From Mid-Year Review to Year-End Success
As we move into August, many people responsible for managing donor relationships and fundraising growth will find themselves with something that can be increasingly rare during the rest of the year - a little space to think. While day-to-day activity never really stops, mid and late summer can often provide an opportunity to look at the bigger picture and ask deeper questions about the relationships, partnerships and opportunities that will shape the rest of the year.
August is an ideal time to reconnect with key supporters, review your prospect pipeline, strengthen stewardship plans, revisit funding opportunities and ensure your leadership team is aligned around your donor development priorities. These activities may not generate immediate results, but they often determine what is possible over the months ahead.
At OKC, we firmly believe that the most successful and sustainable fundraising is built on trusted relationships, thoughtful planning and consistent stewardship. Taking time now to invest in those foundations can help organisations approach the rest of the year with greater clarity, confidence and momentum. Here are some practical actions worth considering over the coming weeks.
1. Review your fundraising performance so far
Before planning the months ahead, take time to understand where you are at mid-year.
Ask:
Are you on track to meet your annual income targets?
Which fundraising streams are performing well?
Which campaigns or activities have underperformed?
Are there emerging opportunities you could invest more in?
Where are the biggest gaps between ambition and delivery?
Look beyond income alone to consider donor recruitment, retention, engagement levels, campaign performance, and the strength of your fundraising pipeline. A clear understanding of your current position will help you focus resources where they will have the greatest impact.
2. Assess your donor engagement and fundraising pipeline
The second half of the year often brings some of the biggest fundraising opportunities, but success depends on preparation. Review your pipeline across:
High-impact donors
Trusts and foundations
Corporate partnerships
Community fundraising opportunities
Individual/Regular Donors
Campaign audiences
Legacy conversations
Are there prospects who need further cultivation, applications or approaches that need to be prioritised or relationships that could be strengthened before making an ask? A healthy pipeline requires consistent attention.
3. Start preparing your autumn and Christmas campaigns
The busiest fundraising period of the year arrives quickly. Waiting until September to start planning can leave teams under pressure and reduce the opportunity to maximise results. Now is the time to:
Confirm campaign objectives
Review previous campaign results
Develop key messages and stories
Identify audiences and segments
Plan supporter journeys
Agree timelines and responsibilities
4. Strengthen your supporter stewardship
As we always say at OKC, it’s so important to think about ‘friend-raising’ before fundraising. The most successful and impactful fundraising is, at its core, about building sustainable, values-aligned and mutually beneficial relationships. Use this time to review how you are thanking, updating and engaging supporters. Consider:
Are high-impact donors receiving meaningful updates on the impact of their investment?
Are monthly donors being thanked and valued?
Are new supporters being welcomed effectively?
Are you showing people the difference their support makes, beyond required impact reporting?
For organisations managing capital campaigns or delivering major projects, stewardship is particularly important over the longer term. Keeping donors connected to the journey shouldn’t be limited to formal reporting - it can be an email with a progress update, a social media post, a phone call, a photograph from the project or an invitation to come and see the work for themselves. Donors want to see how their support is helping to bring something to life, and sharing those moments along the way helps them feel part of the progress they have made possible. Once a project is complete, that relationship continues - showing donors the ongoing impact of what they helped create can be just as important as keeping them updated during the campaign. Cancer Fund for Children’s Daisy Lodge in Cong, Mayo, and ChildVision’s Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre are particularly strong examples of this in practice.
Ultimately, strong stewardship builds trust, improves retention and creates the foundations for future fundraising success. It’s vital that it doesn’t get forgotten when things get busy, so planning ahead is key. Check out a previous OKC Insights article on donor stewardship here.
5. Make sure your Case for Support is compelling
Before entering a major fundraising period, revisit your Case for Support. Ask:
Is it clear why your organisation matters?
Does it demonstrate the impact of giving?
Does it connect emotionally as well as logically?
Is it easy for supporters to understand how they can make a difference?
A strong case for support is the foundation for effective fundraising across every channel. If you’re not sure where to start or need a refresher, check out our guide to writing a compelling Case for Support here.
6. Review your team’s capacity
The final months of the year can place significant demands on fundraising teams. Now is the time to consider:
Do you have the right resources in place?
Are priorities realistic?
Are there tasks that could be streamlined or outsourced?
Does your team have the support needed to deliver effectively?
7. Align your Board and leadership team
Fundraising success requires organisation-wide support. Use this period to ensure trustees and senior leaders understand:
Current fundraising performance
Upcoming priorities
Key opportunities and challenges
Their role in supporting fundraising activity
Strong leadership engagement can open doors, strengthen relationships and reinforce an internal culture of philanthropy.
The opportunity ahead
Every organisation’s fundraising journey is different. For some, this may be the time to revisit strategy and priorities, for others, it may be about strengthening existing relationships or exploring new opportunities for support.
What remains consistent is that successful fundraising takes time, trust and investment. The conversations started today are often the ones that shape the partnerships and opportunities of tomorrow.
As always, if OKC can support your organisation in thinking through its overall fundraising plan, philanthropy strategy or future ambitions, we would love to hear from you.