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Hey Reader,
It's that time of year when everyone is making resolutions, coming up with strategic plans, and most dreaded of all...actually circling back!
My favorite way to go into a new year is with an "in and out" list. I'm sharing below with you my Ins and Outs List for Nonprofit Fundraising this year. What would you add or takeaway?
💫 INs:
- Focusing on what you can control. Everything outside of your control is not worth the emotional energy to worry over.
- Managing expectations early...and often! Whether it's with your board, team, or donors - be clear, be transparent, and build shared expectations...and don't forget to revisit those!
- Using the 80/20 rule ruthlessly. Spending your time focused on your top 20% of donors, activities, and events will drive 80% of your results. Everything else is just fluff.
- Asking. Asking again. Asking clearly. Ask for money, introductions, feedback, capacity, emotional support. Whatever you need, ask! The answer may be no, but you'll be suprised by how many yeses you can rack up when you just ask.
- Honest conversations with funders about timelines, challenges, pivots, and what’s not working - not just polished success stories. Funders crave authenticity and trust. Don't hide behind pretty annual reports!
- Simple stewardship done consistently. Thank-you notes, impact updates, quick check-ins > elaborate strategies that never happen.
- Block walks! The walk around my block is exactly 10 minutes. A few of these throughout the day completely transforms my ability to think and react.
- Small, testable experiments. Pilot the email, try the call script, test the event format. Learn, adjust, repeat...just don't get set in your ways without switching things up!
- SOPs. This year, we're documenting everything - our processes, our achievements, our work methods - everything so that everything doesn't just live in our heads.
❌ OUTs:
- Endlessly applying for grants you’re unlikely to get, especially when the fit is weak and the time cost is high.
- Avoiding hard conversations with underperforming board members, funders, or teammates (and hoping things improve on their own).
- Not naming limits or boundaries then resenting everyone for crossing them.
- Letting perfect be the enemy of good especially with donor communications, reports, and outreach.
- Waiting until you feel “ready” to ask. Confidence usually comes after action, not before.
- Confusing activity with progress. Busy calendars does NOT equal meaningful fundraising movement.
- Doing everything yourself “because it’s faster”...until burnout makes everything slower.
If this year feels overwhelming, then make this your mantra: You don’t need to do more...you just need to do the right things well.
And if you want help turning clarity into systems, tools, or templates that actually support your work, you know where to find me!
Remember, you’ve got this.
Cheers,
Kayla
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P.S: Here's 3 ways you can take your fundraising to the next level today:
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