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The best way to prepare for year-end fundraising is to start months before your first appeal. Successful nonprofits use the summer to evaluate fundraising performance, strengthen donor stewardship, gather compelling stories, build a communications calendar, and develop a clear year-end fundraising plan. Those early investments often lead to stronger donor relationships and better fundraising results.

This may not feel like the time to think about year-end. Summer is in full swing, many people are taking well deserved vacations, and year end fundraising may feel like something that can wait until fall. Yet, as any seasoned fundraiser knows, some of the strongest fundraising campaigns begin taking shape long before the first holiday appeal is written.

The organizations that consistently finish the year strong are rarely the ones scrambling to create a plan in November. More often, they are the organizations that use the quieter months of summer to strengthen donor relationships, gather meaningful stories, and thoughtfully prepare for the busiest fundraising season of the year.

So, while "Christmas in July" may sound like a fun retail promotion, there is actually a valuable lesson for nonprofit leaders. July is the perfect time to begin thinking about your year-end campaign goals and what you can do now to set yourself up for success.

Would your campaign benefit from a volunteer leader who is willing to open up their personal relationships and reputation to support your mission?

Imagine someone who introduces your organization to their network, hosts gatherings, and personally invites friends and colleagues to invest in your vision. That person is not a paid spokesperson or a passing supporter. They are a Campaign Ambassador.

In a capital campaign, campaign ambassadors are one of the most powerful volunteer roles you can cultivate. When thoughtfully recruited and supported, these volunteers expand your campaign’s reach, deepen its credibility, and help inspire significant philanthropic support. They are not just “nice to have.” They are a critical component of campaign success.

The Problem Is Not Always Effort

Many nonprofit development teams are working hard and still falling short of expectations. They are writing grants, planning events, managing donor communications, preparing board reports, stewarding gifts, updating records, and trying to hit ambitious goals. They are busy. They care. They are carrying more than people realize. So, when results are not where they need to be, the easy move is to look at the development team and ask: Are they doing enough?

This time of year, graduation is everywhere.

Proud parents posting photos. Speeches about new beginnings. Kids in caps and gowns who look both younger and older than seems possible.

Friends of mine were recently sharing they had a whole season of graduations going on – multiple friends and family members crossing thresholds – even the same weekend. A lot of parties and celebrations to be part of.

But I sensed something even bigger might be going on. I said, “This sounds like a big theme in your life right now. What are you yourself graduating from?”

Then another question came to mind.

“And what are you graduating to?” I asked.

These are good questions for leaders, too.

What does your organization need to graduate from?

By Gary Laermer and Kali Righter

The latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project data (Q4 2025), reveals overall giving is up 5% in 2025, which is a very encouraging signal. But that growth is being driven by a smaller group of donors, as the total number of donors continues to decline.

It’s not the plan that gets tested first.

It’s the story.

You know that moment in Elton John’s Your Song where the singer admits he doesn’t have much, but still offers the song because it’s the most honest thing he has to give?

That’s what I’ve been thinking about lately in conversations with nonprofit leaders. The ability to say, simply and clearly: this is who we are, and this is why it matters.

In seasons of pressure, that kind of clarity of story matters, sometimes more than anything else.

Mid-level giving (often defined as gifts in the ~$250–$10,000 range, varying by organization) is increasingly becoming the make-or-break layer between broad-based annual giving and major gifts.

Many of you are likely facing reduced donor counts and struggling retention rates, even though your total dollars raised is holding steady or growing. This means you may be becoming more dependent on fewer donors. And you are not alone as shown in reports published by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) that illustrate this dynamic trend.

Nonprofit boards carry enormous responsibility. They safeguard mission, ensure financial integrity, support executive leadership, and steward an organization's future. Yet one of the most important investments a board can make—a strong, intentional board orientation—is often treated as an afterthought or a box to be checked.

I had the opportunity to learn how Disney “onboards” its new cast members. Disney understands something profound about organizational culture: it begins on day one, and it begins with everyone. At its theme parks, every new cast member, regardless of role, begins their journey at Disney University.

Executives sweep streets alongside aspiring entertainers. Future operations leaders work the same orientation sessions as seasonal staff. This isn't about theater. It's about something far more strategic: building a shared foundation of values, language, and culture that unites everyone who represents the brand. The message is clear: You are part of something bigger than your individual role, and we will equip you to uphold it.

You’ve finished your meal at a restaurant and you’re ready for the check. But your server is nowhere to be found.

You glance toward the kitchen and see them flipping burgers on the grill. A moment later they rush past carrying a stack of dishes. Then they stop at the door to seat a new table before disappearing again.

Meanwhile, you’re still sitting there with an empty glass and no check.

At some point, most of us would recognize the problem isn’t bad service. The problem is that one person is trying to run the entire restaurant.

Yet this is exactly how many nonprofits structure fundraising.

A development director recently asked us a simple but incredibly important question:

“What does it actually look like to build a relationship with a foundation?”

Not in theory. Not in a textbook. But in real life.

Do you call them? Email them? Invite them for a tour? Wait until the application opens?

It’s a fair question, and one we hear often. For many organizations, foundation funding can feel transactional at best and mysterious at worst. You submit a proposal, hope it aligns, and wait for a decision.