Ops Insights #079 Goal Setting for Development Ops
December 8, 2025 | Read Time: 2 minutes | Written by Jenny Kleintop
As our current year comes to a close and goals for the new year are set, it’s important to participate in goal-setting actively. Often, many think it’s hard or even impossible to set goals because we are not frontline fundraisers with a dollar goal. However, that’s not the case.
At the most successful places I’ve been, development operations have had both financial goals and individual goals. The financial goal is tied to the team's overall goal of raising a specific dollar amount in the fiscal year. Where the individual goals are tied to leading and improving the development operations area, as this area affects all areas of fundraising, it’s vital to keep improving and evolving data, tech, and workflows.
Below is a real-life example of goals I help set for development operations at one nonprofit.
Objective #1: Lead on rolling out 3 tech/system enhancements to support our team in fundraising efforts.
Goal #1: Lead on rolling out new online fundraising platforms to strengthen our online fundraising efforts.
Goal #2: Lead on setting up reconciliation processes between the finance system and CRM Database to allow us to accurately track and report our numbers.
Goal #3: Roll-out CRM Database reporting to have transparency on progress, as well as what's in our pipeline.
Objective #2: Identify and complete 3 CRM Database data integrity projects to strengthen our data for stronger outreach and communication with donors and prospects.
Objective #3: Led on strengthening our gift processing, acknowledgement, and stewardship processes to thank donors efficiently and personally.
Goal #1: Lead on ensuring our gift entry turnaround time is improved.
For offline gifts: The average number of business days from donation receipt to gift entry in the CRM Database. Aim for 90% of gifts entered within 2 business days.
For online gifts: The average number of business days from donation receipt to gift transfer into the CRM Database. Aim for 90% of gifts transferred within 3 business days.
Goal #2: Lead on ensuring our acknowledgement turnaround time is solid.
The average number of days from gift entry to acknowledgment letter/email sent is within 1-2 business days. Aim for 95% within 2 business days.
Goal #3: Lead on the stewardship process enhancements to strengthen the relationship with donors.
Identify 4 ways to strengthen these stewardship efforts.
Take Action
It’s your turn. Take the following 3 steps to ensure you have goals for development operations.
1 ➡ Take notice of any goals you are actively aiming for, whether officially in performance measures or not.
2 ➡ Review to ensure there is a quantitative component whenever possible, and not only qualitative.
3 ➡ Put tracking and reporting in place to share progress quarterly, mid-year, and end-of-year with leaders and the rest of the team.
You’ve got this!
👋 See you next time,
Jenny
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