Fundraiser Journal Their Way to Fundraising Growth

July 27, 2023 | Fundraising Operations

You’re a fundraiser. Now what?

Journal Your Way to Fundraising Growth

When I was a fundraiser, and especially when I was just starting out, it often felt like the big ideas and dreams that drove me to work in nonprofits were crowded out by the necessary minutiae of our day-to-day work. Are my packets for the board meeting all organized and complete? Did I get everyone’s dietary restrictions for our annual luncheon? Is this donor mad at me, or are they like that with everyone?

While detailed daily fundraising work is key to running a successful nonprofit, taking the time to remember the motivations that brought you to your role, and mindfully dreaming about how you can improve, will help you stay inspired and on track toward achieving your mission. 

Let’s journal your way to fundraising growth with prompts meant to help you build a path to nonprofit success.

Below are some of the prompts we included in the free Nonprofit Growth Kit to help new and beginning fundraisers think about their long-term goals and how they might work toward accomplishing them. When reflecting on the following prompts, think in terms of three categories: the immediate future, five years from now, and your ultimate, unlimited-budget dream team. Remember, this isn’t a race! Slow, steady, and sustainable growth will give you the space you need to adjust as your needs change. 

If you’d like more prompts and resources, request your free Nonprofit Growth Kit today!

Nonprofit growth kit

Journal prompt #1: Grow your team 

While there’s no magic list of all of the roles and team members you’ll need, sitting down and reflecting on your activities from the past year, and your goals for the future will help you build a squad of staff and volunteers to authentically and wholeheartedly live out your mission. 

  1. Full-time fundraisers can bring in significantly more funds than their associated expenses, making the investment worth your while. Even starting with part-time staff or experienced volunteers can take an enormous amount of pressure off of you while supplying your nonprofit with more resources. Are you ready to expand your fundraising efforts? 
  2. Think about your current workload. Where could you use the most help? What tasks do you enjoy doing the most, and what would you prefer to delegate?
  3. What are your current revenue streams? Could any of them benefit from a full-time, dedicated staff person? Which are the most promising? 

Pro tip: Growing your team isn’t just about personnel. The right tools and technology can act as valuable team members, too! Digital fundraising solutions like Givecloud, for example, take work off your plate by making it easy to build donor-centric giving pages and host engaging online fundraising events. 

givecloud mobile donation

Journal prompt #2: Expand your programs and services

You started your nonprofit or joined your team with a mission and a passion for making positive change. Now that you’re getting your feet under you, it’s time to think about how you can live out that mission even more.

  1. What programs and services do you currently offer? If you had unlimited resources, what else might you add?
  2. What is your most successful program so far? What makes it great?
  3. How are you evaluating your programs’ success? Do you have any stories of beneficiaries whose lives your nonprofit has changed for the better? Do you have the means to “run the numbers” to determine your wins?

Can you rely on your data to help you make the right programmatic decisions for your nonprofit? Check out the Clean Data Checklist to get your data in tip-top shape!

Clean Data Checklist

Journal prompt #3: Up your fundraising game

Friends and family make for wonderful initial supporters, but if you’re ready to start thinking about long-term success, it’s time to grow your donor base and commit to learning and using best practices in fundraising. If the thought of fundraising makes you nervous, don’t panic! Giving money is a beautiful act of love, and donors benefit from their generosity just as much as the nonprofits they support. By asking for money, you’re giving your supporters opportunities to live out their values and achieve their philanthropic goals. 

  1. How are you tracking your donations? Are your current tools up for the task? 
  2. Are you thanking your donors for making a difference? How are you showing your community the impact of their generosity?
  3. Monthly and other recurring giving can offer your nonprofit a steady and reliable revenue stream. How can you encourage your supporters to “set and forget” their giving?

Want to learn more about what a monthly giving program can do for your nonprofit? Check out DonorPerfect’s Monthly Giving Success Hub for everything you need to start soliciting recurring gifts and retaining more donors. 

Monthly giving resources

If you’re anything like me, you have dreams for uplifting your community and the drive to put in the daily work to make them happen. Now is the time to marry your dreams and drive, and put together a plan for growth that will put you on track to achieve your mission while doing your best to maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

While these prompts will help, it’s not all we offer to new fundraisers! The DonorPerfect team has decades of experience helping fundraisers at organizations of all sizes reach their fundraising goals, and we’re here to make sure you have the resources your nonprofit needs to thrive. 

Download this brochure now to learn more and see if DonorPerfect is the right fundraising software for your growing nonprofit. 

Get Your Brochure Now

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Meet the author: Emily Zacek

Emily Zacek joined the DonorPerfect team as a copywriter in January, 2022. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2014 with degrees in flute performance and organizational studies, and her undergraduate thesis focused on labor activity trends in American arts nonprofits. She brings a...

Learn more about Emily Zacek