Top 10 New Year Fundraising Resolutions

The new year is the perfect time to evaluate how effective your fundraising has been for the first half of the school year and identify areas you can improve upon. Then, just as you do in your personal life, set some new year fundraising resolutions! Wondering where to start? Check out these top 10 resolutions that can take your fundraising efforts to the next level in the new year!

1. Resolve to give back to your community.

Find ways to give back and thank the community that supports you. Host a toy or food drive around the holidays, plan a field trip to visit a local nursing home or encourage students to make cards thanking service workers. Get creative!

2. Resolve to thank people more than asking people.

Instead of simply asking for donations, share what you are raising money for and thank donors upfront for any contributions they may be willing to make. Make a plan throughout the year to periodically reach out to your loyal donors to thank them for previous donations and share updates about how you have used the funds. You can never say thank you too much! This new year fundraising resolution also applies to your volunteers!

3. Resolve to plan ahead.

Building a fundraising calendar for the entire year is the key to maximizing the funds you raise. From holidays to school events, there are so many opportunities throughout the year that are a perfect fit for a school fundraiser. But you must plan ahead! Check out this list of creative ways to fill up your calendar for some inspiration!

4. Resolve to find ways to work smarter, not harder.

Take advantage of fundraising technology to raise more while saving valuable time. For example, the online fundraising platform, MyBooster, allows you to expand your outreach and collect donations anywhere in the world with its quick click and share feature.

5. Resolve to improve training.

Your volunteers want to help—that’s why they volunteered! To make sure their valuable time is used properly, set them up for success with proper training. This could be a quick conversation to answer questions or a session at the beginning of your fundraiser to clearly describe each role. For jobs that you frequently have, consider making a “how to” video or list of instructions to save training time.

6. Resolve to expand fundraising promotional strategies.

There’s always more ways you can get the word out about your fundraiser. To accomplish this new year fundraising resolution, brainstorm creative ideas to reach more donors such as social media campaigns, marketing material and email blasts. Equally important is promoting your fundraisers to your families to encourage participation! Booster’s online fundraising platform features a built in prize management system and an up-to-the-minute fundraising success dashboard to motivate families.

7. Resolve to be more open to new ideas and learning from others.

You have access to a diverse group of volunteers with different skills and expertises. Utilize that and encourage them to speak up with suggestions and ideas. This can be done by sending out surveys, putting out a suggestions box or simply making open channels of communication such as email accessible.

8. Resolve to delegate.

This new year fundraising resolution will save you and your volunteers valuable time and help you raise even more! Play to you and your volunteers’ strengths and delegate accordingly. Make a list of the jobs and tasks that are needed for your fundraiser. Then reach out to your list of volunteers to see what roles are a good fit. For example, if you have a parent that works in marketing, tap into their expertise and assign them a role working on promoting your fundraiser.

9. Resolve to tell better stories.

Donors are more likely to give when they feel connected to your cause and know what their money is going towards. It’s your job to tell that story! Make a video with your students, share pictures of what you’ve accomplished and explain why this fundraiser will make a difference in the lives of your students. Encourage your families to share these stories too.

10. Resolve to build stronger relationships.

Your community, your donors, your families and your volunteers all play a major role in the success of your fundraisers. Show your appreciation and thank them often. This can be a shoutout on social media to a local business that helped you, ordering pizzas for volunteers on a busy event day or heartfelt thank you notes to your donors. Recognizing and thanking everyone that supports your causes will build lasting relationships for the future.

The new year is the perfect opportunity to reflect on your fundraising efforts and set meaningful new year fundraising resolutions for improvement. By following these ten resolutions, and others that you set for yourself, you can maximize your fundraising potential and  create a positive impact that extends far beyond the numbers—making this your best fundraising year yet!