A Smart Way to Set Nonprofit Goals For Bigger Wins

As we head toward the end of the year, I want to invite you to pause.

Not to panic about year-end numbers.

Not to obsess over what didn’t happen.

Not to scramble.

Pause.

Because how you finish 2025 will shape how you begin 2026.

And if we don’t consciously reflect, release, and reset, we carry disappointment, pressure, and unrealistic expectations straight into the new year.

I don’t want that for you.

I want you to finish strong and start smart.

The Problem With Traditional Goal Setting

Let me say something that might feel radical:

Most traditional goal setting doesn’t work.

We set revenue targets.

We set donor acquisition numbers.

We set event benchmarks.

And when we hit them, we feel relief.

When we don’t, we feel like we failed.

But here’s the deeper issue: most goals are built entirely on input and output.

Raise $500,000 by December 31.

Increase donor retention by 10%.

Send four newsletters per month.

There’s nothing wrong with those goals. They’re measurable. They’re clear. But they are transactional.

And I talk all the time about moving from transactional to transformational.

Yet the way we set goals often traps us in transaction.

When we obsess over the outcome, we ignore the systems, relationships, and trust that actually produce that outcome. We create pressure. We create tunnel vision. We risk burning out our teams — and sometimes even damaging donor relationships — just to hit a number.

Your year-end urgency is not your donor’s emergency.

And when pressure drives the strategy, fear follows.

Before You Plan 2026, Reflect on 2025

Before you even think about next year’s goals, you must close this year well.

I guide my clients through three steps:

Reflect. Release. Recognize.

Reflect on what actually happened. What were the wins? The surprises? The pivots? The relationships strengthened? Maybe you didn’t hit the revenue goal, but you rebuilt trust with your board. Maybe you deepened a major donor relationship. Maybe you improved internal systems.

That matters.

Then release what didn’t serve you. The overwhelm. The resentment. The perfectionism. The unrealistic expectations. The stories you told yourself about what “should” have happened.

Let them go.

Finally, recognize what grew beneath the surface. Confidence. Clarity. Stronger leadership. A healthier team dynamic. These wins rarely show up on a goal sheet — but they are often the foundation for next year’s success.

When we don’t consciously reflect and release, we drag disappointment into the next year. And that baggage shapes the goals we set.

Let’s not do that.

Goals Are Guides, Not Verdicts

Here’s the mindset shift I want you to adopt:

Goals are not grades.

They are not verdicts on your worth.

They are guides.

Whether you hit the number or not does not determine your value as a leader.

I tell myself this often:

My worth is not defined by whether someone gives or doesn’t give.

If you tie your identity to outcomes, you will constantly ride the rollercoaster of validation and emptiness. Achieve the goal — feel good briefly. Miss the goal — feel defeated. Neither is sustainable.

True sustainability comes from sovereignty.

You are the same capable, intelligent, strategic leader regardless of what the spreadsheet says.

A Smarter Model for 2026 Goals

Instead of abandoning goals, I want you to evolve them.

Yes, keep your revenue targets.

Yes, track your numbers.

But layer in a new lens.

For 2026, I invite you to think of SMART differently. Not just specific and measurable — but:

Supportive.

Meaningful.

Aligned.

Relational.

Tension-free.

Supportive goals don’t crush your spirit. They create momentum.

Meaningful goals reflect real progress, not just activity.

Aligned goals bring board, staff, and donors onto the same page.

Relational goals strengthen trust, not just transactions.

Tension-free goals motivate without fear.

For example, instead of only saying, “Raise $500,000,” you might also set an intention to deepen trust with 50 key donors or increase meaningful touchpoints throughout the year.

When you measure relationship strength alongside revenue, you stop treating fundraising like a vending machine and start treating it like what it is — a human exchange.

Measuring What Actually Matters

We are excellent at measuring money. We are less skilled at measuring trust.

But trust is what makes the money happen.

Consider tracking indicators like:

• Do donors share feedback openly?

• Are they responding to emails and engaging between asks?

• Do they advocate for your mission when you’re not in the room?

• Are they offering time, expertise, introductions, or encouragement?

Non-financial generosity is still generosity.

Growth over time matters too. Are people moving from awareness to interest to connection to action? If you only track the final action — the gift — you miss the relationship journey that made it possible.

When you broaden how you define success, you create a more resilient organization.

From Pressure to Progress

One of the biggest dangers of traditional goal setting is pressure.

Pressure creates tension.

Tension creates fear.

Fear distorts decision-making.

When goals are built from fear — “Why can’t we just raise four times as much?” — they create burnout instead of breakthrough.

But when goals are built from intention, alignment, and relational depth, they create progress.

And yes, you still raise money.

But you raise it in a way that strengthens your community rather than draining it.

Finish Strong. Start Smart.

As you close 2025, take inventory of what truly happened. Celebrate what you created. Release what no longer serves you.

Then build 2026 goals that honor both outcome and relationship.

Because transformational fundraising begins with transformational thinking.

And it starts with how you frame your goals.

Ready to Reset for 2026?

If you want support releasing 2025, reframing your goals, and building a relational measurement strategy for 2026, I’d love to talk with you.

Book a 30-minute strategy call with me. We’ll look at your current goals, your relationship pipeline, and how to align your awareness–interest–connection–action model with smarter, more sustainable metrics.

Let’s finish strong — and start smart.

Your mission deserves it.