4 tips to keep your fundraising documentation current

Documentation of your fundraising procedures, along with regular review and updating of that documentation, is an integral part of administering a nonprofit development office. Written fundraising procedures are most useful when you create and treat them as an active, living document. But it doesn’t have to be hard to do!

Here are 4 quick tips to help you ensure that your fundraising documentation stays accurate and current:

Tip 1: Make the document accessible

Store the document in a place that makes it easy for you and your coworkers to view it. When the document is accessible in a convenient location, you’ll be more likely to access it regularly, whether that’s to update it or refer to it.

Tip 2: Test out your documentation

If you’re the staff member who documented the procedures, have a coworker follow the instructions to see if questions arise or if they’re able to successfully run reports, etc. based on your documentation.

Tip 3: Make regular updates to your documentation

As tweaks are made to your procedures, such as routine reports that you create for your development committee, update the documentation accordingly.

Tip 4: Set reminders to review the documentation regularly

Set up reminders to help you remember to review and update the documentation. If you’re using a donor management system like Little Green Light, you can assign yourself a recurring task to review your documentation. It’s a good idea to review it at least twice annually to ensure that the document never becomes too outdated.

Conclusion

By regularly reviewing and updating your documentation, you’ll be stewarding a valuable resource for your fundraising operation. If you’re just getting started with creating your fundraising documentation, check out our four do’s and don’ts here.