Fall is here, and that means two things: football season is BACK, and nonprofits and event leaders are entering their most crucial stretch of the year. Just as every football team prepares for a long season with a detailed playbook, nonprofits and event marketers need a strong game plan to carry them through the red zone of year-end giving and holiday events.

The stakes are high. Nearly 30% of annual nonprofit giving happens in December alone, and organizations that don’t prepare now risk fumbling opportunities to engage their audience, secure sponsors, and meet revenue goals.

So what can we learn from the gridiron? Here’s your fall marketing playbook to help you stay ahead of the competition.

Kickoff: Start Strong with a Clear Message

In football, the kickoff sets the tone for the entire game. The same is true for marketing. Your September and October campaigns should establish clarity, energy, and purpose.

Today’s audiences want quick, engaging content. Short-form video—like Instagram Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts—is dominating attention spans and consistently outperforming static posts. Starting your season with a kickoff video or teaser campaign can rally your audience around your mission, upcoming goals, or signature event.

Pro tip: Think of your kickoff as your “season opener.” Use video storytelling to show what’s ahead, whether it’s behind-the-scenes event prep, a message from your team, or a creative teaser about what’s to come.

The Playbook: Strategy Before Action

Great teams don’t hit the field without a playbook—and neither should your marketing team. Success in the fall is about scripting your game plan in advance.

This is where AI-powered marketing tools are changing the play. Predictive analytics, automated segmentation, and personalized email campaigns are giving nonprofits and event teams new ways to engage donors and attendees. When used wisely, these tools help you put the right message in front of the right audience at the right time.

Pro tip: Map out your campaign touchpoints now—social, email, direct mail, digital ads, and events—and align them with audience segments. Just like a coach scripts the first 15 plays of a game, you should script your first 15 key marketing actions of the season.

The Red Zone: Close Strong

In football, driving the ball downfield means nothing if you can’t score in the red zone. For nonprofits and events, this is your year-end push—November and December are where you need to turn engagement into measurable results.

One of the strongest trends right now is peer-to-peer fundraising. Instead of relying only on your organization’s voice, empower your supporters, board members, or event attendees to tell their story and invite their networks to join. Similarly, micro-influencers—those with smaller but highly engaged audiences—are proving to be powerful allies in creating authentic, community-driven momentum.

Pro tip: Treat every supporter like a quarterback. Equip them with shareable graphics, hashtags (outside of instagram now as CEO distinguished that hashtags are no longer necessary), and key messaging so they feel confident spreading the word on your behalf.

The Hail Mary: Creative Risk-Taking

Sometimes, to win, you need to throw a Hail Mary. In marketing, this means taking bold creative risks that stand out during a crowded fall and holiday season.

What does this look like right now? Experiential marketing and immersive storytelling are on the rise. Organizations are hosting donor “tailgates” before big events, livestreaming behind-the-scenes moments, or gamifying their fundraising campaigns. Creativity is what makes people stop scrolling and lean in.

Pro tip: Don’t wait until December 31st to get creative. Experiment with bold campaigns in September and October so you have time to adjust before the high-stakes weeks of year-end giving.

Final Whistle: Execute the Fundamentals

Football games are won with blocking, tackling, and discipline—the fundamentals. Marketing success works the same way. Flashy campaigns may grab attention, but consistent communication, strong branding, clean data, and thoughtful follow-up are what drive long-term success.

Before you get too caught up in big plays, ask yourself:

• Are your donor or attendee lists up to date?
• Is your website mobile-friendly and easy to navigate?
• Do you have a clear process for following up after an event or campaign?

It’s the basics, executed well, that win the game.

Conclusion

As fall unfolds, nonprofits and event marketers are stepping onto the field for their most important quarter of the year. Don’t leave points on the board by waiting until November to scramble. Instead, take a page from the playbook: start strong with your kickoff, build strategy before action, finish strong in the red zone, and don’t be afraid to throw a creative Hail Mary.

With the right preparation and execution, your organization can carry the ball across the goal line and finish 2025 stronger than ever. Let’s GO!