Not having a plan is planning to fail; the same is true for your fundraising. A year-round fundraising calendar is a must to ensure that you’ve coordinated all your messages, asks, campaigns, events, and stewardship to optimize revenue and your sanity.
It’s your roadmap to streamline and integrate your operations, stay organized and reach your goals.
No matter your mission, size or scope, you need a fundraising calendar to help you visualize how your year-round fundraising plan will play out for the year, the quarter and each month. It’s a critical piece that will help you quickly adapt to changes and unforeseen circumstances. It’s the best way to ensure everyone is on the same page and clear on what needs to be done and when.
Step one: Brainstorm everything you’ll add to the fundraising calendar
- Start/end dates for every fundraising campaign, for example, end of year, GivingTuesday, monthly donor campaign, planned giving campaign, etc.
- A calendar just for major gift donor cultivation that includes donors, asks, and stewardship
- All events—from galas to peer-to-peer events to third party events
- Major holidays plus holidays that relate to your mission
- Milestones for donors, your nonprofit, programs, and staff
- Community events
- Board meetings
- Onboarding events for board or staff
- Internal deadlines, like grant submission and reporting deadlines, your 990, or audit
- Your annual report
- Who needs access to the fundraising calendar
- An owner for each item added to the calendar
A solid fundraising calendar starts with a full picture of what’s ahead. Once you’ve captured all the moving parts, you’re ready to start setting priorities and turning plans into action.
Step two: Set goals, deadlines, and assign owners
If you want to meet your goals, you need to specify the individual, team, or department in charge of working toward that goal. That’s step one. Step two is ensuring those goals are also part of the employee’s annual performance review.
The best goals are SMART goals. They’re specific, measurable, attainable, and relevant to your mission, with a deadline to keep you on track. Here are some examples you could include in your fundraising calendar with clear deadlines and owners:
- Plan and launch a monthly giving program by July 1, and recruit at least 25 donors to the program. Owner: Development Director.
- Recruit two volunteers to join the board development committee. Train and have them in place by April 15. Owner: Board Development Chair.
- Secure $50,000 in sponsorships for the annual gala by November 1. Owner: Development Team.
- Submit three grant applications by March 31, targeting $100,000 in potential funding. Owner: Grant Writer.
- Launch a GivingTuesday campaign by November 15 and secure 150 individual gifts. Owner: Annual Fund Manager.
Goals without ownership are just ideas. By assigning clear responsibilities and tying them to your fundraising calendar, you’ll create the structure your team needs to thrive.
Step three: Build accountability and track progress
A fundraising calendar is only as good as the action it inspires. Once you’ve brainstormed all the pieces and set SMART goals with clear owners, it’s time to make sure your plan doesn’t just sit on a shelf. Step three is about building accountability and tracking progress to stay on course.
- Schedule regular check-ins. Accountability starts with consistency. Plan weekly or monthly team meetings to review the calendar, identify and resolve any roadblocks, and celebrate the wins along the way. Use these check-ins to help keep everyone focused on their responsibilities.
- Set milestones to measure success. Break large goals into manageable milestones and track them against your timeline. For example, if you’re launching a year-round fundraising campaign, set clear benchmarks for securing champions, completing toolkits, and tracking participation levels.
- Create a shared dashboard. Keep everything in one place where your team can easily access it. Whether you use a shared Google Calendar, a project management tool, or your CRM, make sure your fundraising calendar is visible, interactive, and organized. Use color codes to highlight priorities, assign owners, and maintain up-to-date status for all your initiatives.
- Celebrate the successes. Recognize when you meet your milestones, and don’t forget to celebrate the people behind the progress. Be sure to acknowledge their contributions, keep your team motivated, and reinforce the value of the work.
- Roll with the changes. Fundraising doesn’t stand still and neither should your fundraising calendar. Treat it as a guide, not a straight jacket. When plans change, revisit your deadlines, update your priorities, and above all—keep moving forward.
Weaving accountability into your year-round fundraising calendar will help to ensure your plan stays alive and actionable. It’s not just about getting things done—it’s about building momentum and sustaining it all year long.
This blog post was originally published by Rachel Muir on Bloomerang. Read it here.
