A Better Giving Tuesday, Part 6 - Slow Down To Speed Up

For many nonprofits, the typical year-end fundraising sprint has gotten tremendously more difficult. It's clear that in times like these, what worked last year isn’t going to work anymore. 

Over the last week we've outlined the main challenges we’ve encountered as we've helped our nonprofit clients plan and implement their fundraising campaigns. 

Today we end the series with one of the most difficult questions we get from idealistic, conscious leaders trying to get results in times that can seem overwhelming. 

Challenge 6:
We've got so much to do in such a short time. How can we get it all done?

Recommendation:
Slow Down To Speed Up

The Details:
The season is busy. The priorities are urgent. It seems like you have to start yesterday. But if you don’t take the time to slow down, your team will burn out and you’ll lose what precious time you have over miscommunications and misalignment.

Before you start running blindly forward, hit pause now to gather everyone together, talk through ideas, and make sure you have a plan everyone understands.

First Steps:

1. Include the team in your campaign planning and your goal-setting. As always, people support what they help create.
2. Take time now, during October and November, to plot out a calendar of what is due and when. Shifting deadlines are as stressful as short deadlines. Slow down to get everyone on the same page. 
3. Make sure you take time each week to gather the entire team together to discuss the plan. A short 15-minute weekly status meeting can vastly increase engagement and morale.

Too many Giving Tuesday and year-end campaigns are planned in an old, hierarchical, top-down, siloed way. If that ever worked, it sure doesn't now after the year we've all lived through. 

Involve your team, and most of all, don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. At Plenty, we have a set of affordable, efficient ways we can help, from crafting messages, creating an overall story arc, helping you identify segments, and coaching you through what is working and what isn't. A bit of time and investment in planning will save you so much stress down the road!

Don't forget to download our free Giving Tuesday and year-end fundraising guide, with these tips at more. 

Most of all, thanks for the work you do. Hope needs help, and the world needs you. Thanks for being a hope helper.