What Nonprofits Should Leave Behind as They Move Into 2026

As the new year begins, many nonprofit leaders already have plans in motion for 2026. Goals have been set, calendars are filling up fast, and fundraising activity is underway. But meaningful progress does not come from simply adding more to already full plates. It comes from making intentional choices about what no longer belongs.

In a fundraising environment marked by donor fatigue, increased competition for dollars, and very real constraints on capacity, outdated practices aren’t just inefficient, they are liabilities. As 2026 begins, nonprofit leaders must embrace clarity, discipline, and the courage to leave behind habits that quietly undermine impact.

The Belief That More Activity Equals More Donations

Many nonprofits continue to equate success with being busy. Full calendars, frequent events, and constant appeals can feel productive, but activity alone rarely produces sustainable results.

This often shows up as multiple small fundraising events that consume staff time while generating modest net revenue, or development teams stretched so thin by logistics that meaningful donor engagement falls to the bottom of the list.

As organizations move further into 2026, it’s time to leave behind the belief that more activity leads to more contributions. Focused strategies centered on major gifts, thoughtful stewardship, and strategic partnerships consistently outperform high-volume, low-return efforts.

Transactional Fundraising That Reduces Donors to Revenue

Transactional fundraising remains one of the most damaging habits in the sector. When donor communication is dominated by asks, automated acknowledgments, and generic updates, relationships stagnate and, over time, disintegrate.

Consider the donor who gives year after year but never receives a personal call, a meaningful impact report, or an invitation to engage beyond writing a check. Over time, that donor disengages; not because the mission no longer matters, but because the relationship never deepened.

The start of the year is an ideal moment to leave behind transactional fundraising and recommit to relationship-based engagement. Donors want to feel connected, valued, and informed. Organizations that invest in stewardship and personal connection are far better positioned to retain and grow their donor base over time. Take the time and initiative to connect personally with your donors.

Vague Board Expectations That Undermine Fundraising

Unclear board expectations are a persistent obstacle to fundraising success. Asking board members to “help with fundraising” without defining what that means creates confusion, avoidance, and uneven participation among members.

In many cases, board members are willing to support fundraising but lack clarity, confidence, or guidance. In others, expectations are implied but never fully explained. This dynamic leaves leadership frustrated and board members disengaged.

As 2026 gets underway, vague expectations must be replaced with clear standards. Board giving, donor introductions, ambassadorship, and accountability should be explicit, supported, normalized and regularly discussed in the board room. Fundraising is a core governance responsibility, not optional leadership work, and it should be treated as such.

Reactive Decision-Making Disguised as Strategy

Operating without a clear fundraising roadmap keeps organizations in a constant state of reaction. When revenue falls behind, the response is often predictable: a last-minute appeal, an unplanned event, or a rushed grant application launched out of urgency rather than strategy. While these moves may feel necessary in the moment, they are exhausting for staff, confusing for donors, and rarely produce sustainable results.

Compounding the issue is the tendency to confuse urgency with strategy. Urgency is a constant in nonprofit work, but urgency alone does not create clarity. When everything feels critical, organizations lose the ability to prioritize effectively, and decision-making becomes reactive rather than intentional.

As nonprofits move deeper into 2026, it’s time to leave behind crisis-driven fundraising and urgency-based decision-making. Clear goals, prioritized donor pipelines, and regular progress reviews allow leaders to identify challenges early and course-correct before small issues become major problems. Replacing reaction with discipline and data-informed strategy creates space to focus on what truly advances the mission.

Choosing Comfort Over Discipline

Familiar practices often feel safe. They are what boards expect, what staff know how to execute, and what organizations have always done; even when results have been inconsistent. In a sector that values responsiveness, compassion, and “doing whatever it takes,” it can be tempting to default to comfort rather than challenge.

But comfort does not strengthen fundraising. Discipline does.

Choosing discipline means being willing to ask hard questions: Which efforts are actually advancing the mission? Where are resources being spread too thin? What activities continue because they are familiar, not because they are effective?

For many nonprofits, this means simplifying fundraising efforts rather than expanding them, setting clear expectations rather than avoiding difficult conversations, and focusing on fewer priorities with greater depth. It also means resisting the urge to react to every request, opportunity, or short-term pressure without first assessing alignment and impact.

As nonprofits move into 2026, the strongest organizations will be those willing to lead with intention instead of habit. They will focus their energy where it matters most, align leadership and boards around shared accountability, and leave behind fundraising practices that feel safe but aren’t positively impacting the bottom line.

If your organization is entering 2026 and ready to rethink its fundraising approach, Detroit Philanthropy can help. We partner with nonprofit leaders and boards to identify what is holding progress back, clarify priorities, and build fundraising strategies grounded in strong relationships, clear accountability, and long-term sustainability.

The start of the year is not about doing more. It’s about doing what matters and having the courage to leave the rest behind.

About Rachel M. Decker

Having spent nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector as an effective and strategic fundraising and foundation executive, Detroit Philanthropy Founder and President, Rachel Decker is passionate about helping others, making meaningful connections, solving problems and, most importantly, creating impact in our community. With the founding of Detroit Philanthropy, she turned that passion into a commitment to champion philanthropy throughout metro Detroit as a fundraising consultant, philanthropic advisor, and public speaker. Learn more about her work at www.DetroitPhilanthropy.com