YEAR END RITUALS TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL 2022

Guest blog by: Trish Dewald, Executive in Residence, EarlyWorks 

While nonprofit work doesn’t really have a “down time”, we do have a “busy season.” As the year ends, our nonprofit colleagues are juggling myriad priorities that likely include a combination of executing fundraising events and managing year end giving campaigns while planning for next year. In the midst of this busy time, I like to reflect on the past 12 months’ challenges and successes while making space to plan for the upcoming year. Here are a few items that end up on my Q4 list:   

• Update donor acknowledgements 

• Confirm board policies are up to date (and that board giving is on track) 

• Double check all insurances and licenses are current (don’t forget the license to solicit) 

• Review impact measurements and tracking 

• Gather stories, photos, metrics for annual report 

• Database clean-up 

• Budget 

• Annual fundraising and communication plan 

• Volunteer engagement and acknowledgement 

• Grant submission and report tracking updated 

• Professional development goals 

• Personal resilience plan 

• BHAG (my big crazy, wild stretch goal) 

What year end rituals do you have?  How do you ensure that you are set up for success for the upcoming year?  I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re interested in working with our team, feel free to connect with me directly at trish@earlyworksllc.com or visit earlyworksllc.com.