Fundraising ideas for nonprofit New Year's Resolutions include getting rid of the old and welcoming the new. That's particularly valuable this year!
Are you making New Year’s Resolutions?? As a non-profit, it is important to review what you’ve been doing in the past year. Find out what is really working and what is largely a waste of time. The most important thing non-profits can change in the new year is the amount of time they spend engaging online and offline with donors and board members. We’re sharing 10 New Year’s Resolution Tips that will improve your attitude for fundraising in the New Year.
New Year, New Fundraising Momentum
You’re setting goals for the year ahead. Don’t let your best intentions sit idle. Launch an auction now and turn those resolutions into donor engagement and revenue.
Launch Your 2025 Auction10 New Year’s Resolution Tips for Non-Profits
Do you have your eye on a board member? Someone who attends every meeting or is actively involved and volunteering? This year, resolve to set aside one-on-one meetings with board members or volunteers who have a lot of potential. Ask for their ideas, get their opinions, and find out about their connections. Ask your friends to join the cause. You’ve been holding back, because you don’t want to seem pushy, but your friends can be invaluable to your cause. Remember, you aren’t asking for money. Sell it as asking for their support. Invite them for a tour of your facility, introduce them to the school principal or CEO. Once your friends are on the bandwagon, you’ll have a great supportive network. Stop making or attending meetings that are a waste of time. You don’t need a meeting to discuss every single idea. Give tasks, trust your volunteers (you can check on them via a text), and only schedule meetings when you have new agenda to discuss. No need for a weekly meeting, when there is nothing new to share. Use that time to catch up on emails and build relationships with donors. When a donor donates ANYTHING, be sure to thank them within 48 hours. They want to know if you received their gift. Send them an email, a text, a card, give them a call, or invite them to lunch to let them know how much you appreciate them! Also, never let a post, tweet, or any contact from anyone go ignored. If at all possible, respond to these immediately (within an hour). If you don’t have the answer, respond that you will get back to them as soon as possible. Remember, everyone is a possible donor! On a similar note, take advantage of social media. Young and old alike, have social media accounts. As you prep, shop, and plan, take photos and videos and share them on your social media accounts. This lets donors see progress and activity. It makes them feel like they are a part of the action.
Volunteer! Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Get to know your organization. If you are a school PTO President, volunteer in the classroom. If you work at a museum, fill one of the daily volunteer slots. Now that you’ve got the hang of social media and you are actively involved in your non-profit, create a blog! Share your ideas. Write about your weekly activities. People are out there. They are interested in what you have to say. Let them get to know you and your organization. You’ll open the door to thousands of potential donors, volunteers, and new board members! Welcome to the digital world! Now that you have a blog, start subscribing to other non-profit and fundraising blogs. You will learn so much from others in similar circumstances. Don’t be shy, use those ideas to make your program better. If you are looking at raising the amount of funds raised in the coming year and haven't discovered our online blueprint for charity auctions, go and download a copy today!
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At the beginning of every year, make a personal donation to your cause. Be proud, share that you gave by writing about it in your blog, tweeting, posting to Facebook, sharing it in a newsletter, or emailing it to everyone in your company. Seeing is believing. Now, others will feel encouraged to donate too. Perhaps, offer an incentive- Free gift cards to everyone who donates by the end of January.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are New Year’s fundraising “resolutions” for nonprofits?
They’re focused commitments your organization makes for the next 12 months (e.g., improve donor retention, grow monthly giving, streamline your donate page) with specific plans and metrics to measure progress.
How many fundraising resolutions should we set for the year?
Pick 3–5 high-impact goals. Make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) and tie each to an owner, timeline, budget, and KPI.
How should we plan our annual revenue mix? (General information)
- Set targets by stream: individual giving, monthly, major gifts, corporate, grants, events.
- Align activities and spend to the biggest drivers of net revenue.
- Review quarterly and rebalance as needed.
General information, not financial advice.
What should our annual fundraising calendar include?
- Key campaigns (spring appeal, Giving Tuesday, year-end).
- Event dates, sponsor deadlines, and grant cycles.
- Stewardship touchpoints (thank-you calls, updates, impact stories).
What’s the fastest way to improve donor retention early in the year?
- Send a 3-touch welcome/thank-you series to recent donors.
- Call first-time donors within 7 days.
- Share a 60-second “what you made possible” video in January.
How do we grow a monthly giving program this year?
- Add a “Make it monthly” toggle on the donate page.
- Create a simple name/benefits (e.g., insider updates, impact notes).
- Run 2–3 focused pushes (spring, late summer, year-end).
How can we increase the average online gift? (General information)
- Use 4–5 suggested amounts with short impact labels.
- Highlight one “anchor” amount and offer an easy upgrade step.
- Enable wallet pay for faster checkout.
General information only.
What are the first steps to strengthen our major gifts pipeline? (General information)
- Identify top prospects (capacity + affinity) and assign portfolios.
- Schedule discovery calls/visits in Q1.
- Create 3–5 case talking points and a simple menu of support.
General information, not financial advice.
How do we set a corporate sponsorship resolution that sticks? (General information)
Define tiers/benefits, build a list of 30–50 aligned companies, and run a monthly outreach rhythm (new asks, renewals, upgrades). Track pipeline stages and close dates. General information only.
What should our matching-gifts resolution be for this year? (General information)
- Add “Does your employer match?” to the donate form and receipts.
- Send a reminder within 48 hours of each gift.
- Track employer and match status in your CRM.
General information only.
What data hygiene habits should we adopt in January? (General information)
- Standardize fields (names, addresses, gift sources).
- De-duplicate, fix bounces, and validate emails/phones.
- Document data entry rules and train staff.
General information, not legal advice.
How do we improve email and SMS performance this year? (General information)
- Set a predictable cadence (e.g., monthly story + quarterly appeal).
- Test one variable at a time (subject line, CTA placement, send time).
- Segment new donors, sustainers, and lapsed audiences.
General information only.
What should our content plan include to support fundraising all year?
Create monthly themes, collect stories/photos, and pre-write 2–3 posts per week. Repurpose content across email, blog, and social with clear, trackable CTAs.
Which donate page improvements have the biggest impact? (General information)
- Mobile-first layout with wallet pay and few fields.
- Suggested amounts + brief impact copy.
- Load speed under ~3 seconds and clear trust signals.
General information only.
Should we run more events or fewer, bigger ones this year? (General information)
Favor fewer, better events that are sponsor-underwritten and supported by strong online revenue (auction, paddle raise, peer-to-peer). Track net revenue and staff time. General information only.
How do we keep budget and ROI on track all year? (General information)
- Publish a simple dashboard (income, expenses, net, cash).
- Review monthly; adjust spend toward highest-yield channels.
- Run post-mortems after each campaign/event.
General information, not financial advice.
What board engagement resolution improves fundraising the most?
Create a board ambassador program: each member sets a personal goal, shares monthly posts using a provided kit, makes thank-you calls quarterly, and opens 2–3 introductions.
How do we make fundraising more inclusive and accessible this year? (General information)
- Offer sliding-scale options and multiple payment methods.
- Use plain language, alt text, captions, and large tap targets.
- Translate key materials and invite broad community input.
General information, not legal advice.
Which KPIs should be on our year-round dashboard and meeting agenda?
- Total raised vs. goal; net revenue by channel.
- Donor count, retention rate, average gift, and monthly donors.
- Page conversion rate, email/SMS performance, and event ROI.
Do you have a January quick-start checklist to kick off our resolutions?
- Choose 3–5 SMART fundraising goals; assign owners.
- Publish the annual calendar and KPI dashboard.
- Launch a donor welcome series and monthly-giving toggle.
- Clean CRM data; fix bounces and duplicates.
- Update donate page (mobile, wallets, suggested amounts).
- Activate board ambassadors and schedule monthly reviews.
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