peer-to-peer campaign. When supporters hear directly from the people doing the work, they feel connected to it.
People don’t give to programs. They give to people.
5. Focus on Retention, Not Just Revenue
Once the campaign ends, the real work begins — keeping donors close.
Thank them personally. Share the difference their gift made. Keep them updated as your center continues to serve families.
Retention builds trust and long-term stability — the kind that sustains your mission long after December 31.
Closing Thought
You don’t need perfect conditions to act — just a story worth telling and a community ready to listen.
Federal funding may ebb and flow, but generosity doesn’t. Your supporters still believe in justice and healing. You just have to invite them to prove it.
With care,
Ben Jackson
CEO, Guardify
