6 Habits to Develop Before 2014

I hate to mention it, but July is just a few days away. That means half of 2013 is gone, and we'll all be focusing on calendar year-end giving before we know it. (My apologies to those of you with a June 30 fiscal year-end; you probably were hoping for a few weeks respite before having to think about another year-end.)

Dec. 31 is one of the unavoidable events every year, but for many nonprofits it's also the close of the most important giving season. Take a look at these six ideas, and see if there are any you need to add or recommit to. If you get started now, you can go into 2014 with some new habits as well as (we hope) the glow from a great year-end giving season.

July: Measure what matters
If you aren't looking at the volume of new donor acquisition, lapsed donor renewal and current donor retention, do it. Today. And at least once a month for the rest of your fundraising life. Once you know how these key areas are performing, you can put your energies into fixing what is broken instead of chasing after every new idea that you read or hear about.

August: Find new ways to be creative
Are you struggling to say the same thing over and over again? Set aside time every month to look at what other nonprofits are mailing, e-mailing, and posting on their websites and in social media. Be on the lookout for great ideas that can inspire your own next great idea. Feeling totally uninspired today as I prepared to write copy, I checked out the Who's Mailing What! archive as well as recent samples that came into my mailbox and inbox. Suddenly I was no longer alone in my search for creative stimulation.