Now, I know we did our mid-year check-up a couple of weeks back. In episode 16, we talked all about what we’ve done well this year and how to check in with our annual goals. (If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, check it out).

Today, I’m going to flip “annual goal-setting” on its head.

Let’s dial things back a little bit. Annual goals are important because they give you the vision you need to help you stay focused. But if you’re not breaking your annual goals into smaller pieces, you’re not going to make as much progress as you envisioned.

So what’s an executive director to do??? Focus on 90-day goals instead.

Why are 90-day goals more effective than annual goals?

The bottom line: PLANS CHANGE. Even if you have tunnel vision on your goals, you can’t know what’s coming around the bend. Your headlights only show a few feet in front of you. Things will be different 12 months, 9 months, and even 6 months from now.

Think about it: imagine if you started planning for July 2021 in July 2020. (HA funny jokes...). There’s just no freaking way. We lived in a completely different world back then. Of course, we hope every year won’t be as drastically different as 2020 was…But the reality is: in any given year, priorities and plans CHANGE.

Your board members change
The needs of your beneficiaries change
Your staffing and volunteers change

Change is a part of it all. So why plan for a year from now, when none of us really knows what a year from now will bring? Why plan out 12 months when 12 weeks is so much closer? With 90-day goals, you can make steady adjustments, take action week-by-week, and focus on working towards those smaller outcomes.

90-days will be here soon

Take out your calendar and skip ahead to three months from now. How does that feel? (Yeesh). While I’m writing this, we’re already three months away from October. I’m sorry... WHAT!? Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Halloweentown? I know, I know. The sun is JUST starting to shine and bring all the glory of summer. How can this be?

Well, it’s happening. Whether we like it or not, three months will whizz right on by. And in the nonprofit world, being three months from October means we’re three months away from the End of Year bustle. That means, in the next three months, you might:

Draft your appeal letter
Plan your year-end campaign
Figure out printing and sending your letters
Run another virtual event or two

Oh gosh. The list goes on. AND ON. It’s like every task uncovers ANOTHER task. So let’s take a collective breath together. You’re going to get through this; just take things one step at a time.

How to set 90-day goals

1. Choose your categories.

Here are a few areas to get you started. You might focus on:

Marketing - getting your message out there
Communications - staying connected with your existing audience
Stewardship - strengthening relationships with donors + making the ask
Sustainability - Growing your team (board, volunteers, contractors, staff)

2. Start from the end.

With those categories in mind— where do you want to be 90 days from now? What’s your three-month vision for your nonprofit?

Maybe you want to build connections with first-time donors. (So three months from now, you’ll need to have your automated welcome series set up and ready to go). Or, maybe you want a well-oiled content creation MACHINE. (You’ll need to set aside time to create and schedule that content).

Start from where you want to be. Then work your way backward from here.

3. Figure out the “how”

Once you know what your ideal outcomes are, figure out the steps it’ll take to get there. Sometimes it helps to focus on 2-3 week increments:

Within two weeks, I will [blank].

Within three weeks, I will [blank].

Here’s an example: Let’s say you want to plan one virtual event within the next 90 days. Even when it’s not in-person, events take a lot of planning. The earlier you start, the better:

In the next two weeks, I will: reach out to our network to find a speaker.
In the next three weeks, I will: set up a call to connect with possible speakers.

See what I mean? “Host an event” will forever stay on your wish list if you don’t take time to set some deadlines and get it done.

4. Review and repeat

Set an hour at the end of each month to review your progress and adjust your to-do list as needed. If you don’t, it’ll be seven months from now before you know it.

Wrap up: Keep your head down

Ever find yourself spending more time setting goals than actually getting the work done? Try not to dive too deep into the planning weeds. Keep focused on your work and get MOVING on those goals.

Why you need 90-day goals for your nonprofit