4 tips to stay organized and focused during your year-end appeal

The last quarter of the calendar year is an especially busy time for fundraisers. As you manage a heavy volume of work and raise crucial funds for your organization’s mission, these four tips will help you stay organized and focused at year-end.

How to stay organized and focused during year-end

Prioritize acknowledgments

Send acknowledgments on a regular basis throughout December so you’re ready to handle a deluge of last-minute gifts that happens in those final days of the calendar year. That way, you can avoid starting the new year feeling like you’re already behind.

Tip: If you’re using Little Green Light, you can simplify this process for yourself by assigning a default acknowledgment template for your appeal.

Know where your board members are

If board members will sign letters or make thank-you calls to help with your appeal effort, make arrangements for these tasks well in advance. For example, if you’re setting aside time at a regular meeting for board members to sign solicitation letters, communicate that to your board members, and confirm that everyone can attend. This way, board members know what is expected of them and when. And, if someone will be away, you can make alternate arrangements.

Make a plan for evaluating and reporting on your appeal

Your year-end appeal doesn’t end when the calendar year ends. While gifts may no longer be rolling in, you’ll still need to take time to report on and evaluate your appeal. Decide in advance what you’ll be assessing, and be sure you’re entering data in a way that will allow you to make those assessments. This resource gives a jumpstart on how to evaluate your year-end appeal.

Keep track of what you’re putting off

Other things could have to wait for your attention while you’re focused on the year-end appeal. You might learn about a grant opportunity with a rolling deadline, or receive a fundraising idea from a board member that you’ll look into when you have more time. Make notes of those things in a single place. That way, your mind won’t be stuck holding onto those future to-do’s. Once you’ve finished reporting on the year-end appeal, you can dive into those tasks.

Conclusion

It’s inevitable that fundraisers will juggle a lot of work during the close of the calendar year. But by staying organized and focused, you can avoid chaos and instead concentrate on the important work you’re doing on behalf of your organization.