How to Maintain Momentum During Long Fundraising Campaigns

Long fundraising campaigns offer immense potential, but they can also present challenges as your supporters’ initial enthusiasm wanes. For nonprofits launching extended initiatives—whether seasonal, multi-month, or ongoing—sustaining energy and participation is crucial to hitting your goals. This post explores practical, low-lift ways to keep your supporters engaged, energized, and inspired through every phase of your campaign.

Plan Ahead to Sustain Momentum

Building momentum shouldn’t be a mid-campaign task. By developing a campaign strategy that keeps supporters engaged from the beginning, you can set your fundraising push up for continued success. To sustain momentum, incorporate the following tips into your plan:

• Involve various stakeholders. Before your campaign starts, check in with your board members, donors, and other community members to ensure that your plans align with their vision for your organization. For example, a school fundraiser should offer parents the opportunity to voice preferences for what type of campaign they will launch. Incorporating stakeholders' opinions will not only create a campaign that stakeholders want to support but also foster trust and goodwill, securing sustained support for your campaign in the long run. 
• Make SMART goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. By using the SMART goal framework, you’ll create realistic, actionable goals that challenge your team and encourage donors to lend their support. You can also create multiple time-bound goals throughout the campaign; perhaps you want to raise $2,000 in the first four weeks of your campaign to be on track for your $6,000 goal three months down the road.
• Map out your campaign’s arc. When it comes to long campaigns, sometimes slow and steady wins the race. Spread out your most exciting engagement pushes to prevent burnout and keep energy flowing throughout your campaign. However, don’t be afraid to build in some flexibility so you can adjust plans based on engagement trends.

Planning ahead ensures your campaign doesn’t run out of steam halfway through. Involving your whole team in every step of the process gives donors, staff, and volunteers alike a clear vision for your organization's future and inspires excitement for the benefits your campaign will bring.

Break It Into Mini-Campaigns

To prevent donor fatigue, transform your campaign into a series of smaller, themed sprints. This strategy allows supporters to engage in manageable chunks and gives you multiple opportunities to renew enthusiasm for your cause. Consider using one or more of these strategies to split up your campaign:

• Create “focus weeks.” These short campaign bursts target specific audiences or goals. For example, let’s say you run a church youth group that is fundraising to send your kids on a confirmation trip. You could dedicate one week to fundraising among parents and another week to contacting former members.
• Incorporate seasonal elements. Take advantage of seasonal giving by adding a thematic component to smaller fundraising pushes to build excitement among your team and supporters. To use the theater group example, perhaps you have your students hold a caroling event to raise money in December or a costumed carpool drive on your show’s opening night. 
• Introduce new fundraising ideas consistently. Try revitalizing your campaign by offering fresh fundraising products or incentives at key points. Perhaps you start by hosting a popcorn fundraiser, but you later pivot to selling cookie dough or flower bulbs. Switching up your approach to fundraising will make your campaign feel less repetitive and boost your revenue.

Don’t be afraid to let your creativity shine during a long campaign. Let your imagination guide your fundraising efforts, and you’ll find that your team’s enthusiasm and your revenue skyrocket.

Re-energizing Your Campaign Midway

Even when you plan ahead and strategically break up your campaign, energy lulls can still drag you down. Your supporters can’t operate at 100% energy 100% of the time, but a smart fundraising leader knows how to revitalize their campaign.

Consider these energy-boosting strategies when you hit a snag in your campaign:

• Try a new communication channel. Allegiance Group’s guide to multichannel fundraising suggests using all of the channels at your disposal to create more touchpoints, increase engagement, and practice nonprofit storytelling. If you’ve been overreliant on one channel, introduce variety. Try sending a personal video message from a beneficiary, hosting an Instagram Live Q&A, or sending personalized postcards. A new format can spark renewed interest and remind supporters why the campaign matters.
• Host a midpoint rally event. Midway through the campaign is the perfect time to stage a virtual or in-person rally. Even low-key events like a donor appreciation happy hour can be enough to give donors a low-stress way to reengage with your organization.
• Set a new challenge or goal. Create a mini-milestone that feels fresh and achievable. For instance, challenge donors to fund a specific project within a week or to unlock a match by reaching a certain goal within the week. Bite-sized, time-bound goals give supporters a renewed sense of urgency and accomplishment.

Going into your campaign with the knowledge that there will be moments when progress stalls or enthusiasm dwindles helps you prepare to overcome these challenges. Keep a few ideas for rejuvenating your campaign in your back pocket, and don’t be afraid to get creative!

Celebrate Milestones Publicly

Acknowledging your wins keeps motivation high. Whether your goal is dollar-based or participation-driven, celebrating progress gives your audience hope and promotes further engagement. Try using one of these methods to inspire your team:

• Use visuals. It helps to know exactly how much progress your team has made towards achieving your goals. ABC Fundraising’s guide to church fundraisers recommends using a fundraising thermometer because it “[lets] your members see just how much further you have to go to reach your fundraising goals and how much you’ve raised to date.” This type of visual acknowledges your wins while also inspiring supporters to help you reach the next benchmark. Share your fundraising thermometer on your website, campaign page, and social media.
• Give shoutouts to fundraising participants. If you’re running a peer-to-peer campaign or another initiative that actively involves constituents in the fundraising process, celebrate your top-earning volunteers or teams to show gratitude for their hard work and create a healthy sense of competition among fundraisers. You can post your appreciation on your social media or provide prizes for the top performers.
• Share impact stories. As you reach certain benchmarks, help donors understand exactly what those numbers mean. For example, if you run a youth basketball team raising money to purchase new equipment, you might say, “Thanks to donors’ generosity, we’ve hit 50% of our goal, enabling us to purchase one new basketball hoop and four new balls for our team.”

Taking a moment to pat yourself (and your supporters) on the back can pay off in the long term by keeping spirits high and motivating your fundraisers to reach your next goal. Remember to highlight participation, not just revenue, to celebrate supporters’ enthusiasm, no matter the outcome.

Long campaigns don’t have to be long slogs. With the right pacing, variety, and progress celebration, your nonprofit can maintain momentum and ensure your revenue gets a second (or third!) wind, no matter how long your campaign lasts. And remember: when your team’s internal energy is high, that enthusiasm will transfer to your supporters, so take care of yourself and reward your fundraisers consistently to keep spirits high at every level.

Author Bio

Debbie Salat is the director of fundraising activities and product development at ABC Fundraising®. Debbie joined ABC Fundraising® in 2010 and has helped launch over 6,500 ^fundraising campaigns for schools, churches, youth sports teams, and nonprofit organizations all across the USA. With over 20 years of fundraising experience, Debbie knows the path to success for fundraisers, which she shares with groups on a daily basis so they can achieve their fundraising goals.