Screw the resolution rut

Resolutions rarely stick because they don’t show immediate short-term results. Losing weight, quitting smoking, meditating every day… these noble aspirations often get neglected when we don’t see immediate satisfaction for our sacrifice.

Sadly, the most important things we do for long-term health and well-being too often fall into the category of “too little too late” to merit the effort.

We do this with donor retention too. Our cultivation and stewardship efforts don’t show the immediate financial results that a one-off appeal does, so we nix those efforts — foregoing long-term relationships for short-term gain.

You can change this. What can you do once a month to thank you donors? How can you make them feel special 12 times this year? How can you measure that impact?

Plot it out now and in December 2015, you’ll be the one smiling.