NFP

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Get the Name Right — or Pay the Price

Name

In fundraising, nothing is more basic—or more revealing—than spelling someone’s name correctly. This isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s table stakes. When a charity gets a name wrong, it signals carelessness, weak systems, and a lack of respect. Donors notice. And they remember.

A Name Is Identity, Not a Field

A person’s name carries history, culture, and dignity. Misspelling it isn’t a harmless typo; it’s a message that the organisation didn’t bother to check. In an era where supporters are inundated with appeals, this is the fastest way to look transactional and forgettable.

Trust Is Built (and Broken) in the Details

Fundraising runs on trust. If you can’t get the simplest detail right, donors reasonably question your competence elsewhere: data security, financial stewardship, governance. One error may be forgiven. Repeated mistakes erode confidence—and confidence is what unlocks larger, longer-term gifts.

It Undermines Personalisation—Which Is the Point

Personalisation is meant to make supporters feel known. A wrong name does the opposite. It turns a tailored message into an obvious mail merge. Worse, it suggests the organisation doesn’t truly understand the relationship it claims to value. That’s fatal to major gifts, bequests, and any program that relies on depth, not volume.

It Signals Poor Data Discipline

Consistent name errors usually point to deeper problems: sloppy data entry, unclear rules, no governance, and no accountability. Good fundraisers respect data because data reflects people. If names aren’t protected and standardised, nothing else in the database can be trusted.

The Cost Is Real—and Measurable

The impact isn’t theoretical. Misspelled names lead to:

  • Lower response rates and unsubscribes
  • Complaints to boards and executives
  • Lost upgrade opportunities
  • Donors quietly lapsing without explanation

And here’s the hard truth: donors rarely tell you why they stopped giving. They just stop.

There’s No Excuse Anymore

Modern CRMs, verification tools, and simple business rules make this fixable. What’s required isn’t technology—it’s discipline. Set standards. Train staff. Lock down key fields. Empower supporters to correct their own details. And audit regularly. Organisations that have been around a long time should know better; longevity is not a defence for complacency.

The Bottom Line

Getting someone’s name right is a mark of professionalism and respect. Getting it wrong is a self-inflicted wound. Fundraisers ask people to trust them with money, values, and legacy. The least they can do is spell the name correctly.

Because if you don’t respect the name, don’t expect the gift.

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Appeals Arriving on the Same Day – Why timing matters

Appeals

Supporters don’t experience appeals one at a time. They experience them in bundles—literal piles of mail and waves of emails. When everything arrives together:

  • Physical mail gets skimmed, stacked, or binned
  • Emails get bulk-deleted or mentally ignored
  • Your carefully crafted message loses urgency by association

Spacing your appeals is one of the few levers you fully control—and most charities underuse it.

1. Build a contact calendar, not a campaign calendar

Many charities plan campaigns in isolation: Christmas Appeal, Year-End Appeal, Tax Appeal. The smarter approach is a single supporter contact calendar that answers one question:

“What will this supporter receive, and when?”

Key principles:

  • Avoid back-to-back sends across channels
  • Allow breathing room between physical mail and email follow-ups
  • Stagger segments (e.g. major donors first, general donors later)

A simple rule of thumb:

  • Mail first, then digital, with at least 5–7 days between arrival and follow-up
  • Never send a second physical appeal within 10–14 days to the same household unless it’s a reminder or upgrade

This isn’t radical. It’s disciplined.

2. Stop letting suppliers dictate your delivery dates

Here’s an uncomfortable reality: many charities accept supplier timelines as fixed. They aren’t.

Good direct marketing suppliers can:

  • Hold jobs for delayed induction
  • Stagger lodgements by state or postcode
  • Adjust print sequencing to manage arrival windows

What you should be asking before artwork is finalised:

  • “What delivery windows can we realistically target?”
  • “What days should we avoid due to sector congestion?”
  • “Can we split lodgement across multiple days?”

If your supplier can’t answer these questions, you’re working with a printer—not a direct marketing partner.

3. Use arrival windows, not fixed dates

Postal services don’t deliver on exact days. Experienced charities plan around arrival windows instead.

For example:

  • Appeal A: lands between 20–23 November
  • Appeal B: lands between 29 November–3 December
  • Appeal C: lands between 8–12 December

This reduces the risk of:

  • Appeals clashing with competitors
  • Multiple appeals hitting the same household simultaneously
  • Weather, public holidays, or postal delays ruining your plan

The goal isn’t precision. It’s separation.

4. Coordinate digital sends after physical mail lands

One of the most common mistakes at year-end is sending the email before the mail arrives—or worse, on the same day.

Instead:

  • Monitor in-home dates with your supplier
  • Trigger emails 3–5 days after expected delivery
  • Reference the physical piece explicitly:
    “You may have received our Christmas letter this week…”

This reinforces recognition and legitimacy. Supporters are far more receptive when they’ve already seen your brand in their hands.

5. Segment timing, not just messaging

Most charities segment what they say but not when they say it.

Consider staggering by:

  • Value: major and mid-value donors first
  • Engagement: active donors before lapsed
  • Channel preference: mail-responsive donors earlier than digital-only

This spreads volume, reduces congestion, and allows you to course-correct if early results are soft.

Old-school fundraising wisdom still applies: test, observe, adjust.

6. Accept that you can’t out-shout everyone—so don’t try

Year-end isn’t about being the loudest. It’s about being the clearest at the right moment.

A well-timed, well-spaced appeal:

  • Feels intentional, not desperate
  • Respects the supporter’s attention
  • Stands out precisely because it arrives alone

Charities that win at year-end don’t rely on clever subject lines or heavier paper stock. They rely on discipline, sequencing, and supplier partnerships that understand the realities of the mailbox and inbox.

If your appeals are landing together now, that’s not bad luck. It’s planning—and planning can be fixed.

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Political unrest is changing the rules of fundraising

Political unrest

Charity fundraising has always been sensitive to the mood of society. When politics turns volatile—elections, protests, coups, crackdowns, insurgencies, rising violence—people don’t stop caring, but the way they give changes. So do the risks, the costs, and the practical ability to move money where it’s needed.

Below are the most common (and most damaging) ways political unrest is showing up in fundraising right now—and what experienced fundraisers are doing about it.

1) Polarisation is making donors hesitant—and more suspicious

In the U.S., intense polarisation doesn’t just split voters; it splits donor psychology. Many donors are now wary that a gift will be interpreted as a political statement, especially around causes tied to race, immigration, public health, climate, women’s issues, and education. Some donors hold back entirely. Others redirect giving to “safer” categories (local relief, children’s services, veterans, animal welfare) that feel less politically charged.

Surveys and sector commentary have repeatedly pointed to divisive politics as a drag on generosity—particularly when people feel exhausted, angry, or distrustful of institutions.

Fundraising impact due to political unrest: lower response rates, more restricted giving, more “quiet donors,” and increased objections like “I don’t want my gift used for politics,” even when you aren’t doing political work.

2) Donors are shifting from international giving to domestic urgency

When a country is internally unstable, donors tend to focus inward. In the U.S., the mix of political strain plus compounding crises has pushed many donors to prioritise domestic needs over international causes.

Fundraising impact: international NGOs and global relief charities face tougher renewals and more pressure to justify “why overseas, why now,” even when global need is objectively rising.

3) Government funding cuts and political priorities are blowing holes in humanitarian budgets

Here’s the blunt reality: when governments cut aid (often during politically turbulent periods), NGOs can’t “philanthropy” their way out of the gap quickly enough.

Multiple credible sources have documented sharp contractions in humanitarian funding and growing shortfalls against global appeals, forcing program reductions and triage.

Fundraising impact:

  • More emergency appeals, more often (donor fatigue rises).
  • More reputational risk (“Why are you always in crisis mode?”).
  • More pressure on major donors and foundations to backfill what governments used to cover—at the same time many funders are tightening.

4) Sanctions, counter-terror rules, and “de-risking” are choking payment channels

Political unrest often brings sanctions, counter-terrorism restrictions, and heightened compliance scrutiny. Even when humanitarian exemptions exist, banks and payment providers frequently take a zero-tolerance posture—delaying, blocking, or refusing transfers to “high-risk” areas. That’s the real-world effect of “de-risking”: it becomes harder to bank, harder to send funds, and harder to operate.

Fundraising impact:

  • Donations get stuck or returned.
  • Field programs can’t pay staff or vendors on time.
  • Finance teams spend huge effort on documentation and audits.
  • Donors lose confidence if money movement looks messy.

5) Crackdowns on civil society are making fundraising illegal—or dangerous—in more places

Around the world, shrinking civic space is not theoretical. Governments are passing “foreign agent” style laws, restricting foreign funding, forcing NGO registration as “agents,” and using compliance regimes to intimidate or disable organisations—especially human rights, democracy, anti-corruption, and advocacy-adjacent groups.

Fundraising impact:

  • Local partners may be unable to receive grants legally.
  • Donors fear being named, targeted, or investigated.
  • NGOs self-censor messaging and programs to survive.
  • International NGOs must rebuild models around locally-led funding and safer structures.

6) Nonprofits are getting caught in the culture war—whether they want it or not

In tense political environments, issues like education content, DEI, immigration, religion, historical interpretation, and public institutions become flashpoints. That spills into donor relations: some donors increase giving to “defend” institutions; others pull away to avoid controversy; boards become more cautious.

Even cultural nonprofits (museums, libraries, arts) report funding instability tied to political pressure and shifts in government support.

Fundraising impact: more contested donor conversations, more board risk aversion, more “values alignment” tests from donors (on both sides).

7) Political violence and security risk are changing donor behavior and event strategy

When unrest includes threats, harassment, or violence, the first thing that changes is in-person fundraising: galas, rallies, site visits, public-facing campaigns. Donors and staff weigh personal safety and reputational exposure more heavily.

Fundraising impact: higher event costs, insurance issues, more last-minute cancellations, and accelerated movement toward smaller/private cultivation and digital-first giving.

What smart charities are doing about it (the practical playbook)

This is where the “old school” disciplines matter—because they’re built for uncertainty.

A) Re-commit to neutrality and clarity

Be explicit about what you do (and do not do). Separate service delivery from advocacy messaging. Donors hate ambiguity in tense times.

B) Over-invest in trust signals

  • Publish tight financials and impact reporting.
  • Show governance strength and controls.
  • Explain how you protect beneficiaries and prevent diversion (especially internationally).

C) Build a compliance-ready fundraising operation

If you fund or operate cross-border, assume every transfer may be questioned. Standardise documentation, KYC/beneficiary checks, and “source/use of funds” narratives. De-risking isn’t going away.

D) Diversify revenue so one political shock can’t break you

Balance individual giving, major gifts, corporate, trusts/foundations, and (where possible) earned income. If any one channel gets politically disrupted, you keep breathing.

E) Localise where you can

In restrictive environments, local funding and local governance structures can be more resilient than foreign inflows—especially where “foreign agent” rhetoric is rising.

F) Scenario-plan your appeals calendar

Assume disruption around elections, sudden policy changes, protests, sanctions announcements, and conflict escalations. Pre-draft contingency messaging and donor FAQs.

Political unrest doesn’t just “make fundraising harder.” It changes what donors feel is safe, what governments fund, what banks will process, and what civil society is permitted to do. The charities that will win in this environment are the ones that double down on fundamentals: trust, clarity, compliance, disciplined stewardship, and diversified revenue—while staying nimble enough to respond when the ground shifts.

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App for Charity – When Does it Actually Make Sense?

App

Charities regularly ask whether they should “build an app.” Most shouldn’t. Apps are expensive to build, costly to maintain, and brutally unforgiving if they don’t deliver ongoing value. An app only makes sense when it solves a repeated, high-value problem for supporters or operations—something a website, email, or CRM simply can’t do as well.

Below are the clear-cut scenarios where an app does make sense, followed by real examples where charities have succeeded.

1. When Supporters Need to Engage Frequently (Not Occasionally)

If supporters interact with your organisation weekly or daily, an app can earn its place. If engagement is annual (appeals, events, tax time), an app will rot on phones.

Apps make sense when they support:

  • Daily or weekly check-ins
  • Habit-forming behaviours
  • Ongoing program participation

Successful example

  • American Red Cross – Blood Donor App
    The Blood Donor App works because donors use it repeatedly: appointment scheduling, reminders, eligibility checks, and donation history. This is classic app logic—frequent, utility-driven use.

2. When the Charity Manages a Volunteer or Member Workforce

If you rely on volunteers, members, or chapter leaders, an app can outperform email chains and spreadsheets.

Strong app use cases

  • Shift scheduling
  • Task notifications
  • Training and compliance tracking
  • Two-way communication

Successful example

  • Salvation Army – Volunteer Management Apps
    In multiple regions, Salvation Army deployments use apps for rostering, emergency response coordination, and volunteer updates—especially critical during disasters.

3. When the Mission Is Location- or Time-Sensitive

Apps shine when they use push notifications, GPS, or real-time alerts.

This includes

  • Emergency response
  • Advocacy actions tied to live events
  • Time-critical community services

Successful example

  • Charity Miles
    Charity Miles converts everyday walking and running into donations. GPS tracking, real-time stats, and immediate feedback make the app essential—this could never work as a static website.

4. When the Charity Is Delivering a Program, Not Just Fundraising

If your organisation delivers services, education, or wellbeing programs, an app can be part of the service itself.

Common scenarios

  • Health tracking
  • Learning modules
  • Client self-service portals
  • Behavioural change programs

Successful example

  • WWF – My Footprint App
    WWF’s app focuses on environmental behaviour change. It provides education, tracking, and personal impact insights—again, ongoing value beyond asking for money.

5. When Events Are Central to the Operating Model

Large-scale or recurring events can justify an app if the event experience depends on it.

Good event-app features

  • Digital tickets and QR check-in
  • Live schedules and updates
  • In-event giving and challenges
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising leaderboards

Successful example

  • Movember
    Movember’s app supports fundraising progress, team competition, and event engagement. The campaign itself is participatory, making the app relevant for weeks—not hours.

6. When Data Collection Is Mission-Critical

If frontline data must be captured offline, in the field, or at scale, apps can outperform web tools.

Examples

  • Service delivery tracking
  • Case notes
  • Environmental or humanitarian data collection

Successful example

  • UNICEF
    UNICEF has used mobile apps globally to collect field data, monitor programs, and coordinate services—often in low-connectivity environments.

When an App Does Not Make Sense (Hard Truths)

Charities should not build an app when:

  • It’s just a mobile version of the website
  • The only purpose is donations
  • Engagement is infrequent
  • The organisation lacks digital product ownership
  • There is no budget for updates, security, and UX improvement

A poorly adopted app doesn’t just fail—it damages credibility.

The Rule of Thumb

A charity app makes sense only if it:

  1. Solves a repeated, mission-critical problem
  2. Is used frequently
  3. Delivers value beyond fundraising
  4. Has a clear owner, roadmap, and budget

If those conditions aren’t met, invest in:

  • Better CRM usage
  • Smarter marketing automation
  • Stronger self-service portals
  • Mobile-optimised web experiences

Apps are tools—not trophies. Build one only when it earns its keep.

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Choosing The Right Consultant for a Tech Project

Most charity CRM projects fail for one simple reason: the organisation chose the wrong consultant.

Not the wrong software. Not the wrong timeline. The wrong advisor. A slick salesperson, a generalist IT firm, or a “CRM expert” who has never carried a fundraising target will derail your investment faster than any piece of technology ever could.

A CRM is not an IT project. It is a core business system that underpins fundraising, supporter relationships, reporting, compliance, and governance. Selecting the right consultant is therefore a serious leadership decision—not a procurement exercise delegated to the lowest bidder.

Here is how charities should approach it, clearly and without illusion.

1. Start With Fundraising, Not Technology

If a consultant leads with system features, integrations, or licenses before they talk about fundraising models, supporter journeys, and revenue streams, walk away.

A credible CRM consultant for a charity must understand:

  • Annual giving, major gifts, bequests, trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships
  • Campaigns, appeals, events, and stewardship
  • Reporting to boards, executives, and regulators
  • The reality of frontline fundraising teams and data hygiene

Technology should follow fundraising strategy—not the other way around. Always.

2. Demand Sector Experience—Not “Transferable Skills”

Charities are not corporates with a donor tab added on. The rules are different. The pace is different. The constraints are real.

A serious CRM consultant should be able to point to:

  • Multiple nonprofit or charity CRM implementations
  • Experience with donor data, not just “customers”
  • Understanding of consent, privacy, and ethical fundraising
  • Familiarity with understaffed teams and competing priorities

If their case studies are vague, anonymised beyond usefulness, or entirely corporate, assume they are learning on your dime.

3. Insist on Consultant Independence From Software Vendors

Many “consultants” are thinly disguised resellers. Their advice conveniently aligns with the product they sell. That is not consulting—that is commission-based persuasion.

A strong CRM advisor should:

  • Be platform-agnostic (or at least honest about limitations)
  • Willing to say no when a system is not right for your organisation
  • Focus on fit-for-purpose, not brand prestige
  • Put your operating model ahead of their partnerships

Your CRM will outlast the consultant. Choose advice that serves you, not their sales target.

4. Look for Governance, Not Just Delivery

Any consultant can configure fields and workflows. Fewer can help you govern the system once the excitement fades.

You need someone who can guide:

  • Data governance and ownership
  • Reporting standards and KPIs
  • User roles, permissions, and accountability
  • Change management and adoption
  • Long-term scalability, not just “go-live”

If the consultant disappears after implementation, leaving you with a fragile system no one owns, the project has already failed.

5. Test Their Willingness to Challenge You

Good consultants are not “yes people.” They will tell you uncomfortable truths.

They should be willing to say:

  • Your processes are broken
  • Your reporting expectations are unrealistic
  • Your data is unreliable
  • Your timelines are politically driven, not operationally sound
  • Your leadership alignment is weak

If everything sounds easy, fast, and painless, you are being sold a fantasy.

6. Ask Who Will Actually Do the Work

Sales-led consulting firms often promise senior expertise and deliver junior resources.

Before you sign:

  • Meet the people who will be hands-on
  • Understand their charity experience, not just certifications
  • Clarify who designs, who configures, who trains, and who supports
  • Ensure continuity from discovery through delivery

Your CRM is too important to be handed off to someone learning on the job.

7. Prioritise Long-Term Partnership Over Short-Term Price

Choosing the cheapest consultant is one of the most expensive mistakes a charity can make.

A strong CRM advisor should be able to support you through:

  • Growth and complexity
  • New fundraising programs
  • Mergers or restructures
  • Leadership changes
  • Reporting and board scrutiny

You are not buying hours. You are buying judgment.

Charities do not need more technology. They need clarity, discipline, and experienced guidance.

The right CRM consultant will:

  • Understand fundraising at a practical level
  • Challenge poor thinking
  • Protect the organisation from bad decisions
  • Leave behind capability, not dependency

Choose carefully. Your data, your donors, and your revenue depend on it.

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Creative ways for a charity to recognise a donor’s birthday 

Most charities miss this opportunity entirely—or worse, they send a bland automated email that feels more like a CRM tick-box than a human gesture. A donor’s birthday is personal. If you get it right, it deepens loyalty. If you get it wrong, it exposes how transactional your relationship really is.Birthday recognition should never feel like a soft ask or a clumsy fundraising ploy. Done well, it reinforces belonging, gratitude, and shared purpose. Here are practical, creative ways to do it properly—without gimmicks or waste.

1. Go old-school: handwritten still wins

A short, handwritten birthday card—signed by a real person—cuts through digital noise instantly. It doesn’t need flowery language. A simple message thanking them for being part of the mission is enough.

This works especially well for:

  • Major donors
  • Long-term supporters
  • Monthly givers

Yes, it takes effort. That’s the point. Donors notice.

2. Give them impact, not flattery

Instead of “Happy Birthday from us,” flip the focus:

“On your birthday, here’s what your generosity helped make possible this year.”

Share one concrete outcome—a person helped, a project completed, a milestone reached. Make it specific and credible. Donors don’t need praise; they want proof.

3. Let them give the gift (without pressure)

Some donors genuinely like giving on their birthday—but forcing it is a mistake.

Offer an opt-in option:

  • “Some supporters choose to mark their birthday by supporting X—if you’d like to, here’s how.”
  • Include a soft, optional link. No countdowns. No urgency language.

If they ignore it, fine. The goodwill still counts.

4. Personal video beats polished production

A 15-second phone video from:

  • A frontline staff member
  • A program lead
  • Even the CEO (used sparingly)

Looking into the camera and saying their name matters more than lighting or editing. Authentic beats glossy every time.

5. Make it about them, not your brand

Avoid:

  • Heavy logos
  • Campaign slogans
  • Annual appeal language

Instead, reference:

  • How long they’ve been involved
  • Why they first connected
  • A cause area they care about

If you can’t personalise it meaningfully, keep it simple.

6. Surprise, don’t spend

Birthday recognition doesn’t need merchandise. In fact, branded gifts often feel wasteful.

Better alternatives:

  • Early access to a report or story
  • A behind-the-scenes update
  • A “birthday thank-you” phone call for top donors

Low cost. High impact.

7. Segment—or don’t do it at all

A generic birthday email to everyone cheapens the gesture.

Be disciplined:

  • High-value and long-term donors get high-touch recognition
  • General supporters get a warm, well-written message
  • If your data is poor or outdated, fix that first

Bad data plus automation equals embarrassment.

8. Train staff to treat birthdays as stewardship, not fundraising

This is where many charities slip. Birthdays are about relationship, not revenue.

If the internal mindset is “Can we get a gift out of this?”, donors will feel it instantly. Stewardship first. Trust compounds over time.

Birthdays are one of the few moments where a charity can show it remembers the person, not just the giving history. Do it with restraint, sincerity, and effort—or don’t do it at all.

Done properly, birthday recognition doesn’t raise money that day. It raises loyalty for years.

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Introducing KPIs to a Team That’s Never Had Performance Goals

Introducing KPIs to a team that has never worked with formal performance goals is not a change-management exercise—it’s a reset of expectations. Done poorly, KPIs feel punitive. Done properly, they become a source of clarity, discipline, and pride in work well done. The difference lies in how they are introduced and what they are used for.

Start With Purpose, Not Numbers

Before a single metric is discussed, the team needs to understand why KPIs are being introduced. This is not about surveillance or catching people out. It’s about professionalism. Every serious organisation—commercial or nonprofit—measures whether effort is translating into outcomes. KPIs exist to answer one basic question: Are we making progress on what actually matters?

Be direct. A team without goals drifts. Drift costs money, morale, and credibility. KPIs are how you replace ambiguity with focus.

Acknowledge the Past—Briefly—and Move On

If the team has operated without performance goals, name it without apology or blame. “We haven’t been clear about success in the past. That changes now.” Then move forward. Long explanations about historical shortcomings weaken authority. Teams respect leaders who draw a line and set a new standard.

Define What “Good” Looks Like

Many teams resist KPIs because they’ve never been told what success actually means. Vague expectations like “do your best” or “be strategic” are useless. KPIs force specificity: response times, output volume, quality thresholds, revenue targets, cycle times, or engagement levels.

Start small. Three to five KPIs per role is enough. Anything more is noise. If everything is a priority, nothing is.

Involve the Team—But Don’t Abdicate Leadership

Consultation matters, but this is not a democratic vote. Invite input on what should be measured and what data already exists. Teams often know where the real pressure points are. However, leadership must make the final call. Performance goals lose credibility if they are negotiated into meaninglessness.

Separate KPIs From Punishment

Early resistance often comes from fear. Be clear: KPIs are a management tool, not a disciplinary weapon. Initially, use them to establish baselines and patterns, not to hand out consequences. Once the system is embedded and understood, accountability naturally follows.

Build Reporting Discipline Early

A KPI that isn’t reviewed is theatre. Set a regular rhythm—monthly is usually right. Review results consistently, calmly, and without drama. Praise improvement. Address underperformance factually. Over time, the team learns that performance discussions are normal, not personal.

Lead by Example

If leaders refuse to be measured, the system collapses. Share leadership KPIs openly. When teams see that expectations apply upward as well as downward, KPIs gain legitimacy fast.

Expect Discomfort—and Don’t Retreat

Introducing KPIs will unsettle people who have been comfortable operating without scrutiny. That discomfort is not a signal to retreat; it’s evidence the change matters. Stay steady. Consistency is what turns KPIs from a “new initiative” into the way things are done.

The Payoff

Teams without goals rely on effort. Teams with goals deliver outcomes. Over time, KPIs reduce politics, clarify priorities, and make performance conversations easier—not harder. Most importantly, they give good staff something they’ve often lacked: a clear definition of success and proof that their work matters.

Introduce performance metrics properly, and you don’t just measure performance—you raise it.

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How to Get Your Fundraising Team Motivated in the New Year

The New Year is a reset—but only if you treat it like one. Too many fundraising leaders roll into January with tired teams, recycled plans, and vague encouragement about “doing better this year.” That approach doesn’t motivate anyone. Fundraisers are practical people. They want clarity, purpose, and a sense that leadership knows where the organisation is headed. If you want real motivation, here’s how to start the year properly.

1. Close the Book on Last Year—Properly

Before you talk about the future, deal honestly with the past. Share what worked, what didn’t, and why. Don’t gloss over missed targets or pretend challenges didn’t happen. Fundraisers respect straight talk.

Celebrate wins—big and small—but anchor them in facts: dollars raised, donors retained, upgrades secured. Recognition tied to outcomes builds credibility. Empty praise does not.

2. Set Clear, Non-Negotiable Priorities

Nothing demotivates a team faster than fuzzy priorities. January is the time to be explicit:

  • What fundraising programs matter most this year?
  • Where will leadership invest time and resources?
  • What will not be a priority?

A focused plan beats an overstuffed one every time. Fundraisers want to know where to put their energy—and where they’re allowed to say no.

3. Translate Strategy into Individual Relevance

Strategic plans are useless unless people can see themselves in them. Every fundraiser should leave January knowing:

  • How their role contributes to the overall goal
  • What success looks like for them this year
  • How they’ll be measured—and supported

Motivation comes from ownership. If people don’t understand their lane, they won’t stay in it.

4. Reconnect Fundraisers to Mission and Impact

Experienced fundraisers don’t need platitudes—but they do need meaning. Start the year by reconnecting them to why the organisation exists.

Bring program staff into meetings. Share donor stories. Show real outcomes from last year’s fundraising. This isn’t fluff—it’s fuel. People work harder when they remember who they’re raising money for.

5. Invest in Skills, Not Just Targets

January is the right time to sharpen tools. Training signals that leadership is serious about improvement, not just pressure.

Focus on practical areas:

  • Donor conversations and solicitation skills
  • Portfolio management and prioritisation
  • Using CRM data properly (not just entering it)

A fundraiser who feels more capable is a fundraiser who feels more confident—and confidence drives performance.

6. Reset Expectations Around Accountability

Motivation doesn’t come from being “nice.” It comes from fairness and consistency. Use the New Year to reset expectations:

  • Regular check-ins, not annual surprises
  • Clear KPIs tied to real activity and outcomes
  • Follow-through when commitments aren’t met

Strong fundraisers want to be held to account. It tells them their work matters.

7. Give Them Something to Look Forward To

Finally, motivation needs momentum. Build in early wins—campaign milestones, donor visits, pilot projects, or visible improvements to systems and processes.

When fundraisers see progress early in the year, they stop bracing themselves and start leaning in.

January motivation isn’t about hype. It’s about leadership. Be clear. Be honest. Be disciplined. When fundraisers trust the direction and feel equipped to do their jobs well, motivation takes care of itself—and the results follow.

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Pay Transparency defined — and Why It Matters More Than Ever

Pay Transparency

Pay transparency is exactly what it sounds like: being open about how people are paid. That can include publishing salary ranges in job ads, explaining how pay is set, outlining progression pathways, and ensuring employees understand what it takes to earn more.

This isn’t about publishing everyone’s exact salary on a noticeboard. It’s about clarity, fairness, and accountability in how remuneration decisions are made.

For decades, organisations treated pay as a private, even secretive matter. That approach might have felt comfortable, but it has also allowed inequity, bias, and inconsistency to thrive unchecked. Those days are ending — and frankly, they should.

What Pay Transparency Actually Looks Like

In practice, pay transparency can take several forms:

  • Salary ranges clearly stated in job advertisements
  • Defined pay bands linked to roles, skills, and experience
  • Documented criteria for pay increases and promotions
  • Honest conversations about remuneration during recruitment and performance reviews

It does not mean abandoning discretion or ignoring performance. It means decisions are explainable, defensible, and consistent.

Why Pay Transparency Is Important

1. It Builds Trust

When people don’t understand how pay decisions are made, they assume the worst. Transparency removes suspicion and replaces it with confidence. Staff may not always like the answer, but they respect organisations that are upfront.

Trust is hard won and easily lost. Opaque pay practices erode it quietly, year after year.

2. It Reduces Pay Gaps

Gender and equity pay gaps rarely exist because of one bad actor. They persist because of systems that rely on negotiation, secrecy, and legacy decisions that never get revisited.

Transparency forces organisations to confront discrepancies they might otherwise ignore. Once exposed, inequities become harder to justify — and easier to fix.

3. It Improves Recruitment

Candidates are tired of guessing games. Listing a salary range saves time, sets expectations, and attracts people who are genuinely aligned with the role.

Organisations that refuse to disclose pay increasingly look out of step, or worse, like they have something to hide.

4. It Supports Retention and Morale

When employees understand how they can progress and what growth looks like financially, they are more likely to stay. Ambiguity breeds frustration. Clarity breeds motivation.

People don’t leave solely because of pay — they leave because pay decisions feel arbitrary or unfair.

5. It Encourages Better Management

Transparent pay frameworks force leaders to do the hard work: defining roles properly, setting clear expectations, and managing performance consistently.

That discipline strengthens the organisation overall. Weak management thrives in vague systems; strong management benefits from clear ones.

The Risks of Ignoring Pay Transparency

Holding onto outdated secrecy carries real consequences:

  • Increased turnover
  • Difficulty attracting top talent
  • Legal and reputational risk as regulations evolve
  • A disengaged workforce that doesn’t believe the system is fair

In many jurisdictions, pay transparency is no longer optional. Laws are catching up to what employees have been asking for all along.

A Sensible, Traditional Approach to Pay Transparency

Pay transparency doesn’t require radical upheaval. The most effective organisations take a measured approach:

  • Start with clear role definitions
  • Establish realistic, market-aligned pay bands
  • Communicate the rationale behind decisions
  • Train managers to have confident, honest conversations

This is about good governance, not trends. Organisations that have always valued fairness and consistency adapt easily because transparency simply makes visible what should already exist.

The Bottom Line

Pay transparency isn’t a threat to organisations that are well run. It’s a threat to poor systems, lazy decision-making, and historical inequities that should have been addressed years ago.

Handled properly, it strengthens trust, improves performance, and positions organisations for the future — while respecting the fundamentals that have always mattered: fairness, accountability, and professionalism.

That’s not radical thinking. That’s sound management.

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GivingTuesday 2025 by the Numbers

GivingTuesday

Here’s a straight-up, no-spin review of 2025 GivingTuesday results and what actually matters for fundraisers — going beyond the headline numbers to surface concrete insights your nonprofit can use next year.

GivingTuesday shows Record Total Giving

  • U.S. donors gave an *estimated $4.0 billion on GivingTuesday 2025, up about 13 % from 2024 — even in a tougher economic climate. GivingTuesday

Participation Growth in GivingTuesday

  • Roughly 38.1 million people participated, with 19.1 million making financial contributions and 11.1 million volunteering — a roughly 20 % jump in volunteer engagement. GivingTuesday

Platform & Sector Wins

  • Customers of certain fundraising platforms saw outsized success: one provider reported $25.6 million from 50,000 donors, while another saw Bloomerang-powered nonprofits raise $76 million, a 33 % increase YoY. Morningstar+1

Smaller, Local Wins Still Matter

  • Individual orgs — like university athletics programs — posted strong gains from community and alumni fundraising, showing micro-level results still matter. Fordham University Athletics

Good News, But Not Evenly Distributed

  • Some organisations reported flat or even declining revenue online from GivingTuesday compared with last year; roughly 26 % saw drops in online revenue. mrss.com

Lessons Learned (and what you should actually take away)

1. GivingTuesday Isn’t Just a Day — It’s a Season

Nearly every source points to pre- and post-campaign strategies paying off — launching messaging weeks ahead and continuing the push through year’s end boosts overall revenue. mrss.com

Practical takeaway: Your campaign should start in September, at a minimum, with clear milestones and segmented outreach calendars.

2. Donor Behavior Is Shifting — Diversify Channels

The data shows:
✔ Small-donor giving remains strong — many gifts under $100.
✔ Recurring gifts and alternative giving (DAFs) are growing share. NonProfit PRO+1

Practical takeaway: Build acquisition strategies that don’t rely only on email — text, social, and peer-to-peer have real traction. Structure your campaign to showcase monthly / recurring giving options.

3. Email Isn’t Enough Anymore for GivingTuesday

Some nonprofits saw email revenue flat or down — because donor habits are changing. mrss.com

Practical takeaway:

  • Clean and segment your email list well before year-end.
  • Build a stronger SMS list.
  • Test paid social ads earlier and monitor performance weekly, not just on the day itself.

4. Volunteer Engagement Is Rising — Leverage It

With volunteer participation up ~20%, GivingTuesday is increasingly also a volunteer engagement and activation day, not just a fundraising spike. GivingTuesday

Practical takeaway: Plan volunteer drives around your fundraising — offer tangible ways supporters can give time and money.

5. Campaign Quality Beats Quantity

Programs that told clear, outcome-oriented stories (meals for students, shelter beds, youth programs, etc.) saw better traction in 2025. Media Cause

Practical takeaway:
Focus fundraising asks on specific, measurable impact — “$75 feeds a child for a week” beats vague appeals.

6. Track & Steward New GivingTuesday Donors Immediately

Your data shows post-GivingTuesday engagement drives long-term value. First impressions count. Donorbox

Practical takeaway:

  • Build automated thank-you flows.
  • Survey new donors about interests/preferences.
  • Invite them to engage again before December 31.

What This Means for Your Fundraising Strategy

Look at GivingTuesday as part of a year-end ecosystem, not a stand-alone blitz.
People are still generous — but they expect relevance, clarity of impact, and ongoing connection.

Here’s the cold reality:

  • If your organisation didn’t show up with a polished, multi-channel plan and measurable outcomes, you likely left money on the table — because donors are ready to give.
  • The winners in 2025 weren’t the loudest but the most strategic with data and donor experience.
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