“Tis the season…for bottlenecks and backlogs in our processes. Fundraising operations requires consistent, efficient processes. But, fundraising is an inconsistent business. We are in the business of the exceptional, as was the focus of my 99-1 blog a few months back.

As we approach year-end with (hopefully!!) piles and piles of gifts to process, let’s remember four essential ideas:

1. The purpose of gift processing is first and foremost stewardship.
2. The reason we (should) love fundraising is because our teamwork can generate a sometimes overwhelming volume of gifts.
3. Our business process should be efficient ( doing “the thing right”) and effective (doing “the right thing”).
4. We must adopt a front-of-the-line approach to ensure that our most cherished donors receive the level of stewardship they deserve for their role in our 2012 success.

Having your team abide by these four essential ideas will ensure that we don’s lose track of why we’re so busy in the first place. Good luck!