READ THIS IN JANUARY

You made it to January!

And while the world is telling you it’s GO GO GO Time (“New Year, New You” and other nonsense), here on planet earth that energy might feel forced and unnatural.

With good reason. In the northern hemisphere it’s still winter — a time for rest, renewal, and quiet introspection.

The Gregorian calendar dictating now as Fresh Start/Hustle Season… well, it’s just a made up thing giving us January guilt and inner conflict since 1582.

If you’re feeling pressure — internal or external — to be “super productive” this month, I’d like to suggest another way.

In truth just ONE thing is essential to your January fundraising:

Abundant, warm, personalized STEWARDSHIP.  

To be clear: A single “thank you” at year-end was NOT enough.

And while I’m a huge fan (and practitioner) of annual planning and strategy, it’s a big mistake to let them take over January at the expense of stewardship.  

If you can give your donors a simple but heartfelt Thankuary to remember, you’ll be making the #1 best investment in your 2026 fundraising outcomes.

To support you:

”i love you so much”

Thankology by Lisa Sargent - with so many examples!

21 Stewardship Ideas from Vanessa Chase Lockshin

Instead of forcing ourselves to go hard and push our way into January “productivity”… What if we took a breath and re-focused on the heart of things?  

It’s not too late to re-focus your Thankuary energy.

In this simple act, you’ll be an extraordinary friend to your donors.

All year long, they’ll remember how you made them feel in January.