Fresh Fiscal Year, Same Bold Moves: How to Prepare for a Major Gift Breakthrough
It’s a new fiscal year—budgets reset, plans get refreshed, and energy is high. For fundraisers, this feels like our version of New Year’s Day. Clean slate. Big goals. Endless potential.
But here’s the truth: preparation without courage still leads to stagnation.
We can spend weeks refining projections, aligning teams, and polishing materials—but unless those efforts turn into action, the year will slip by just like the last one.
You don’t need more time. You need more intention.
Start Strong by Starting Smart
Want this to be the year you close your biggest gift yet? Begin by doing what most won’t: prioritize meaningful conversations now, not after the next campaign launch or event cycle.
Here’s how to get out of the gate with purpose:
Review your top 20 prospects. Who moved closer last year? Who’s been quiet, but consistent? Who’s shown signs they’re ready for more?
Identify 3 who need a personal touch. Not a newsletter. Not a “hope you had a nice summer” email. A real, strategic outreach to re-engage and re-invite.
Frame the future around them. Instead of pitching your fiscal goals, ask: “What would meaningful impact look like for you this year?”
Preparation Isn’t the Same as Progress
Yes—refresh your case for support. Update your decks. Meet with program leads. But don’t confuse that with forward motion.
The fundraisers who hit their goals aren’t the ones with the flashiest campaigns. They’re the ones who consistently show up for donors—with clarity, courage, and curiosity.
Every new fiscal year gives us two choices: plan harder or lead braver.
Don’t Let Q1 Drift
Too many teams treat the first quarter as a warm-up. But your early moves set the tone—and the pipeline—for the rest of the year.
Make Q1 your momentum engine. Reconnect. Ask questions. Plant seeds.
And above all: don’t wait for perfect conditions to reach out. The most meaningful gifts usually start with messy, unfinished conversations—and donors who felt seen before they were solicited.
Let This Be the Year
The year you stop hesitating.
The year you stop tweaking the plan.
The year you build trust by taking action.
Because major gift fundraising isn’t just about raising more—it’s about showing up with boldness, empathy, and the belief that your donor might just say “yes” if you give them a reason to.
So grab your list. Make the call.
Let this be the year momentum meets intention.
And let it start this week.
