Why Your Fundraising Habit Matters

When we coach clients toward fundraising success, we often come back to a simple model we use at Forward Avenue:

Habit → Momentum → Practice → Culture

Fundraising culture isn't built through a strategic plan alone. It's built through the small actions people take every day.

Let me give you an example.

One of the simplest stewardship habits we often recommend to organizations is recording thank-you videos for donors.

The goal isn't just to send a message of gratitude. The goal is to involve as many people as possible in the process.

There are countless ways to approach it. Board members can participate. Staff can take turns recording messages. Artists can create individual videos or appear together. The specific format matters less than creating opportunities for more people to participate in thanking donors.

At first glance, these activities may seem small.

But almost without fail, everyone involved walks away feeling energized.

That's human nature. Expressing gratitude feels good. And in many cases, donors respond with gratitude of their own.

A conversation begins.

People inside the organization start to realize that stewardship is not a one-way street. When you give appreciation, you often receive connection, encouragement, and insight in return.

That small habit creates momentum.

Soon, the organization begins asking bigger questions:

• How else can we steward our donors?

• How can we create more meaningful touch points throughout the year?

• How can we make gratitude part of our donor experience?

  
  

Over time, stewardship evolves from a single activity into a practice.

And when enough people participate in that practice, something even more powerful happens.

It becomes culture.

Board members begin thinking about donors differently. Program staff become more aware of the people making their work possible. Leadership starts to see fundraising not as a separate department's responsibility, but as a shared organizational function.

What began as a simple thank-you video becomes a new way of thinking.

That's why we're so interested in building small, achievable habits with our clients. 

Habits form momentum. Momentum fuels practice. Practice shapes culture.

Here's a question:

What is one fundraising habit you are looking to build today?

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