Setting Fundraising Goals? The Fundraiser’s Roadmap

If setting fundraising goals gives you a headache, this episode of Fundraisers Friday is the relief you didn’t know you needed. Our cohosts unpack the complexities of data-informed goal setting with a mix of practicality, good humor, and insight born from the frontlines of nonprofit leadership.

Right from the start, Tony Beall shares his signature "Magic 3" approach: “Three years of past performance is the sweet spot. Go further back, and the trends get stale.” It's not about choosing arbitrary numbers or crossing fingers for a miracle. It's about examining actual fundraising performance across all your revenue channels—events, major gifts, recurring donations—and understanding what those data points mean for the future.

“Don’t just pick a number and yell ‘Bingo!’” Tony quips, debunking the idea that fundraising targets are about gut feelings or guesswork. Instead, he offers a framework where budget goals are built from pipeline reality, retention rates, and channel-specific growth capacity.

Julia Patrick adds, “A lot of boards still think in binary—hit the number, you're a hero; miss it, you’re out. But it's so much more layered than that.” The two discuss how capacity building (staffing, tech, infrastructure) is too often overlooked in budgeting—even though it's the engine that powers results.

The show also digs into predictive metrics, the future of AI tools in analysis, and the shifting cultural values around growth for growth’s sake—and packed with actionable advice, real-world insight, and a fresh reminder that data isn’t dry—it’s your path to smarter, saner fundraising.

00:00:00 Welcome

 00:01:31 Why fundraising goals cause stress

 00:02:10 The “Magic 3” years: smarter goal planning

 00:04:22 Breaking fundraising into revenue lanes

 00:06:28 Identifying and solving fundraising gaps

 00:08:48 The post-pandemic data reset

 00:13:55 Capacity building vs program growth

 00:22:01 Boards, ambition, and goal realism

 #DataDrivenFundraising #NonprofitGoals #CapacityBuilding

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