Hi Reader,

I hit a huge milestone in my personal life this week.

I attended over 1000 classes at my gym, Orange Theory Fitness.

OTF, as we like to call it, is a 60-minute interval training class that offers treadmills, rowing machines, and strength equipment.

When I joined in 2018, I started by taking two classes per week. The classes were more challenging than I’d experienced before, but I felt incredible after attending for a few weeks.

Since beginning my journey with OTF, I’ve developed a great habit of caring for my health, getting stronger, and making great friends. All the things I need!

But how does this relate to online fundraising? The connection lies in achieving something new and meeting the milestones you set out to achieve.

As nonprofit leaders, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of daily tasks, goals, and decisions. But here's the truth: You don’t have to tackle everything all at once.

In today’s edition of the Social Profit Stack, I’ll share how to break down your big-picture goals into smaller, easy-to-achieve milestones that help you and your team move forward with momentum.

Why Milestones Matter

Milestones give you structure. They act as guideposts that keep you focused and motivated, allowing you to track progress without burning out on long-term objectives.

They can also boost achievements and offer reasons to celebrate. Celebrating wins—no matter how small—is key to maintaining morale.

Choose the Right Milestones

Not every task needs to become a milestone.

Be strategic and selective. Start by identifying your larger goals—launching a new digital campaign, increasing donor engagement, or improving operational efficiency.

Then, break down those goals into actionable steps. Here’s a quick example:

Goal: Increase digital donor engagement by 20% over the next six months.

Milestone 1: Add a new email automation tool within the first month.

Milestone 2: Send the first personalized donor email campaign within two months.

Milestone 3: Analyze the email campaign performance and add segmentation by the fourth month.

Each milestone brings you closer to your end goal without feeling overwhelmed.

Celebrate and Share Your Wins

Once you hit a milestone, pause to acknowledge your progress. Celebrating boosts your morale and reinforces a culture of success with your team.

It's an opportunity to review what worked, what didn't, and lessons learned. Be sure to share your achievements both internally and externally.

Donors and supporters love to see progress, and it strengthens your relationships by showing accountability.

Start small, track your progress, and most importantly—celebrate every win. By focusing on achievements, you’ll meet your objectives and move toward your organization’s mission, no matter the challenges.

Set Milestones for Your Upcoming Giving Tuesday Campaign

Goal: Raise $[enter amount] for your nonprofit on Giving Tuesday in November.

Milestone 1 (October 15 - 25): Build your Giving Tuesday campaign strategy.

• Outline key messages, select target audiences, and communication channels (email, social media, etc.). Finalize your fundraising goal and create a compelling narrative for communications.

Milestone 2 (October 26 - November 8): Launch pre-campaign awareness efforts.

• Share teasers on social media, send an initial email to your donor base and engage key supporters by asking them to become Giving Tuesday ambassadors.

Milestone 3 (November 1 - November 15): Begin your countdown to Giving Tuesday.

• Create and schedule emails, social media posts, and donation reminders leading up to the day. Provide updates!

Milestone 4 (November 18 - December 3): Execute your Giving Tuesday campaign.

• On Giving Tuesday (Dec 3), share hourly updates on social media, send donation reminders, and publicly acknowledge donors.

Milestone 5 (December 4 - December 31): Post-campaign follow-up.

• My favourite part! Send thank-you emails to donors, including the total amount raised, and share how their contributions will impact the community. Celebrate the success with your team and share lessons learned for future campaigns.

This milestone approach breaks down the objectives while building excitement, engaging your audience, and creating momentum beyond Giving Tuesday.

Your nonprofit journey is a lot like my fitness journey. Each email sent, each donor thanked, and each dollar raised is like another class attended. These milestones add up to big changes over time.

What will your first milestone look like? Hit reply and share it with me. I'll help keep you accountable.

Links 👩🏻‍💻

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