{"id":10980,"date":"2018-09-13T20:40:38","date_gmt":"2018-09-14T00:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/?p=10980"},"modified":"2024-12-04T16:31:42","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T21:31:42","slug":"tips-for-a-successful-year-end-fundraising-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/tips-for-a-successful-year-end-fundraising-season\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Thrive During the Year-End Fundraising Crunch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We’ve all read about how to crush our year-end fundraising goals. We know how to plan, execute, and wrap up a campaign. But what we\u00a0don’t\u00a0<\/em>often discuss in the nonprofit industry is how to get through the year-end fundraising crunch<\/a> with our sanity intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hope these tips help you navigate the last several months of this year. It’s an intensely busy time of year. Take steps to take care of yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automate what year-end fundraising assets you can<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part of the challenge of year-end fundraising is the sheer number of details you have to manage. Lighten your mental load by automating some functions ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start writing and creating automated thank-you emails<\/a>. Compile and segment donor lists that you can save for future use. Build and schedule social posts you know you’ll make now so you won’t have to think about them later. You might even be able to write and save drafts for newsletters that will go out at the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To-do lists get a little wild toward the end of the year. Anything you can do now instead of then will help you stay organized and reduce stress!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedule some off time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re a fundraiser, you’re probably not going to be taking long, luxurious vacations any time soon. But that doesn’t mean you should neglect off time entirely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burnout is an enormous problem in the nonprofit industry, and the end of the year can be intensely stressful for staff. Prioritizing off time\u2014even if it’s just a few hours at a time\u2014is an important way to avoid exhausting yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you schedule a lunch out with friends once a month or set aside an hour or two for yourself a couple times a week, work on setting time to do something that rejuvenates or relaxes you. If you love going for a long walk in the woods, vegging out with popcorn and a movie, or taking naps, dedicate time to do those things\u2014and guard that time jealously. When work gets stressful, it’s easy to sacrifice your time to get more things done. And that’s okay! Sometimes, working late at night or on a weekend is necessary. But it’s bad for your mental (and physical!) health to neglect yourself entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus on gratitude<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This year-end fundraising period, make gratitude something you intentionally cultivate. Personally, I can get stressed out and irritable when I’m very busy or working hard to reach a stretch goal. Do you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focusing on gratitude is a powerful way to combat the negative feelings that can arise during a stressful period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a zillion different ways to cultivate gratitude. I love it when development staff starts their day by writing a few thank-you notes or calling a few donors to thank them for their gifts. But there are other options! Consider practicing gratitude by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n