The Best Planner for Fundraisers & Summer Strategy Tips for Donor Engagement

Summer might feel like a slower season for fundraising, but it’s actually one of the best times to reconnect with your donors, strengthen stewardship, and prepare for your next big campaign season. 

For those of you looking to get a fresh start this summer, I designed a digital planner just for Executive Directors, Development Directors, nonprofit fundraisers, and marketers. It’s the planner I dreamed of having back when I was a solo ED.

It’s called the Fundraising Focus Digital Planner, and it’s part calendar, part project manager.

Whether your fiscal year starts July 1 or you're simply ready for a fresh start, my Digital Planner will help you make the most of these next few months.

Use it on your tablet, laptop, or phone with apps like Goodnotes, Notability, CollaNote, and Penly. It’s built to give you that paper planner feel, but it’s digital, and has the ease of the undo button.

If you're looking to raise more by year-end, now’s the time to plant the seeds. Now, let’s dive into how to set yourself up for success for the rest of the year.

 

1. Start with Your Monthly Calendar

Kick off your summer planning by opening the July Monthly Calendar Page in the Fundraising Focus Planner. This spread helps you visualize donor engagement and map out key dates for the month ahead.

Here’s how to use it:

• List 10 donors you want to reach out to for personal engagement. Think coffee chats, donor tours, or warm check-ins.

• Schedule grant applications and reporting deadlines.

• Identify holidays or awareness days that offer a creative opportunity to connect with your audience.

• Add stewardship actions like wishing donors happy birthday and sending volunteer thank yous. 

Pro tip: Use 2 highlighters or pen colors, one for outreach actions (e.g., invitations, calls) and another for stewardship touches (e.g., thank yous, reports, updates).

 

2. Build a 6-Week Cultivation Plan

The 6-Week Sprint Pages in the planner are one of my favorite tools for turning strategy into consistent action. These spreads are ideal for laying out a mid-summer cultivation series that engages your donors without a hard ask.

Here’s a sample 6-week plan that you can adapt:

• Week 1: Schedule small donor tours or virtual walkthroughs.

• Week 2: Share a success story on social media and tag supporters.

• Week 3: Send a personalized thank-you or summer card to top donors and sponsors.

• Week 4: Host a casual roundtable, community chat, or impact Q&A (virtual or in-person).

• Week 5: Publish a Mid-Year Impact Report and email it to donors with a short thank-you message.

• Week 6: Follow up with individual donors who engaged during the series.

Pro tip: Stewardship doesn’t have to be expensive. Small, meaningful touches go a long way.

 

3. Plan Your Mid-Year Impact Report

Use this season to reflect on what you’ve accomplished so far, and share that progress with your supporters. In the Fundraising Focus Planner, the Graph Pages are perfect for sketching ideas and mapping out content for your Mid-Year Impact Report.

Here’s how to use them:

• Free-form draw a layout or a visual timeline of accomplishments.

• Brainstorm story leads and themes for the report.

• Outline sections like people served, partnerships formed, or goals met.

Pro tip: Use the Graph Page like a whiteboard. You can sketch out your data visuals, jot down story arcs, or block out your timeline before turning to your design software.

 

4. Turn Engagement Into Fall Readiness

Summer is a great time to warm up your audience for your fall fundraising campaigns. Whether you’re prepping for a peer-to-peer event, a gala, or a year-end appeal, everything you do this summer sets the tone.

With your Fundraising Focus Digital Planner, you can:

• Create a content plan that previews upcoming events with the 6-Week Monthly Planner Template.

• Identify donor segments to engage now for larger gifts later. Use the Segment Strategies Template to list key tactics for each group.

• Schedule 1:1 meetings with major donors in early August. Record takeaways from your 1:1 meetings using the Donor Contact Report Template so you can easily add those notes to your CRM later.

Pro tip: Don’t treat summer as a quiet season. Use it to deepen relationships so your fall campaigns are met with donors who are excited to give. To make planning even easier, use the 2025–2026 Calendar at a Glance Page to highlight your major fundraising campaigns and spot natural lulls for cultivation work.

With just a little summer prep now, you’ll set yourself up for a smoother and more successful fall fundraising season.

Why Summer Strategy is so Important

If you’ve been too busy to consistently steward your donors this year, summer is a gift. It gives you space to slow down, reset your strategy, and reconnect with the people who make your mission possible.

When you pair intention with structure (hello, planner pages!), you’ll see how just a few thoughtful actions can yield stronger results later this year.

Ready to Map Out Your Summer?

If you already have the Fundraising Focus Digital Planner, now’s the time to start planning the rest of your year. Your donors, and your future self, will thank you.

If you’re ready for a fresh start, the 2025–2026 Academic Year Edition is on sale now for just $37.

Get the Fundraising Focus Digital Planner here.

Don’t forget to tag @SproutFundraising in your planning photos. We love to see how you’re using the planner in real life!