September 2, 2025
The Impact Issue #77: From Big Goals to Real Wins: Your September Playbook
Set goals you can hit, keep microdonors engaged, and find more $ without burning out.
Hello!
Welcome to The Impact, your weekly dose of grant writing tips, tools, and opportunities.
If you’ve ever walked out of a staff meeting with a bold new fundraising target—and zero plan to reach it—you’re not alone.
In this issue, we’ll show you how to turn ambitious goals into achievable wins, tap into the YouTube Nonprofit Program to tell your story, and address the microdonor retention drop that could be a threat to your future funding. Plus, we’ve got new opportunities, upcoming events, and great resources to help keep you on your A-game.
Let’s dive in!
Pitfalls and Pointers
⚠️ Pitfall: Setting Fundraising Goals Without a Game Plan
It usually starts with good intentions.
Leadership wants to grow, so they set bold fundraising goals at the annual retreat. But without a clear strategy or input from the development team, those big numbers quickly turn into pressure, burnout, and missed targets.
As fundraising consultant Andrew Olson highlights, these unrealistic expectations often come from a lack of understanding around what it actually takes to raise funds, not from a lack of commitment.
The result? Fundraisers feel set up to fail. Donor relationships suffer. And the entire team ends up chasing numbers with no roadmap.
💡 Pointer: Set Goals You Can Actually Hit by Starting With a Strategy That Works
If you want this year’s big goals to become real wins, you need more than ambition; you need a plan. Here’s how to make that happen:
- Start with your numbers: Review the past few years of fundraising data. What worked? What didn’t? How many grants did you actually win?
- Loop in your team: The people doing the work should help shape the goals. They’ll spot gaps and bring the insights that make success possible.
- Plan month by month: Break your annual goal into manageable pieces. Think specific campaigns, donor segments to grow, and key grants to go after.
- Make the plan everyone’s business: From programs to leadership, make sure every team understands how their work supports fundraising.
- Check in, then course correct: Things change. Build in regular reviews so you can tweak your strategy instead of scrambling at the last minute.
At the end of the day, fundraising success isn’t about tossing out big numbers and hoping for the best; it’s about aligning your goals with the resources, relationships, and roadmap to actually get there.
Ready to build a 12-month fundraising plan that works?
💰 Explore our step-by-step guide to crafting a funding strategy that delivers results!
Tech You Should Know
What:
YouTube Nonprofit Program.
YouTube’s Nonprofit Program gives eligible organizations access to exclusive features designed to amplify your message, increase engagement, and boost donations without paying for ads.
How Grant Writers Can Use It:
- Tell Your Story Visually: Use video to show the real impact of your programs. This is especially useful when writing about outcomes in proposals or showcasing your mission to funders.
- Engage Funders and Drive Visibility: Link to donor appeals, campaign updates, or short videos in your grant reports, emails, and applications. These real-time snapshots help funders see your impact in action and connect more deeply with your mission.
- Highlight Partnerships: Use videos to spotlight collaborations, partner shoutouts, or funder thank-yous.
Keep in Mind:
- You need to be a verified 501(c)3 and registered with Google for Nonprofits to access these tools.
- Consistency matters. A few mission-driven videos will go further than frequent uploads without a clear message.
- Don’t overthink production; authenticity often beats polish.
🎁 Learn more about the YouTube Nonprofit Program!
Expert Perspectives
🏆 Teri McClanahan on Building a Grant Program Without Burnout
When veteran grant expert Teri McClanahan joined Marshall Medical Center, she wasn’t handed a grant strategy, just a big expectation: “go find funding”.
In her Instrumentl webinar, How to Build a Sustainable Healthcare Grant Program, Teri shared exactly how she’s navigating that challenge: by creating systems, setting boundaries, and building relationships that last.
Her #1 rule? Grants aren’t a fast fix. And the best programs don’t rely on luck; they’re built on clear processes and real alignment with internal teams.
Here’s her expert advice:
- Start With Listening: Meet with leadership and the department to uncover real funding needs, not just wishlists.
- Streamline Your Intake: Use a request form to filter serious opportunities from last-minute Hail Marys.
- Set Expectations Early: Train teams on timelines, compliance, and what grants can (and can’t) cover.
- Prospect Wide, Then Narrow: Cast a wide net with search terms, then use 990s and funder fit to focus in.
- Make Reporting Collaborative: Don’t write reports alone; loop in staff who actually run the programs.
A clear form, a consistent process, and a shared understanding of what makes a grant work can go a long way, especially in healthcare where needs are urgent and time is short.
🤝 Watch Teri's full webinar here!
The Latest Numbers
Microdonors are slipping away, and it’s costing nonprofits
A microdonor is typically someone who gives less than $100 in a year. And while their gifts may be small, losing them comes at a big cost.
Data from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, as reported by Nonprofit PRO, reveals a sharp decline in microdonor engagement in 2025:
- Microdonor retention has dropped to just 32%, while small donors (those giving between $101 - $500) saw a retention rate of 50%.
- Microdonors now make up over 50% of all donors, yet contribute only 2% of total dollars.
Why does this matter? These aren’t just statistics, they’re a warning. Losing microdonors means shrinking your future donor base and weakening your long-term sustainability.
Here’s how to reverse the trend:
- Show microdonors their impact right away: short updates or quick thank-you videos go a long way.
- Launch low-barrier engagement opportunities (e.g., virtual walk-throughs, volunteer spots, or mini-updates) to invite a connection beyond the ask.
- Re-engage one-time donors with a story, a personalized “thanks”, or an invite to give again.
Remember: when you nurture small gifts, you’re building the foundation for lasting support.
🧠 Read the full breakdown from Nonprofit PRO!
Opportunities Spotlight
🔔 Book Buddies Program - Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest
Who It’s For: Nonprofits and schools working to improve literacy for children in under-resourced communities.
Next Deadline: September 26, 2025
Grant Amount: Up to $2,000
The Details:
- Supports the purchase of books for classroom or school libraries
- Can fund book giveaway programs for students to take home
- Focused on early literacy and fostering a lifelong love of reading
- Designed to directly benefit children in under-resourced communities
⭐ Wells Fargo Community Giving
Who It’s For: Nonprofits addressing community development, financial health, small business growth, affordable housing, financial literacy, and small business support.
Next Deadline: September 30, 2025
Grant Amount: Varies
The Details:
- Supports programs that advance economic opportunity in local communities
- Priorities include affordable housing, financial literacy, and small business support
- Open to organizations promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship
- Focused on measurable, community-level impact
🔍 Explore thousands of other grant opportunities now!
Networking Nook
💻 Webinar: Strengthen Ties With Everyday Donors
September 18, 2025 | 2:00 PM ET
Hosted by The Grantsmanship Center, this webinar will dive into practical strategies for re-engaging microdonors and converting first-time givers into long-term supporters. With microdonor retention rates dropping across the sector, this webinar offers timely, actionable advice to help you strengthen your donor pipeline. Registration is $69-$89, and CFRE credits are available.
Don’t miss out!
📅 Conference: Grant Professionals Association Annual Conference - GrantSummit2025
October 29 - November 1, 2025 | Baltimore, MD
With over 70 sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities, this conference is designed to help grant professionals discover new tools, deepen expertise, and connect with peers who understand the challenges and opportunities of grant work. Registration is $895 for GPA members and $925 for non-members.
Hurry! Registration is now open!
To check out more recent and upcoming live events, go here.
In Case You Missed It
📑 Article:Top 6 Grant Management Best Practices for Nonprofits
Ready to get more strategic? Dive into practical tips for organizing your grant workflow, building stronger funder relationships, and using tools like Instrumentl to simplify tracking and reporting.
📼 Video: How to Secure $1 Million in Private Grants: A Grant Masterclass
In this session, led by grant rockstar Julie Starr, you’ll learn techniques and mindset shifts to zero in on and win large-dollar private grants that can elevate your nonprofit’s impact.
🎙️ Instrumentl’s Podcast: Future-Proofing University Grants With Maya Evans
Federal funding cuts and rising expectations are forcing higher ed to rethink grant strategies. In this episode, Maya Evans, founder of Leverage Education, shares how colleges can treat grants as seed funding, adopt startup-inspired models, and use tools like the business model canvas to do more with less.
Stop Chasing Grants. Start Winning Them.
Tired of scrambling to find opportunities at the last minute?
Instrumentl brings all your grant prospecting, tracking, and management into one easy-to-use platform so you can focus on crafting winning proposals instead of drowning in spreadsheets. Join the thousands of nonprofits already working smarter, not harder.
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