Charitable giving: Timing, timing, timing
A message from the CICF Collaborative, including Central Indiana Community Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation, IMPACT Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Foundation, and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana
As a nonprofit professional, you spend a lot of “communication energy” explaining why your mission matters. Donors need to hear stories of impact and understand broad outcomes to understand what their gifts make possible. Yet there is another factor that often drives giving just as strongly as the “why,” and it receives far less attention: timing.
Donors do not decide only whether to give. They also decide when. Crucial timing decisions are influenced by surprisingly consistent patterns. Some donors act around tax moments and financial planning cycles. Others give when life events prompt reflection—retirement, a milestone birthday, the sale of a business, the death of a loved one, or a moment of personal gratitude. Still others give when they feel a sense of urgency or a clear opportunity to help solve a problem.
Understanding these motivations can help your organization communicate in ways that better align with a donor.
Here are a few tips to consider as you activate your fundraising efforts for 2026:
- Donors tend to respond well to simple calls to action that reduce decision fatigue, especially during busy seasons, such as the weeks leading up to tax time and year-end. Clear giving options, consistent contacts, and practical information about how to give can remove friction that otherwise delays action.
- Donors who work closely with attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors often make charitable decisions as part of broader planning conversations. That means that your organization’s credibility, clarity, and stewardship story matter not only to the donor but also to the advisors who help the donor evaluate options. The same goes for donors who work with the community foundation team through their donor advised funds!
- Timing also matters for donors who give from non-cash assets. Gifts of appreciated stock, Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs (for donors who are age 70 ½ or older), and gifts of complex assets require processing time and coordination. Even donors who want to give may postpone doing so if they feel the process will be difficult or drawn out. As a fundholder, you are able to (and should) regularly communicate that you can accept a variety of gift types. Donors are more likely to act when the moment is right rather than waiting until the end of the year, and our team at the CICF Collaborative can support you as needed in accepting these types of gifts.
Here’s the key takeaway: As you are rounding out your communications calendar for the coming months, consider adding a simple question to your strategy discussions: What are the moments when your donors are most likely to be ready? When nonprofits match compelling impact stories with an understanding of donor timing, fundraising becomes not only more effective but also more respectful of how donors make decisions.
And remember – we can serve as a partner when donors want to support your organization through an endowment or other fund structure, or when a donor is considering a non-cash gift that would be difficult for your nonprofit to handle directly.
About the CICF Collaborative
CICF Collaborative is a partnership of philanthropic organizations working together to strengthen communities across the region. Each entity within the CICF Collaborative (including the cornerstone entities, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation, IMPACT Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Foundation, and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana) brings deep knowledge, strong relationships, and its own individual, focused mission. The CICF Collaborative unites the entities by providing shared services, allowing the entities to operate more efficiently and effectively. By leveraging what we each do best, we’re able to better serve our communities and create more lasting impact, together. Learn more »