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In my first real fundraising job, I always hit my goals.
Season tickets? Nailed it.
Sponsorships? Check.
Annual gala? On target.
And although it sounds really impressive, the truth is the goals were too low.
After a few years of this, I asked my boss to raise the bar. I wanted to see what I was really capable of. I was eager to stretch and grow with my goals, but he said no. “They’re fine right where they are,” he told me.
Maybe he was trying to protect me from failing? Or maybe he thought he’d have to pay me more if I delivered higher results?
Regardless, I started quietly setting my own goals - just for me. They weren’t tied to my job description or salary. They were simply a way to see what I could do if I pushed myself.
Goals are a funny thing.
Some people are motivated by the carrot, or the thrill of achievement, the satisfaction of hitting the target. (*raises hand)
Others are motivated by the stick, or the drive to avoid failure and the discomfort that comes from falling short.
My best advice for CEO’s setting goals for their development team? Focus on input goals.
Instead of only tracking dollars raised, pay attention to the daily actions that lead to those results: calls made, meetings scheduled, thank-you notes sent, new prospects identified. These are the habits that build real momentum.
When your team knows what’s expected day to day, not just year to year, you create a culture of clarity, accountability, and consistent progress.
Input goals shift the focus from “Did I win?” to “Did I show up and do the work today?” Because every day that we show up and actually do the work, hitting the target will be inevitable.
Quick Tip:
Steven Covey said, “Begin with the end in mind.”
If your goal is to raise $250,000 this year, don’t stop at setting the number, help your team build the roadmap to get there.
Most fundraising goals fail not because they’re too ambitious, but because no one defined what success looks like week to week. That’s where input goals come in.
If you want your development staff to succeed, help them track progress where it actually happens: in their actions. Consider picking a few input goals from this list that your team can set and review weekly:
# of donor calls made
# of emails sent to current or lapsed donors
# of donor meetings scheduled
# of personal thank-you notes or calls sent
# of new prospects researched or added to the pipeline
# of stewardship touchpoints
You reach the destination when you follow a roadmap. In the same way, goals are reached when we know the steps to get us there.
Good advice
A friend of mine said we need to “inspect what we expect” in order to hold others accountable. Setting input goals is one of the best ways to track your team’s progress along the way - not just at the end of the year. It allows you to inspect the work that leads to the outcomes you expect, instead of waiting for the numbers to roll in and hoping for the best.
It also helps avoid the surprise (and stress) of missed goals at year-end because you’ll have seen the gaps in real time and had the chance to course-correct.
One Last Thought:
The best fundraising teams don’t just chase big goals - they build the systems and habits that make those goals inevitable. We can help you turn annual revenue targets into daily action plans that move the needle and without burning your team out in the process. Reply to this email if you’d like help building a goal-setting system your fundraising team can actually stick to… and succeed with.
You’ve got this,
Jenni
