Hello writers and doers! I’m Daniel Sharp, a new member of the NewsMatch team here to help hone your December fundraising strategy. I come from the crowdfunding world, helping over 500 artists, organizers, and nonprofits launch campaigns that built art, told stories, and made history.

It was a joy to see NewsMatch be featured in the New York Times’ daily newsletter on #GivingNewsDay. If you missed it, check it out here! Our inboxes and social feeds were flooded with appeals, triple (and even quadruple) matches, and goal-reaching celebrations from INN members. Keep up the great work. 👏

Now that we’re closing in on the home stretch, what should your approach? What if you’ve already met your match or have a new challenge grant on the horizon? I’ve got a to-do list for you on how to pivot your messaging and continue to build momentum until the very end. You can schedule a time to meet with me to put a plan in action, pull copy from new pitches we’ve added to the toolkit, and head below for more.

In this section, we've listed the bare minimum of what you should do to run your NewsMatch campaign. If you don't have a lot of time on your hands, focus on this section to stay organized and up to date. We are following the suggested schedule on the 2020 Campaign Roadmap. Feel free to modify this schedule to fit your editorial workflow.

The suggested dates for these appeals are Dec. 16, but you can modify this to fit your schedule. We included some breathing room in between #GivingNewsDay to give your team and readers a break. However, if you want to maintain the momentum, consider sending out a round of thank you messages or deploying one of the new scenario pitches if you have already reached your goal.

☝️Pro Tips for this week's todo list

Add some personality to your appeal. Structured as an interview with a reporter or editor, Email 7 provides insight and value to the reader. It helps them understand what goes into producing a piece of fact-based journalism and spotlights a story, series, or investigation as an example. The questions are guiding prompts, so feel free to make this your own. But remember, keep reinforcing your distinct value.

Take a moment to say thank you! This pitch can also go the extra mile by serving as a stewardship piece to donors who have already given during the campaign. Get rid of the ask and donate button and switch up the call-to-action to be an expression of gratitude. By framing their gift in this context, you help readers connect the dots between their dollar and your impact.

With the NewsMatch deadline of December 31, donors may be eager to get in touch with your team to ask a question on how to make a gift. Here are a few reminders on things you can do to make it easy to reach your team.

We're halfway through the campaign period, and you might find yourself needing to pivot your message. Perhaps you already reached the match cap or your initial goal or a generous funder came in with an additional matching opportunity.

We've created additional pitches, social media copy, and messaging ideas to help you navigate these scenarios and go back to your readers to give your campaign an extra boost.

→ Email Template: How to announce a stretch goal

→ Email Template: Introducing an additional match or “local” match

→ Messaging Strategies: Ways to position various types of local matches and large gifts

On Giving Tuesday, NewsMatch was highlighted in The Morning newsletter from the New York Times. In this email, David Leonhardt recognized giving to a local newsroom via NewsMatch as an act to take on Giving Tuesday.

We saw a surge in traffic on NewsMatch.org (GiveGab) and are expecting another wave of exposure soon. Remember, you have to set up your organization’s profile to be listed in the directory, and it may take a few days to get your page approved and verified. Here’s how to get started.

— Wednesday, Dec. 9 • 1 pm ET / 10 am PT

Join INN for a kickoff conversation about this year’s INN Index. In this webinar, we’ll review a few changes to the INN Index reporting process, how your newsroom data is used and protected, and answer a few commonly asked questions. This webinar will help you and your team prepare for this essential piece of INN’s programming and research.

If you have any questions about the INN Index survey, we’re here to help. Please contact index@inn.org.

Invite other team members to subscribe and receive weekly assignments from NewsMatch by sharing this link.

Questions? Send us an email at hello@newsmatch.org.

Why did I get this? You received this email because you are listed as a NewsMatch 2020 contact for your organization. If you were sent this message in error, please contact hello@newsmatch.org.