New Year's Resolutions?

I love New Year’s resolutions. The opportunity for a fresh start. New goals. Possibilities. Moving forward with improvement. Ah, hope springs eternal.

I hate New Year’s resolutions. The same extra 10 pounds hang on my frame on February 15. Shame lurks around the corner. Really? You were going to read War and Peace? What were you thinking? The answer on War and Peace is I read 200 pages five years ago, and I keep thinking winners never quit and quitters never win.

What we are thinking when we make resolutions, official or otherwise, is things can always be improved. We can do better, can’t we? Of course we can.

When it comes to fundraising, resolutions abound. Whether you are in a non-profit setting or at a church, there are always things you can do better. Here is a starter list.

• Purchase the new software. Whether it is an online giving platform or a donor rating service, there is software that can improve your fundraising.

• Invest in your people. Have your key employees received the training they need?

• Get a special contribution on the church calendar now.

• Develop a planned giving program. Don’t fret over the magnitude of the task. What are the first three things you need to do? Do them within a month.

• Find a new videographer. Shoot compelling videos that tell the story.

• Didn’t preach on giving in 2018? Come on now, you know better than that. Book it right now. You don’t have to plan an amazing four-week series on giving, but you need to do something.

• Spend more time cultivating donors. You can eat at your desk while churning out a report or you can take a donor to lunch. Choose the later more often in 2019.

• Schedule a board retreat. Hire a facilitator—someone really good.

• Look at your printed pieces. Has your material gotten long in the tooth?

• Say thank you more often and more sincerely.

• Attend a good conference.

I know what is on my list. What about you?