I asked four fundraising experts what they’d focus on in January and Q1 to start the year off on the right foot. In this blog, you’ll find what to review, who to prioritize, and the follow-ups that make the biggest difference.
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Giving Season is over – now what?
Whether December was a win or a wash, Q1 is your chance to learn fast and set a plan you can reliably follow.
I asked four fundraising experts what they’d do in Q1 to build momentum without burning out.
The experts:
Here’s what they had to say.
If you only look at “total dollars raised,” you may end up celebrating (or panicking) for the wrong reasons. Jena put it simply: revenue alone doesn’t tell you what happened – or what to do next.
Instead, she suggests reviewing year-end results through a few lenses that actually point to next steps:
Brittan echoed that same “context-first” approach, and called out two metrics she thinks teams often overemphasize:
If you want one metric that really cuts through the noise, Brittan recommends focusing on donor retention – specifically, whether donors who gave in December ‘24 gave again in December ‘25 – because it reflects your full-year engagement, not just your year-end sprint.
When I asked the experts where to focus first, their answers were refreshingly consistent.
Maria and Austin both put this segment first. Jena’s approach is to thank them again, then introduce the mission and impact – “January is about relationship-building, not another hard ask. But you’re planting seeds for continued support.”
Jena recommends closing the loop with a clear impact update so donors can see what their gift made possible. If you do introduce monthly giving, keep it gentle and framed as an easy way to stay connected.
This is Brittan’s best recurring-conversion group. She suggests targeting repeat donors who:
Jena recommends a low-pressure “here’s what you missed” update to reopen the door without guilt or urgency. Also, consider offering non-monetary ways to re-engage if they’re not ready to give again yet.
When I asked what reliably improves retention, Austin’s answer was clear and clean:
Jena agreed, calling a no-ask impact update a “non-negotiable” and explaining why it works: it connects year-end generosity to real outcomes, ultimately building trust.
She also named one mistake that quietly kills retention:
“Going silent after the thank-you or jumping straight into the next campaign. I say this a lot…silence creates doubt.”
Brittan also suggested following up with donors in a way that doesn’t ask for more money.
All that being said, here’s a structure I’d use:
Converting one-time donors into recurring givers is one of the biggest levers you have in Q1 – but the “how” matters.
Jena’s advice is to frame monthly giving as a simple way to keep doing good, not a bigger commitment or scary habit change.
Her two cents:
Brittan’s take? Target the right group first (repeat donors), because they’re already behaving like recurring supporters – they just aren’t on a monthly plan yet.
And Austin brings it back to identity: recurring giving works best when people feel like they belong.
If you’re coming off a heavy December, know that the best Q1 plan is the one you can sustain.
Jena puts “breathing room” right on the calendar – not as a luxury, but as a genuine strategy. She recommends time to review results and decide what’s worth continuing – with the goal of planning ahead so Q2 and Q3 don’t rush by in complete scramble mode.
Brittan had an interesting and practical prioritization: if you only do one thing, do a welcome series for first-time donors.
“This is a no-brainer, especially if you have limited capacity. The series must include relational touchpoints, not just automated ones.”
A lot of teams raise funds in December, then hit January unsure how to allocate those funds across the year.
Austin offered a simple, three-part framework that’s easy to remember and communicate internally:
Brittan added an important nuance:
“Conventional wisdom says to put 60 to 70% of funds towards programs and services that fulfill your mission. But I’d say prioritize investing in your capacity like people, tech, and infrastructure (all the things behind delivering the programs and mission) to generate future sustainability.”
This is also where you can sanity-check your next few months of fundraising: if Q1 is meant to reduce scramble, then your spending should support that (even if it means funding better systems or part-time support).
When I asked what system to fix in Q1, most answers pointed to the same thing in different words: cleaner data and clearer reporting.
Brittan’s view is operational: standardize records, establish consistent tags/labels, and automate what you can.
Austin called it “data hygiene,” and suggested defining and locking in your organization’s top four donor segments:
Then, create one automatic next step for each segment.
Jena added that even small improvements – consistent naming, clearer segments, a simple monthly dashboard – can change how confidently your team operates.
Maria brought in a different but complementary idea: meaningful and thoughtful storytelling. It’s a system, too. And she has a point – if your impact stories are scattered or hard to pull together, everything else becomes harder (emails, reports, board updates – all of it).
The experts kept coming back to the same few priorities, so I pulled them into a short Q1 checklist you can use as is.
If I had to summarize the experts’ advice into something I’d actually stick on my wall, it’s this: you don’t need to solve the whole year in January – you just need to choose a few priorities and follow through.
Jena said it best: “Do a few things well. Follow through. Stay consistent. That matters more than big plans that never quite happen.”
And as I’m thinking of consistency, I’m reminded that good systems matter. At Donorbox, we build powerful tools that make giving easy for donors and manageable for your team year-round.
Sign up for free today, and check out the rest of the Nonprofit Blog for more expert insights.
Fern is a journalist-turned-editor with 8 years of writing experience, now using that skill set to help nonprofits share their stories and connect with donors. Along with her editorial work, Fern volunteers with animal welfare organizations and has spent years fostering and rehabilitating rescue parrots.
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