THE CALM YOU WANT IN DECEMBER IS CREATED IN SEPTEMBER

I’ve spent enough years in development to know that some of this is unavoidable. The last few months of the year are busy because a lot of fundraising really does happen then. But I’ve also learned that there’s a difference between being busy and being overwhelmed. How we prepare for those months can determine whether they feel productive and manageable, or like one long exercise in putting out fires.

So to help future you feel ready to tackle the season, here’s what I would focus on in September.

Get clear on what needs to be raised by December 31

Before adding another thing to your fall calendar, take a hard look at the numbers.

How much revenue is already secured? What’s likely but not yet committed? Which renewals are still outstanding? Which major donors haven’t been asked yet? Where are you counting on revenue that doesn’t actually have a clear path attached to it?

From there, work backward.

If a foundation renewal needs to be submitted in November, what needs to happen before then? If you want to ask a major donor for a significant gift in December, when does that conversation need to start? If you have a revenue gap, which opportunities could realistically close it in the time you have left?

Knowing the number is important. Knowing how you’re going to get there is what makes it a plan.

Have the donor conversations now

Relationship-building is one of the hardest things to rush, and yet we try to do it every December. September and October give you something December doesn’t — time.

Look at your portfolio and identify the donors who need attention before year-end. That might be a major donor you’re hoping will increase their gift, someone who hasn’t given yet this year, or a longtime supporter you haven’t spoken to recently.

Not every conversation needs to include an ask. In fact, many shouldn’t. Use the next few months to reconnect, share what’s happening, learn what’s important to your donors, and give them a reason to feel close to the work. When it is time to make the ask, you won’t be trying to restart a relationship and solicit a gift in the same conversation.

Get ahead of the work you already know is coming

There are plenty of things that will surprise you this fall. Don’t let the things you already know about become emergencies too.

Draft the year-end appeal. Build the campaign calendar. Review upcoming foundation deadlines. Start gathering the information you’ll need for reports and proposals. Test your donation page. Update acknowledgment letters. Segment your lists.

None of this is particularly exciting, but a boring task you complete in September is one less thing competing for your attention when your workload, and the stakes, are higher.

And give yourself some room. Drafting your year-end message now means you can put it down, come back to it, and make it better. Starting a report early means you have time to track down the program data you inevitably discover you need. Planning isn’t only about efficiency. It usually produces better work.

Decide where you need your CEO and board

One of the biggest year-end bottlenecks I’ve seen has nothing to do with the development team. It’s waiting on everyone else.

With the holidays approaching, your CEO’s calendar will get busier. Your board members will get harder to reach. The colleague who needs to approve the year-end appeal will suddenly be out of the office the week you need to send it.

Request what you need from them now, while they’re still reachable. Put dates on their calendars. And give people clear, specific jobs. “Help with fundraising” is easy to ignore. “Can you call these three donors during the first week of December? Here’s the script.” is much easier to act on.

Decide what you’re not going to do

This one may be the most important. When year-end approaches, our instinct is often to add. Another email. Another event. Another Giving Tuesday idea. Another unnecessary meeting.

But not everything needs to happen before December 31.

Look at what your team is carrying and ask what is actually going to move relationships or revenue forward. If something isn’t doing either, consider whether it needs to happen right now, or honestly at all. Planning ahead isn’t just about getting more done. It’s about creating enough space to do the things that matter well.

Plan a December that is actually sustainable

Finally, look at December itself. When will your team be out? Who is covering gift processing and acknowledgments? Which days genuinely need everyone available, and which don’t? What can be scheduled in advance?

And importantly, when are you taking time off? Fundraisers don’t get extra points for ending the year exhausted. Your organization needs you to close the year well, but it also needs you ready to start again in January. Protect some space now, before everyone else’s priorities fill it.

There will still be last-minute opportunities as giving season unfolds. That’s fundraising. But there’s a real difference between responding to the unexpected when you have a plan and spending four months responding to everything because you don’t.

Right now, you have a little bit of time. Use some of it to make December easier. Your future self, and your team, will be glad you did.