Welcome to a brand-new fiscal year. Whether you’re closing the books with pride or ready for a fresh start, there’s no better time to set fundraising intentions that will carry you through the months ahead.
The best fundraising teams aren’t just repeating what worked last year—they’re evolving, iterating, and learning from each other. So instead of vague goals or recycled strategies, we’re offering ten tangible, field-tested resolutions inspired by your peers. These are real examples from EverTrue customers who are building deeper donor relationships, improving efficiency, and seeing stronger results.
Here’s how to bring those lessons into FY26.
1. Steward Every Donor, Not Just the Top Tier
New Mexico State University Foundation created the “Thank Every Aggie” (T.E.A.) campaign with one core principle: every donor deserves gratitude, regardless of gift size. Each month, the team sends a new ThankView video, often themed around a fun cultural reference—think Top Gun, Back to the Future, and more. Students write scripts, act in the videos, and help produce them, making the content heartfelt and fun. The results speak for themselves: open rates often exceed 60%, and donors frequently reply to say how much they enjoyed the content.
Try This:
Build a lightweight, monthly cadence of donor stewardship, using students or beneficiaries to show the impact of giving year-round. Then, when it's time to ask, your donors are already engaged.
2. Thank Before You Ask
KU Endowment made fast, thoughtful stewardship a cornerstone of its campaign strategy. During Giving Day and other appeals, they used ThankView to send thank-you videos within minutes of a gift. The results? More than 7,000 additional gifts came in within 90 days of initial outreach—proof that gratitude fuels retention.
Try This:
Create a workflow where every gift triggers a timely and personal thank-you. Use automation or batch recording to keep things scalable, and track donor behavior post-stewardship to identify re-engagement opportunities.
3. Make Direct Mail Part of a Multichannel Plan
University of Memphis leaned into an integrated outreach approach by starting their campaign with a Pledgemine postcard, followed by personalized video and Signal-powered email cadences. The tactile mail piece helped warm up their audience, while follow-up videos drove strong click-through and engagement. The team also trained staff to use cadences for consistent, timely follow-up.
Try This:
Start with print to stand out in a donor’s mailbox, then layer on personalized video and email to reinforce your message and drive conversions across platforms.
4. Use Personalized Video to Reactivate LYBUNTs
Illinois State University used ThankView to connect with lapsed donors through highly personalized video content. Their holiday campaign, designed to feel more like a fun online shopping experience than a traditional year-end ask, stood out in a crowded inbox. During Giving Day, they featured student voices and stories that helped donors feel the impact of their gift in real time.
Try This:
Identify segments of LYBUNT donors and record videos that directly reference past giving. Add warmth and context—something a standard email can’t deliver—and always include an easy path to re-engage.
5. Focus Outreach with Smart Portfolio Segmentation
KU Endowment and the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation both turned to Signal to build tiered portfolios that allowed them to manage outreach more efficiently and prioritize the right donors. With Signal, fundraisers could identify top prospects based on engagement, giving potential, and past interactions—then automate cadences that kept outreach on track. For KU, this structure supported $17.7M in gift revenue tied to Signal-related activity.
Try This:
Try this: Rethink your outreach strategy based on donor behavior, not just gift history. A dynamic portfolio model gives your team the clarity and flexibility to adjust in real time.
6. Pivot Fast When Plans Fall Apart
East Tennessee State University was days away from mailing a printed invitation to their President’s Circle tailgate when a vendor delay threatened the entire campaign. Instead of scrapping it, the team pivoted fast—filming a personalized ThankView featuring their president (in his signature yellow blazer). The message went out just four days before the event and earned a 60.2% open rate from a mostly 65+ donor base.
Try This:
Don’t be afraid to scrap the plan and try something new. Video allows for fast, meaningful pivots that preserve (and often enhance) donor engagement—even in a time crunch.
7. Make Stewardship Personal (Not Just Performative)
Berklee College of Music launched its Campus Connector program to fill the gap left by its retired phonathon. Donors were paired with student ambassadors who sent eight personalized videos throughout the year, showcasing their studies, performances, and campus experiences. The campaign saw a 66.6% open rate, 78 donor replies, and a 26% increase in giving from recipients.
Try This:
Assign a small portfolio of donors to each student ambassador and empower them to share meaningful, creative updates. It builds long-term connection—and teaches students about philanthropy, too.
8. Replace Expensive Mail with Inclusive Storytelling
MassArt flipped the script on fall appeals with their “Art is for Everyone” campaign. Instead of print, they sent a powerful ThankView featuring the president, student leaders, and DEI-focused messaging. The result? Giving doubled, ROI skyrocketed from $0.75 to $10.40 per dollar spent, and a long-lapsed donor gave $10,000 after years of silence.
Try This:
Use video to reach more people, tell a stronger story, and save your budget for what matters most. Equity-centered storytelling doesn’t have to come with a high price tag.
9. Create Workflows That Scale
University of South Florida transformed their pledge reminder process with a scalable, repeatable ThankView strategy. Personalized video reminders followed by student thank-yous yielded a 77% open rate and helped collect $4.7M while cutting overdue pledges by 24%.
Try This:
Take a recurring communication (like pledge reminders or birthday greetings) and build an automated workflow around it. You’ll save time, improve results, and create a more consistent donor experience.
10. Use Storytelling to Spark Donor Pride
Cleveland State University reimagined their Giving Day by leaning into creativity, culture, and community. Led by the Annual Giving team and in partnership with in-house marketing, they launched a dynamic video series that introduced donors to real students through personalized ThankViews. The campaign built momentum leading up to the big day—then capped it off with a custom rap video performed by alumnus Toby Raps that had donors and colleagues alike hitting replay.
The results? Giving Day dollars increased by 25%, total donors grew by 10%, and the campaign achieved an 81.9% ThankView open rate—far exceeding their typical averages. And the buzz didn’t stop at CSU: board members, alumni, and even other fundraisers praised the creative approach (and yes, some even added the song to their personal Giving Day playlists).
Try This:
Think beyond countdown emails. Give your campaign texture with student stories, alumni voices, and video content that reflects your institution’s spirit. When you lead with authenticity, donors respond with pride—and generosity.
Looking Ahead
These ten resolutions aren’t about doing more for the sake of it—they’re about doing what works. Let FY26 be the year you lead with gratitude, experiment with creativity, and build connection at every step. We’re here to help!