Fundraising Tactics to Navigate Risk in 2026

Kate Averett Anderson

Hey! ✋ Kate here from the Blackbaud Institute, checking in as we all dive into 2026. Last year, we asked your fundraising peers how they’re navigating risk, and here’s what stood out: 74% of nonprofits were branching out to new revenue streams, and more than half of proactive organizations (53%)—so those who are feeling confident about risk—were investing in better data to show the impact of their spending.

In this new year, I'm curious: how is your organization approaching revenue diversification and data-driven decision-making for 2026?​ What other tactics are you putting in place to navigate risks in the year ahead?

If you’re curious about more strategies that are working for nonprofits right now, check out the Blackbaud Institute’s report Risk Readiness: Leading with Confidence Through Uncertain Times.

Sara Niemiec

Hello, Kate! My team is looking into partnering with other units within my org and applying for grants, especially those which include AI. On my own, to navigate risk, I'm working on writing up a Policies & Procedures Manual for my role so that if something were to happen to me (illness, etc.) that another member of my team could continue to do my job with the same consistency, thus keeping the processes as uninterrupted as possible.

Kate Averett Anderson

https://community.blackbaud.com/discussion/comment/310276#Comment_310276

This is a great idea and huge props to you for prioritizing time for documentation and policies like this!