How Top Performing Fundraisers Schedule Their Day (Hour by Hour)

As a fundraiser, your time is valuable and you need to make the most of it to achieve your goals. Top performing fundraisers know that scheduling their day hour by hour is key to success. We asked our top performing development professional clients and colleagues about their daily habits, non-negotiables, and breakdown of their work day, hour by hour, and we put together a sample schedule based on the common time blocks.

Keep in mind, this is not the one and only perfect schedule. Obviously, you should structure your day in a way that works for you, but this example hits some of the key elements for fundraisers wanting to optimize their work flow. We are also assuming you have a "normal" 8am to 5pm schedule, but feel free to adjust the times as appropriate too.

Now that we have that disclaimer out of the way, here is an hour-by-hour breakdown of how they structure their day to maximize productivity and achieve their fundraising targets...

8:00am-8:30/9:00am: Start with a positive mindset, make a plan (30 to 60 min)

The first hour of the day is crucial for setting the tone for the rest of your day. Top performers start their day by practicing gratitude, setting intentions, and reviewing their goals for the day. They may also use this time to meditate, do breath work or engage in other activities that help them feel energized and focused. The tendency is to dive right into answering emails, meetings, or deep work, but spending a little time up front preparing and "getting in the zone" can help set the tone and pay dividends later in the day.

9:00am-10:00am: Respond to emails and messages (60 min or less)

Once they’ve set a positive mindset, top performers dive into their inbox and respond to any urgent emails or messages. They prioritize their responses based on importance and urgency, and aim to clear their inbox as quickly as possible to free up their time for more important tasks. After clearing all the messages, close your email program so you don't get distracted. You'll have time to check it again later in the day.

10:00am-12:00pm: Focus on donor engagement (at least 2 hours)

Top performers know that building relationships with donors is key to successful fundraising. During this time, they make phone calls, send personal emails, and set up meetings with donors to learn more about their interests and connect with them on a personal level. This is the most important thing fundraisers can do to bring in revenue, so it should be an absolute non-negotiable, and should be early in the day.

12:00pm-1:00pm: Lunch and networking (1-2 hours)

Networking is an important part of fundraising, and top performers take advantage of their lunch break to connect with colleagues, attend networking events or have lunch meetings with potential donors. This can help build relationships and expand their network, which can lead to future fundraising opportunities. This doesn't mean every lunch is a business lunch or a donor ask, but if you are setting up meetings with donors and prospects, many of your lunches should be to ask for money one on one in person.

1:00pm-3:00pm: Work on moving along the campaign, take meetings, interface with volunteers, etc. (2 hours)

After lunch, top performers focus on the heart of their work - making progress on the campaign fundraising campaigns. This could be everything from required meetings, developing strategy, planning events, creating marketing materials, and following up with potential donors to secure donations. This is also a good time to collaborate with other team members as needed.

3:00pm-4:00pm: Administrative tasks, check messages/emails again (30-60 min)

Administrative tasks such as data entry, updating databases, and preparing reports are important but can be time-consuming. Top performers allocate an hour at the end of their day to complete these tasks, so they don't interfere with more important fundraising activities. Plus, this is the time of day our brains tend to work the slowest, so we save the repeated and mundane tasks for when we don't have to rely so much on critical thinking and creativity. Also, this is a great time for more emails! Twice a day is almost always plenty.

4:00pm-4:30/5:00pm: Reflection and planning (30-60 min)

At the end of the day, top performers take some time to reflect on their progress and plan for the next day. They review their accomplishments, evaluate their performance, and adjust their strategy for the next day based on their progress.

Scheduling your day as a fundraiser is key to maximizing productivity and achieving your fundraising goals. By starting with a positive mindset, prioritizing donor engagement, focusing on fundraising campaigns, and allocating time for administrative tasks, reflection and planning, you can ensure that your day is optimized for success!

Need more structure in your fundraising program? We'd love to chat to see if we can help optimize your program!