It’s January, and it’s good to admit that your fundraising in 2026 will not be perfect.
Everyone will make mistakes and miss opportunities.
But our job is to make progress, not to be perfect. And progress can look pretty simple:
- The plan for your top major donors is a little more specific this year
- You send one more piece of fundraising than you sent last year
- You spend a little time getting better at subject lines and teasers so that your open rates are higher this year (and next year)
“Raising more money” can feel hard. Making progress and getting a little bit better at fundraising isn’t.
Author Profile
Steven Screen is Co-Founder of The Better Fundraising Company and lead author of its blog. With over 30 years' fundraising experience, he gets energized by helping organizations understand how they can raise more money. He’s a second-generation fundraiser, a past winner of the Direct Mail Package of the Year, and data-driven.
- Steven Screen
- Steven Screen
- Steven Screen
- Steven Screen
