Break free from continuous campaign cycles ⛓️‍💥

Your spring campaigns are delivering results, but if you're already wondering how to keep that going, you're not alone. Most nonprofits get caught in this pattern: great energy followed by the scramble to recreate it all over again.

This week, we're exploring how to build strategic growth instead. From segmentation strategies that work beyond campaign season to planning models that think in years rather than quarters, you'll get practical approaches for creating the kind of growth that compounds rather than resets every few months.

The take-home template

Want to keep that spring energy going? This template helps you stop chasing the next big campaign and start building the kind of steady support that grows throughout the year. You'll get a straightforward guide for setting attainable goals, understanding what motivates your supporters, and mixing the right tactics, from email and events to social media conversations that genuinely connect supporters to your work.

Snackable snippets

AI can strengthen fundraising year-round 📖

Fundraising has become a year-round challenge, with donors engaging across multiple channels and nonprofit teams stretched thinner than ever. This piece explores how AI can help organizations become more efficient, but it performs best when it supports human decision-making rather than replacing it, helping you spot patterns and optimize timing while your team provides the heart, story, and genuine connections that inspire people to give.

FEP reports strongest revenue growth in 5 years 📖

The latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project data shows charitable giving grew 5.0% in 2025, driven almost entirely by major and supersize donors who increased both their gift counts and total dollars. Meanwhile, donor counts declined 3.6% for the fifth consecutive year, and new donor retention showed no improvement. The researchers call converting first-time donors into repeat supporters "the most consequential unsolved problem in the donor pipeline," a challenge that becomes more urgent as fundraising success increasingly depends on fewer, wealthier supporters.

For your inspiration folder

St. Jude demonstrates what's possible when nonprofits think beyond annual cycles. The organization requires 89% of its funding to come from donors each year, but approaches this through long-term strategic planning rather than reactive campaigns. Their current $12.9 billion strategic plan spans six years and represents their most ambitious expansion ever, funding research projects that can take 5-10 years to complete and cost millions each.

The model succeeds because St. Jude builds strategic reserves and cultivates multi-year donor partnerships, recognizing that curing catastrophic diseases requires sustained commitment over time. It shows how organizations can turn bold missions into measurable, multi-year investments that create breakthrough discoveries rather than just meeting immediate needs.