To quote David Byrne of the Talking Heads in the song Once in Lifetime…
”And you may ask yourself, ‘Well, how did I get here?’"
Seriously, how is it year-end? How did we cruise through summer, fly through autumn and accelerate through December? The new year starts…this week 😧
It’s been an ‘interesting’ 2025. I’d need to take about 5 issues of this newsletter to recap. So instead, we’ll move forward. Because now more than ever I believe that nonprofits are the key to so many important things in society.
But…I don’t want to overwhelm you all. Not after what you’ve been through. Not during your rest, recover and reset time. So, we’re gonna start small. Baby steps that can help you get started in the new year.
Because sometimes innovation doesn’t start with a leap - it starts with a nudge.
If you know you need some new approaches, but you, your leadership or your team is nervous about changing things up, this issue is for you. Below are six real-world, low-risk experiments that can help you improve results, engage supporters differently, or test a hunch, without overhauling your whole approach.
1. The Subject Line Split Test
Why: Email open rates can vary dramatically based on subject line tone, personalization, and urgency.
Try This: Test two types - one that’s curiosity-driven, one that’s straightforward and specific.
Example:
“A Small Gift Can Do This…”
“What $15 Did for Juanita Last Week”
→ Run this in your next campaign to see which tone your audience responds to.
(In my days overseeing marketing in my corporate life, I was a huge A/B testing nerd. I loved brainstorming with my team on different subject lines, alternate messaging, varied images…to see which resonated most with our audience. We made it a game, and it helped drive connections.)
2. Micro-Survey on Your Thank You Page
Why: You already have their attention, so use it!
Try This: After a donation or volunteer sign-up, ask one 1-click question:
“What inspired your gift today?”
Offer 3-4 short options. Use the answers to improve your messaging.
Not only does this bring you valuable information, it fosters a sense of inclusion. Donors and volunteers will feel seen, heard, and valued.
3. One-Week, One-Donor Spotlight on LinkedIn
Why: Stories drive action, but stories shared across your staff’s LinkedIn feeds build trust and credibility.
Try This: Feature one donor for 5 days in different formats (quote graphic, short video, mission impact, etc.)
→ Tag their company if appropriate.
People like to be recognized. And prospective donors, while they love to hear stories about your mission, impact and the communities served, also want validation that people like them are realizing their goals through your organization. This helps with that.
4. Alternative CTA Test
Why: “Donate now” fatigue is real.
Try This: Replace with something fresh:
“See the difference your gift makes”
“Be part of what’s next”
Track conversion rate differences across emails or pages.
I published a whole Fuel Tank on this a few weeks ago. Have some fun with it. See what works and what doesn’t. Experimentation on a small scale is one of the simplest and low-risk ways of finding out how to drive more action.
5. First-Time Donor Welcome Test
Why: Most first-time donors don’t give again.
Try This: Split test two different welcome sequences:
One with just a receipt + thank you
One with a 3-touch drip: intro to the org, story of impact, and invitation to stay connected
→ See which group stays more engaged after 30 days.
Sure, we read all time about the need for stewardship, going beyond thank-you, etc. It makes all the sense in the world. But…have you tested it? See what happens.
6. Monthly Giving Nudge
Why: Monthly donors are more loyal, but few are directly invited.
Try This: Pick a segment of recent one-time donors. Test two messages:
A soft upgrade ask (“Would you consider becoming a monthly partner?”)
A benefit-framed ask (“Here’s what monthly donors unlock”)
Track uptake and cost per monthly acquisition.
It can’t just be something they see on your website or in your newsletter. The invitation has to be personal an directed to them. People want to feel special. Find out what does that for them.
It’s Gonna Be OK - Here’s Proof
NYC, at the start of the holiday decoration season (sometimes you just have to experiment and take your shot)
Inside the Traditions (New Year’s Edition)
Surveys in the US regularly find that around 40–45% of adults say they make New Year’s resolutions, yet only about 8–10% report fully succeeding, which makes January a statistically overconfident month.
In Spain and parts of Latin America, the classic “12 grapes at midnight” tradition means that at the stroke of midnight people are trying to cram one grape per chime, so the success rate is basically “how fast can you chew under pressure.”
Some Swiss families mark the New Year by deliberately plopping ice cream on the floor for good luck, which has to make January 1 the worst day of the year to be a Roomba.
The Times Square ball started at about 700 pounds in 1907 and has evolved into a 12‑foot, nearly 12,000‑pound crystal sphere today, all to move exactly 141 feet once a year while the world counts backwards from ten.
Dozens of US towns now “drop” on‑brand objects at midnight: a giant pickle in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania; a wrench in Mechanicsburg; and a drag queen named Sushi descending in a giant high heel in Key West, turning New Year’s into the Olympic finals of local branding.
In Denmark, people smash plates on friends’ doorsteps; waking up to a big pile of broken crockery statistically correlates with being both popular and in desperate need of a broom.
Ecuadorians build life‑size effigies of the old year (often politicians or celebrities) and then burn them at midnight, so the “number of slightly creepy dummies set on fire per capita” spikes dramatically every December 31.
Testing doesn’t have to be scary, or require buy-in for a full-blown campaign change.
Sometimes the best way to earn trust in a new idea... is to quietly prove it works.
Wishing all of you a safe, healthy and happy New Year and nothing but good things in 2026!
Dan
P.S. Need help in the new year? We should catch up in January.
