January is a month of fundraising extremes. After December 31, you may spend days or weeks dealing with processing gifts and closing the books. The sheer administrative burden can be overwhelming, especially for organizations with smaller staffs. Once that work is completed, donation activity typically slows to a crawl. It can feel sudden and jarring, but within this transitional time there is opportunity. With this decrease in time-sensitive work and a little bit of breathing room, how can you set yourself up for success in the new year?
January is ideal for honing key processes and thinking about the bigger picture. The success of year end provides encouragement and momentum. Taking the time to strategize will help empower your organization for the work ahead.
Identify Key Process Improvements
The pressure cooker of year end can highlight problems. You can focus on any facet of your day-to-day work that needs improvement, but I think this is a natural time to tackle gift processing while it’s fresh. When you were dealing with a high volume of donations, were your procedures seamless and could you acknowledge donors promptly and meaningfully? Were there any pain points or roadblocks?
Identify and address these issues during the quiet, early months of the year. It’s easier to bring colleagues on board with any changes when there is a lighter workload and experimenting is a lower stakes proposition. If your new ideas are not successful, you have the time and space to recalibrate.
If you need ideas, I’ve written about how to thank donors meaningfully here, as well as detailed tips on thank you notes here. Because thanking is such a core function, I believe it’s important to audit it annually, and January is the perfect time to do so.
Think About the Bigger Picture
January is a natural time to think about aspirations and goals. Are there big things that your organization wants to accomplish in 2023? Revisit your 2022 plans to gauge your effectiveness and identify where you need improvement. This is an excellent starting point for establishing your baseline, and for planning and strategy in the new year.
Are there particular areas where you need extra help or an outside perspective? Do certain elements of your fundraising program feel stale or are no longer as effective as they used to be? Little Bean Group has grown substantially this year, and I invite you to visit our website and review our full range of services to see how we can support you. I’m also thrilled to announce the launch of Accelerate, a new way to receive tailored fundraising support quickly. I know that one size doesn’t fit all, and I’m dedicated to providing solutions that support your organization’s unique strengths and needs.
Please reach out and start a conversation. I love to talk about fundraising and how I can help you reach your goals.