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Once the bustle of year-end fundraising recedes, fundraisers have an opportunity to reset and prepare for a productive year ahead.
If you received any returned mail in response to your year-end appeal, now is the time to update your database with information from any returned envelopes. Those updates may include address changes, marking a constituent as deceased, or marking an address as inactive. When you tackle those updates promptly, it means your mailing list will be in good shape for the next communication you send.
Examine your fundraising plan to check for times during the year when your workload may be especially heavy. That way, you can anticipate these periods and make a plan to avoid stress and chaos. Does a grant deadline fall the week of your gala? Set an earlier, internal grant deadline for yourself so it will be off your to-do list by the time the gala is dominating your attention. That includes collecting any materials from colleagues, such as financial or program data, well in advance, too.
Reflecting back on the year, were there tasks you struggled to complete successfully in your donor management system? If so, you can improve your skills in two primary ways:
1) Make use of available training resources and 2) Practice your skills when you’re not up against a deadline, so the pressure to succeed is low. If you’re a Little Green Light customer, completing the Basic Training series is a great way to expand your knowledge of how to use your database effectively—and it’s free! Sign up for live sessions here or catch a recording in our Knowledge Base. Additionally, LGL has outlined some recommended practice techniques here.
Conclusion
By following these three year-end fundraising reset suggestions, you can avoid frustrations and position yourself for a strong year of fundraising.
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