I've been at my current fundraising position for about five months now. Here are some things I wish I would have done better in my first 90 days:
1. Allowed myself to learn more about the organization's funding history. I launched right into our annual campaign, so I had very little time to do this but I wish I had made time to call previous donors and ask why the organization is important to them.
2. Set some realistic goals for myself besides the amount of money raised. Raising a certain amount of money during a campaign is important, but I wish I would have set some smaller, more achievable goals as well (for example, setting a goal for a certain amount of one-on-one meetings with donors).
3. I wish I would have been more realistic about what I can achieve in my first year. Being a one-person development team means that I can only achieve so much. Development is called that because it takes time. It's important to be kind to ourselves and realize that we may not hit all our goals all the time, but that doesn't mean that we're not making progress.
What would you have done differently in your first 90 days? Comment below ⬇
#fundraising #nonprofitleadership #first90days