Matt Hugg Go for the Green: Prepare for Year-End Fundraising Today

By Matt Hugg

It's time for the green ... No, not St. Patrick's Day, but fundraising. It's time to nail down your plans for that year-end green!

Is your direct mail producing enough green? Now is the time to check.

If you're on a June/July fiscal year, you need to make plans now for a strong year's end. That means updating your messaging that you decided last July was the best approach. It means confirming or lining up your interviews for those story-based letters. It means making sure that you're still sending to the right segments.

What you get done now will make an impact two months from now … when "end of year" is staring you straight in the face, as is the difference between ending the year in the red or the black.

So after that green beer, while you're watching the flowers emerging from the warming soil after what you hope is the last snowstorm of the season, put yourself at the start of summer. You'll want to get out of the office early to enjoy the soft grass and green leaves. Plan now and you can make it happen!

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Matt Hugg Author's page

Matt Hugg is an author and instructor in nonprofit management in the U.S. and abroad. He is president and founder of Nonprofit.Courses, an on-demand, e-learning educational resource for nonprofit leaders, staff, board members and volunteers, with hundreds of courses in nearly every aspect of nonprofit work.

He’s the author of "The Guide to Nonprofit Consulting," and "Philanders Family Values, Fun Scenarios for Practical Fundraising Education for Boards, Staff and Volunteers," and a contributing author to "The Healthcare Nonprofit: Keys to Effective Management."

Over his 30-year career, Matt has held positions at the Boy Scouts of America, Lebanon Valley College, the University of Cincinnati, Ursinus College and the University of the Arts. In these positions, he raised thousands of gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations and government entities, and worked with hundreds of volunteers on boards and fundraising committees, in addition to his organizational leadership responsibilities.

Matt teaches fundraising, philanthropy and marketing in graduate programs at Eastern University, the University of Pennsylvania, Juniata College and Thomas Edison State University via the web, and in-person in the U.S., Africa, Asia and Europe, and is a popular conference speaker. He has a B.S. from Juniata College and an M.A. in philanthropy and development from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Matt has served on the board of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Nonprofit Career Network of Philadelphia and several nonprofits.