Nonprofit Spring Checklist
Q1 of 2026 is behind us, spring has arrived, and there’s still plenty of year ahead. Now is a great time for some “spring cleaning”—a chance to audit, review, and refocus so you can move forward with intention. We asked the Purpose Possible team to share ways organizations can position themselves for success in the coming months. From digital housekeeping to high-level strategy, here’s what they had to say:
Complete your annual donor qualification process. Make sure to cross-reference Q1 and end-of-year reports to ensure your current donor lists are accurate and complete for 2026.
—Susannah Darrow, CEO + Founding Partner
Spring is gala, event, and golf tournament season. What is your plan to steward these donors before year-end? Do you have their most current contact information?
Clean up your donor database, remove duplicates, and make sure all Q1 gifts are entered so that you have the most accurate information moving forward.
—Betsy Oliver, Director of Fundraising Services
Grant readiness tip: Compile and review Q1 documents, including budget versus actuals, program highlights, testimonials, number of people served, any significant organization changes, and other key information from the first quarter of the year, to ensure readiness for grant submissions, case statements, and reporting.
—Ed Holman, Consultant
Audit your email list. Take the time to archive bounced, unsubscribed, and inactive contacts. Update contacts whose email addresses may have changed and remove any duplicates to improve deliverability.
Also, review your content analytics, including email open and click-through rates, social media engagement, and website traffic. Ask yourself— What worked well, what isn’t connecting, and how can you better align your strategy to connect with your audience?
—Adi Bates, Director of Marketing
Strategic Planning Reminder: Check in on your Q1 strategic planning goals and then align your Q2 activities with the next steps.
—Starsha Valentine, CCO + Partner
For orgs with a July 1 fiscal year: You’re going into Q4, so do a financial assessment of what's in, what's pending, where the gap/surplus is. Identify action steps to fill any gaps before the end of the year.
—Blair Keenan, Senior Consultant
Audit your website for any outdated information or broken links. I echo the database clean up, especially updating addresses for any returned mail from your year-end campaign.
The end of the quarter is a great time to review your budget vs. actuals. How are you doing compared to last year at this time? Compared to how you expected? A deep dive into the numbers can help you adjust your development plan through the rest of the year.
—Beth Sadler, Director of Fundraising Services
Review projects, events, and renewals that happened in the same quarter last year to see what actions are needed this year.
This could also be a good time to seek out updated client success stories, gather new donor testimonials, get volunteer feedback, etc.
—Rachel Stanley, Senior Consultant
Schedule time off for yourself! Remember self-care, rest, and wellness are just as important for you as it is for everyone around you. 🩷
—Susan Butler Allison, Senior Consultant
