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The time between Thanksgiving and year-end offers a prime window for fundraising, as people often feel a heightened sense of generosity and motivation to support causes they care about. This season can be a tremendous opportunity to engage donors, share your mission’s impact, and inspire end-of-year contributions. Here are some practical fundraising strategies and tactics to maximize your campaign success during this season:

Nonprofit boards often find themselves stuck in a rut, performing the same old tasks with the same agenda month after month, with little impact. This "old work," as described by board expert Richard Chait in his 1996 article "The New Board Work of the Nonprofit Board," remains highly relevant today. I had the opportunity to rediscover this valuable resource in my files, and it reaffirmed that boards have the potential to move their work toward a more impactful and relevant approach.

What are things you might stop doing that could improve the quality of your day-to-day life? Harvard professor and researcher Arthur Brooks calls this a “to don’t” list: things that you find yourself doing out of habit or obligation even though they lower happiness and productivity.

As you consider your own list, I encourage you to try the following:

As a nonprofit organization, your case for support is a critical tool to communicate the value and impact of your work, build relationships with donors, and secure the resources needed to fulfill your mission. But it’s not enough to write it once and assume it’s always going to work.

While you should dust off and evaluate the strength and validity of your case every year, sometimes you need a bigger reset.

August is Make-A-Will Month. What an opportunity for your organization to raise awareness about the importance of estate planning!

Using the concept of "Make-A-Will" to encourage donors can be a powerful strategy for your planned giving and endowment programs. Here are several ideas you can implement this month to capture donors' attention on this important topic.

I don’t know about you, but I love a good dip – especially during the summer months while gathered with friends and family. Whether it’s a zesty guacamole, creamy artichoke, or a citrusy pico de gallo; a tasty dip always seems to get people together around a central location, talking and interacting in a fun and enjoyable way. But for those of us in fundraising, the word “dip” can oftentimes mean something completely different.

Fundraising campaigns are often likened to marathons rather than sprints. They require strategic planning, deliberate preparation, sustained effort, and a dedicated team working tirelessly towards a common goal. However, even the most well-planned campaigns can experience dips, where significant donations slow down or even come to a halt. During these times, it’s easy to feel disheartened and pressured to push harder. But sometimes the most productive step a team can take is to pause, take a break, and reset.

A CEO once said to me, “I would like us to have a conversation with one of my new board members.”

“Of course,” I said. “What would you like to talk about?”

“He wants to know what he is going to get from being on my board,” she said. “And I have never had anyone ask me that before!”

The CEO was intrigued.

Change Your Perspective on Boards

Typically, when non-profits are recruiting board members, they discuss the gifts, skills, and experience different volunteers might contribute to the organization. What time, talent, and treasure might they bring?

But what if instead we talk through what the volunteers will get from being on the board? Volunteers typically gain satisfaction from helping a community. They feel good about using their skills toward greater good.

A New Board Job Description

Imagine a reverse job description. Consider one that stresses what board members will receive from being part of your organization.

What would yours say?

Those of you who love high-brow films most certainly didn’t miss the 2006 Adam Sandler classic, “Click.” In it, a workaholic husband and father finds a universal TV remote that allows him to fast forward and rewind parts of his life. Complications ensue.

While I admit I enjoyed the movie, it was the premise that captured my interest. What if we could reset our lives with the click of a button (complications not included)?

I used to have a New Year's resolutions ritual. Same goals, same treadmill drudgery, same disappointing results. Someone once said “insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, and expecting different results.”* What if I turned my consulting expertise and experience toward my personal goals? Could strategic planning finally be the solution to getting healthier? With my notepad and a new insight, I explored my health goals like I was facilitating a nonprofit’s strategic planning process.

Living in the Midwest, it can get cold in the winter months. Real cold. One of the essential clothing items are gloves. Not just any glove, but a great glove. A glove should fit snugly but comfortably, without being too tight or too loose. I often go for gloves that are well insulated, yet stylish, and comfortable to wear. Ultimately, the best glove will depend on your individual needs and preferences.