Every year, we treat January 1 as if it owns the idea of a new beginning. New year, new you. Resolutions. A clean slate.

But September has always seemed to me the more natural time to begin again.

As the screen door of summer slams shut, we are catapulted into a new school year. There are new clothes, backpacks and supplies, accompanied by a particular kind of anticipation. The mornings grow cooler. The evenings begin earlier. The air smells different, and the first leaves start to turn.

Rest is not something we earn after exhausting ourselves; it is a practice that creates space for perspective, creativity, and renewal.

Successful fundraising lies in bringing people together, not just moving them through a pipeline.

If retention is slipping, it may not be a strategy issue. It may be a hospitality issue.

Because even fundraisers need a little sparkle—here’s your lighthearted guide to wrapping up the year with impact.

A gift doesn’t end with a check. In many ways, it begins there.

Fundraising often gets compared to sales—and sometimes even dismissed as “icky.”

A successful fundraising program is like baking a great cake—every layer matters.