How to Monitor & Adjust Your Fundraising Development Plan Throughout the Year

As a nonprofit professional, you understand the importance of a well-crafted fundraising development plan. Whether you’re creating a new plan or adapting an existing one to address new trends and unprecedented events – a common occurrence in recent years – it’s important to remember that fundraising plans are dynamic. They are living documents, serving as a “north star” to guide your organization to success.

Here, we’ll explore the benefits and practical ways to revisit your fundraising plan throughout the year. Together, we’ll unlock the potential of using your plan to thrive in changing circumstances.

Revisiting Your Fundraising Development Plan

It’s good to reevaluate and adjust your fundraising development plan at least once a year (mid-year), but it’s better to do it quarterly or even monthly. If you don’t have a fundraising development plan for this year yet, it’s never too late to start. To make it easy, download a copy of our fundraising plan template for guidance.

Download your Fundraising Plan & Calendar Template below:

If you already have a plan in place, it’s time to pull it back up and review the hard numbers. Take a look at your fundraising totals for the year so far, along with any changes in your organization’s budget that need to be accounted for. 

Be sure to update your quarterly and monthly totals for the year, comparing them to your original goals. Are you on track to meet your goals? Perhaps you’re even ahead of the game? If so, excellent job! Take a moment to recognize and appreciate the efforts of your team, volunteers, and donors. It’s a good practice to celebrate reaching milestones so everyone involved in the process feels valued and motivated to continue.

However, if you find that you’re behind on your goals, don’t worry too much. There is still plenty of time left in the year -including important events like Giving Tuesday and end-of-year campaigns– to reset and get back on track. Let’s discuss how you can adjust your goals to regain momentum and set the tone for the remainder of the year.

Reflect on Your Focus Areas

Begin by asking yourself some key questions related to your goals and focus areas. As you reflect on these questions, feel free to update the answers accordingly in your fundraising plan.

1. How have things been coming along? Evaluate your progress and determine whether you are on track to meet your targets. 
2. Have you encountered new obstacles? Consider any unexpected challenges that have affected your fundraising efforts. This can include external factors out of your control such as changes in policy, economic downturns, or shifts in donor priorities.
3. What about internal factors? Identify any organizational barriers, resource limitations, or operational inefficiencies that may be hindering your fundraising potential.
4. Do you have any focus areas or targets that have changed? We get it, priorities shift, especially as your organization evolves. Assess whether there are new focus areas that should be incorporated into your fundraising development plan or if existing targets need to be modified.

By carefully analyzing your progress, identifying challenges, and considering external and internal factors, you can make informed adjustments to your fundraising development plan. Below we’ll discuss how to take this updated information to set new goals that align with your current circumstances.

Get Back On Track (Or Stay on Track!)

Now that you’ve revisited your original plan, you’ll come to one of two conclusions. You’re either on track to meet your goals…or you’re not. If you’ve recognized that you’re not quite on track (or if you’re out of ideas for what to do next) you might be spiraling into a bit of a panic and wondering what you can do to bring in the needed funds for your organization. 

However, it’s always a good rule to try to avoid taking actions out of panic, and instead be methodical. We’ve got plenty of ideas and steps you can take to get back on track or maintain your progress.  

Identify Where You Can Improve

Begin by identifying the areas that may be hindering your fundraising success. Here’s how:

• Analyze fundraising channels: Examine how each of your fundraising channels is performing. I’m referring to individual donations, corporate partnerships, events, grants, and online campaigns. Identify your strongest channels and consider reallocating resources to those that are most effective.

• Measure donor engagement: Review donor retention rates, average donation amounts, and overall satisfaction of your donor base. Identify any trends or areas where donor engagement may be lacking. Use this information to tailor your strategies and strengthen your relationships with donors.

• Seek donor feedback: Conduct surveys, focus groups, or one-on-one conversations with donors to gain insights into their interests, preferences, and concerns. Listening to your donors will not only provide valuable feedback but it’ll show your donors that you care.

Set New Goals

• Set revised goals: Based on your assessment, establish SMART fundraising goals for the remainder of the year. Ensure these goals align with your nonprofit’s mission and financial needs.  By breaking down large goals into smaller milestones, you’re more likely to stay focused and motivated. Make sure to set dates alongside your goals in your fundraising calendar.

• Explore new fundraising opportunities: Open new doors by identifying untapped revenue streams, innovative approaches, or collaborative partnerships that can diversify your fundraising efforts. Explore emerging trends, digital platforms, or community engagement initiatives that align with your mission. 

• Optimize existing strategies: Fine-tune your existing fundraising strategies by incorporating lessons learned from your evaluation. Optimize communication channels, refine messaging, and leverage technology for increased efficiency. Embrace data-driven decision-making and continuously monitor performance.

We know this can be overwhelming, and that’s why CauseVox is here to help you get on track and stay there. Book a demo to find out how CauseVox can help you reach your fundraising goals today.

Next, we’ll discuss some more specific ideas of fundraising strategies you can implement now to get back on track. 

Plan A New Mid-Year Campaign

After evaluating your fundraising development plan, identifying areas for improvement, and setting new goals, a great next step is to plan a new mid-year campaign. This campaign will help you regain momentum so that you can continue making a difference in the lives of those you serve. Let’s explore how you can plan and execute a successful mid-year campaign.

Craft a Compelling Narrative

One of the most crucial elements of a successful campaign is a compelling narrative. Develop a story that highlights your nonprofit’s impact and the importance of ongoing support from donors. Emphasize the need for mid-year adjustments and frame them as opportunities for growth. Your narrative should inspire donors by showcasing the impact of their gifts.

Engage With Stakeholders

Transparency is key to rallying support for your mid-year campaign. Engage with board members, staff, volunteers, and donors to explain the reasons behind revisiting your fundraising plan and the potential benefits it brings. Create an open dialogue, address concerns, and emphasize the collective effort required to achieve your newly set goals. 

Personalize Donor Communication

No one wants an impersonal generic email. Instead, focus on tailoring your message to connect with different donor segments. Acknowledge the unique impact of each donor’s contributions and show them how their support directly transforms the lives of those you serve. Use personalized emails, handwritten notes, or phone calls to express gratitude and keep donors actively engaged. 

Use Our Platform to Help You Reach Your Goals

To crush the goals outlined in your fundraising development plan, the right tools are a must. With a powerful platform like CauseVox, we’ll help you raise more and make your job easier. Here’s how:

Optimize Your Donation Page

As something that can make or break your fundraising, your donation page serves as a crucial touchpoint for potential donors. With CauseVox, you can customize your donation page to align with your organization’s brand.

Optimize your page for mobile, include donation tiers, and offer multiple payment options that make it easy for visitors to donate from anywhere, at any time.

Recurring Donations And Pledges

In addition, CauseVox enables you to offer recurring donations, allowing donors to make ongoing contributions. Encourage donors to consider becoming monthly supporters by emphasizing the long-term impact of their recurring gifts. 

Along with recurring donations, our platform also takes pledges, allowing donors to spread out their gifts into manageable chunks over time. Think about it: when you ask someone for $1000, they’re unlikely to say yes right away. But if you ask someone for $1000 over the course of a year, it actually comes out to $83 a month. That sounds much more reasonable and impactful.

Pledges are not only a great way to get larger gifts over time, they’re also incredibly convenient. Through CauseVox, pledge installments are automatically charged to the bank card on file according to the set payment schedule. That means you don’t have to worry about chasing your donors down.

Plan a Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaign

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a powerful strategy that empowers your supporters to become advocates for your cause. CauseVox simplifies the process by providing customizable campaign pages for individual and team fundraisers. 

Encourage your supporters to create their own pages and share them with their networks. Set goals, track progress, and foster friendly competition among fundraisers. With our social sharing feature, it’s easy to spread the word and drive donations.

Host An Event

Events provide great opportunities to engage with your community but we know all too well that they can be a monster to manage. From taking donations on one platform and purchasing tickets through another, it can get downright confusing. 

Whether you’re running a virtual, hybrid, or in-person event, CauseVox offers event management features that simplify the process. You can create event-specific pages, sell tickets, and take donations – all in one place. 

If you’re not a fan of events, don’t sweat it. Take your fundraising to new heights and ignite a bidding frenzy with CauseVox Silent Auctions. Our cutting-edge features let you easily showcase auction items and get real-time updates on the number of bids, watchers, and current bid amounts. 

More Learning Resources to Help You Reach Your Goals

Alongside harnessing the power of CauseVox, we have tons of free resources to help you drive donations and inch closer to your goals. For starters, check out our major gifts workshop to learn best practices for cultivating and nurturing relationships with high-impact donors. Additionally, we encourage developing a comprehensive social media plan to engage your audience. And don’t forget to browse our list of fundraising ideas to spark your creativity. 

Implementing Your Plan 

You’ve done it! You’ve taken time to update your goals and plans, and are aware of plenty of ideas you can run with. So now what? It’s time to communicate your freshly updated fundraising development plan to your team and break it down into smaller goals. 

You’re not in this alone. Consistent communication with your team is vital. Involve them in the planning process, keeping them informed about any changes and fostering a sense of ownership and shared goals.

We recommend utilizing the fundraising calendar that is built into our fundraising plan template to assist with setting deadlines. To guide your efforts and break your goals down into manageable pieces, consider implementing a project management approach, which can provide structure, enhance accountability, and improve coordination.

Continue To Revisit Your Fundraising Development Plan

It’s important to remember that your fundraising development plan is not meant to be stashed away and forgotten. It’s a central reference point for all of your fundraising activities; make sure to let it guide you as you move forward and to come back and update it as needed. Set a date on your calendar at the beginning of each quarter to review and refresh your fundraising plan. 

Ready, (Re)set, Go!

Your fundraising development plan is never set in stone – embrace the flexibility to adapt it as needed, and continue to monitor your progress regularly. With dedication and strategic adjustments, you can reposition yourself for success.

From donation page, event, pledge, and peer-to-peer fundraising software, CauseVox is here to help you get on track and stay there. Book a demo or get started with using CauseVox to reach your fundraising goals today.