5 Months of Christmas

A proven plan for successful year-end funding

Strong year-end income is key to your ministry’s overall financial health. Raising a third of your annual budget in November and December sustains you financially during months when giving is often leaner.

The 5 Months of Christmas is a clear, straightforward, year-end funding plan that gives you:

• A timeline that keeps you focused and leaves room for real life and ministry
• Messaging that moves supporters to give
• Tools and templates to raise more money in less time
• Peace of mind knowing you’ll enter 2026 with the funds you need to fully focus on the gospel

Overview

September: Mail a newsletter

• Ministry updates help your partners feel informed and connected to you and your ministry. Without them, partners wonder what you’re doing, whether their gifts and prayers matter, or if you’re even still on staff!
• If you haven’t been sending ministry updates throughout the year, guilt could keep you from mailing a year-end appeal.
• If the only time ministry partners hear from you is when you need money, they might ignore your year-end appeal.
• Sending an update in September hits the reset button. Don’t skip September’s newsletter. The rest of the year-end plan builds on this important foundation.

October: 4 for 4% – Prep your year-end mailing, and contact lapsed givers

Unlock two incentives in October!

4 for 4%

Complete all four MPD Made Simple actions in October, and you’ll be reimbursed the 3% credit card fee reimbursement on single, online gifts given between November 15 and December 31—plus an additional percent.

14% Advancement Incentive

When you complete the entire 5 Months of Christmas, Advancement will waive the national charge fund in January on lapsed givers who resume giving as a result of you contacting them in October. See details

October’s MPD Made Simple Actions:

• Update your online giving page photo and bio in Workday, if it’s been nine months or longer. Staff who serve in sensitive ministries are exempt.
• Order current commitment cards and envelopes from navigatorstore.com. If prayerletters.com mails your letters, request Navigator commitment cards through them.
• For other letter services, navigatorstore.com can mail your commitment cards there. Limited-edition Year-End 2025 commitment cards are available now at navigatorstore.com.
• Upload your funding letter draft via navs.me/mpdmadesimple.
• Contact lapsed givers.

November: Mail your year-end letter

• Mail (not email) your physical year-end funding letter packet to your entire mailing list, except those with whom you’ve held a face-to-face funding appointment in the last five months. The year-end funding letter packet must include a:
  • Funding letter with all Must Have’s from the Ultimate Funding Letter Checklist
  • Navigator commitment card and response envelope
• Mail a funding appeal packet to the MPD Team (The Navigators, Attn. MPD Team, P.O. Box 6000, Colorado Springs, CO 80934). This is required to qualify for MPD Made Simple prizes and incentives.

December: Follow up your funding letter

• Email a giving reminder that includes your giving link to all who received your funding letter
  • Follow-up phone calls increase the giving response from 6% to 40%!  Call 10 ministry partners to follow-up on their giving decision (the intent is to have conversations with partners, not to leave voice mail messages).

January: Thank partners

• Mail thank-you notes for all year-end gifts 

Begin 2026 with a healthy ministry account

Follow each Wednesday’s MPD Made Simple emails September through January. If you do not receive MPD Made Simple emails, subscribe here.

• Download the 2025 5 Months of Christmas Quick Guide for an overview of the 5-month year-end funding plan.
• Download the 5 Months of Christmas Funding Letter Toolkit for complete year-end funding materials.

MPD Made Simple: Team Edition

Do year-end funding with friends! Team Edition registration is closed for 2025, but watch for details on the 2026 Team Edition next August.

Prizes

You’re eligible to win prizes when you complete monthly challenges and log them at navs.me/mpdmadesimple. The more monthly challenges you complete the more prizes you can win! See pages 40 and 41 of the 2025 Seachart for details.

Postage Assistance

If postage costs could keep you from mailing a year-end letter:

• Talk to your supervisor, Mission leader, MPD Made Simple: Team Edition team or team leader, etc. to request postage assistance. A gift of $100 will purchase 128 first-class stamps and would go a long way toward mailing year-end letters.
• See navs.me/MPD Resources for information on using The Navigators non-profit marketing authorization number for reduced postage on bulk mailings, and other cost-saving measures.

Contact mpd@navigators.org with questions.