The mad rush of the holidays are upon us and nonprofits are busy with end of year giving, wrapping up projects and planning for the New Year.  Below are 10 steps your organization could take now to ensure a healthy and efficient 2016:

1. Write fresh acknowledgement letter templates to start using January 1st;
2. Ensure 100% board giving so you can check “yes” on all grant applications;
3. Clean up your donor database making sure all gifts and notes are entered and avoid duplicate records;
4. Make calls to renewal donors giving individuals an opportunity for a warm heart and a 2015 year end tax deduction;
5. Schedule your 2016 board retreat and staff retreat;
6. Review and measure progress of your Strategic Plan, Development Plan and Marketing Plan;
7. Create new and impactful proposal templates for funding needs;
8. Make sure statistics and language on your website are up-to-date;
9. Thank volunteers for their support; and,
10. Collect statistics that can be used to prove your mission’s impact in the coming year.

Please email me april@armstrongmcguire.com or call me at (919) 274-9567 with any questions or comments.

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