Simple Ways to Use Your Donating Software Better
When we think about keeping donor connections strong, having the right tools helps. Donating software gives us structure, keeps information in one spot, and helps us track who’s giving, when, and why. But tools don’t do the work for us. It’s how we use them that makes the difference.
As we settle into February, it’s a good time to look at some simple ways our tools can work better for us. We’re past the rush of year-end giving, but not yet into spring events. That pause gives us a chance to reset our rhythms. Below, we’re sharing ideas to help make everyday use of donating software easier and more effective during this quiet but important time of year.
Right after the holidays, things tend to slow down a bit, which makes this a great moment to clean up your donor list. Over time, contact info changes. Emails bounce. People move. If we don’t clear out old entries, we end up wasting time and messages go to the wrong place.
Use this calm stretch to comb through the list and archive people you haven’t heard from in a long while or whose information seems out of date. Then, try grouping your current contacts into smaller categories based on their giving habits or how often they’ve interacted. Maybe one group gave during Giving Tuesday, while another responds more during spring drives. This small step makes it easier to send notes that feel personal without having to write each one by hand.
Admire's platform supports easy list management with built-in filters, custom groups, and smart tagging, allowing teams to quickly clean up and segment contacts for tailored outreach or reporting anytime.
You don’t have to fix everything in one pass. Try working on one small section of your list each week, or one group of donors at a time. It adds up quickly and leaves you with a contact list that’s more up to date and useful.
One of the biggest challenges during busy seasons is trying to connect with everyone all at once. By using scheduled messages, we can get ahead of that rush and still keep things feeling timely and thoughtful.
Our donating software makes it easy to write messages in advance and choose when they go out. In February, one simple idea is to schedule short thank-you notes or love-themed updates around Valentine’s Day. In March, we can shift toward spring planning. These small nudges let people know we’re thinking of them, even during quieter periods.
With scheduling tools, we don’t have to scramble. We know what’s going out, when it’s going out, and to whom. That structure can bring a lot of calm to our week, especially when things pick back up.
Admire's messaging features include email and SMS scheduling, automatic acknowledgment of gifts, and integrated reminder tools for important dates, ensuring your communication reaches donors at the right moment.
It’s easy to forget tiny details about someone’s past gifts, or a casual comment they made at a walkathon, but those small memories help build trust. Keeping notes within our software helps us bring those details back when it matters.
If someone gave to a specific fund last spring, we can mention that kind of gift in our next message. If they came to an event, we can thank them personally for showing up. These aren't giant gestures, but they do help people feel seen.
Jotting things down right after calls, emails, or events makes this much easier. We’re not relying on memory, we’re building a habit of keeping the little things handy for later. That kind of attention helps our messages stand out from form letters or general updates.
Instead of trying to keep track of everything all at once, we try to build in 10 or 15 minutes each week to check our reports or review activities. Monthly rhythms help us stay grounded. They give our work a steady pace, and that can make a big difference over time.
• Scan your dashboard to see who’s giving and which messages are being opened
• Run a simple report that shows monthly giving totals or campaign updates
• Look for patterns in responses from donors or volunteers
Admire's dashboard and reporting tools let you run monthly and quarterly giving reports, filter results by date or campaign, and quickly see message read rates or recent donor activity from a single workspace.
By the end of the month, we’ve got clear notes on what’s working well and what might need a small change. This saves us from surprises when spring rolls around and our calendars start to fill up again.
When different people are managing donors, emails, or event invites, things can slip through. That’s why it helps to keep shared calendars, lists, or folders. Everyone sees what’s going on, what’s planned, and what’s already gone out.
We can use our donating software to do this in a way that’s simple and doesn’t take extra tools or apps. If someone schedules a campaign message, the date is there for everyone to see. If someone’s calling donors after a big fundraiser, they can make a note so we don’t double up.
• Use one shared campaign tracker, so no tasks are missed
• Keep contact lists stored in the same place, so updates carry over
• Create reminders for seasonal messages, like spring giving or back-to-school prep
Even when things are slow, keeping habits like these in place makes it easier to respond quickly later without missing a step.
Admire provides shared team access, centralized campaign tracking, and cloud-based contact management, so updates and reminders are visible for all staff and volunteers.
You don’t always need new tools. Sometimes we just need to look at what’s already there and make small improvements to how we’re using it. Even the most basic features, scheduled messages, giving reports, contact notes, can help keep our work steady and our outreach smooth.
We’ve found that our software fits best when it works around our own rhythm, not the other way around. Whether that’s sending five notes a week or checking in once a month, there’s no perfect pace. The best system is the one that we can stick with and feel good about using. Momentum is easier to keep when the tools feel like part of the flow, not extra work.
By paying attention to the slower parts of the year like February, we give ourselves more time to breathe and build systems that last. Small changes, steady habits, and clear communication go a long way when everything else speeds up again. We don’t have to do it all at once. We just have to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
Keeping donor outreach consistent during the slower season is easier with the right tools. At Admire, we simplify the process by focusing on clear communication, timely touchpoints, and sustainable habits that support your team. For schools and nonprofits, the best fit in donating software helps everything else fall into place naturally. We care about building systems that work with your real-world schedule, so reach out to us with questions or to discuss how to get started.
Get articles, tips, and insights on nonprofit management straight to your inbox.
