Start your new fiscal year strong with these donor management tips

The end of a fiscal year is a busy time for fundraisers. But don’t let the end of one fiscal year overshadow the start of a new one. Start your new fiscal year off strong by following these tips.

How to use your donor management system to start your new fiscal year strong

#1: Update your gift coding

Make any necessary updates to the campaigns, funds, and appeals for the new fiscal year. This includes archiving any that won’t be used going forward. If you use Little Green Light and you’ve set any default campaigns, funds, or appeals to save time during gift entry, you should update those too.

#2: Update your acknowledgment templates

Review and update your acknowledgment templates. Archive any that won’t be needed in your new fiscal year.

#3:  Review and update your online forms

Examine your online donation forms and their corresponding confirmation emails and confirmation pages. Make changes as needed.

#4: Ensure proper staff access to your donor management system

Have you had any changes in staffing? If so, deactivate team members who’ve left the organization. It’s also a good idea to confirm your existing staff members are assigned the appropriate roles.

#5: Review and update your fundraising plan

Review your fundraising plan. Set goals and tasks in your donor management system to help you stay on top of grant applications, letters of inquiry, and major gift solicitations in the new fiscal year. If you don’t have a fundraising plan, our post on 6 steps to help you create a fundraising plan can guide you through the process.

#6: Identify lapsed donors and develop a communication plan

Run a report of constituents who gave two fiscal years ago but not in your last fiscal year. Make a plan to communicate with those donors early in your new fiscal year with the goal of recapturing them.

If you’re using a donor management system like Little Green Light, you can rely on dashboard widgets to track your fundraising progress. At the start of your fiscal year, get familiar with which widgets will be especially useful to you. Save yourself time by customizing your dashboard so those widgets are front and center for you.

Conclusion:

Conclusion

When you invest some time to review and update your database at the start of a new fiscal year, you can kick the year off feeling organized and prepared for fundraising success in the months ahead.