When Year-End Stress Hits Harder Than Ever

It’s no secret that year-end is one of the busiest and most important times of the year for nonprofits. November and December bring a flurry of donations, demanding deadlines, and high expectations for fundraising teams.

Yet, for many of us, this time also comes with a sense of weariness. We’re pulled in countless directions—professionally and personally—creating a “hamster wheel” effect that feels inescapable. It’s a season of conflicting demands: pushing hard to hit those all-important targets while longing for a chance to log off and recharge.

I know this tension all too well, and this combination of stress and demands can trigger a wake-up call.

A Year-End Wake-Up Call

For me, that moment came like difficult moments often do—when we least expect it and have the least amount of time to deal with the consequences. 

As a fundraiser, this season has always been a special time for me, full of holiday gatherings, reconnecting with friends, and on a professional level, helping others realize a vision for their own philanthropy. 

My particular story unfolded in the era before smartphones, apps, and instant ways to give. Many of us made personal visits to donors at their homes or offices to pick up checks that needed to be receipted before the end of the year. 

On this particular New Year’s Eve, I headed out to pick up donor checks and deliver them to our team for processing. Just as I stopped at a red light, I felt a searing pain between my eyes. It was at least an 8 on a scale of 10, and it immediately got my attention.

Of course, the non-self-aware, younger version of myself continued on her mission to collect checks and ensure year-end credit. A few stoplights later, the pain jumped from its original point to the arch of my right eyebrow. It felt like someone lit my face on fire.

The immediate thought that ran through my head was, “Oh Lord! I have shingles and they are on my face!” Having a family history of this disease, I knew what it meant and exactly what had caused it—extremely high levels of unmanaged STRESS.

That was my wake-up call—the moment I knew everything had to change!

Balancing Time Off with Year-End Demands

But change isn’t easy. And for me, learning new routines to prioritize my health and well-being alongside a successful fundraising career was a journey that lasted many years.



That’s why I’m sharing this story. This time of year creates a challenging tension for fundraising teams: the urgency of year-end giving versus the need to rest, recharge, spend time with family, and indulge in a little holiday cheer.

What You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Team

As leaders, we have a unique opportunity to support our teams in navigating this season. December already is in full swing, but there are still ways to effectively ease your team’s burden during the year-end rush. 

• Focus on Year-End Giving: Keep your team’s attention on donor-related activities. Avoid flooding their inboxes with internal updates or tasks that can wait until January. The goal should be to create space for them to concentrate on the most important work: securing donations and stewarding relationships.

• Empower Your Team to Support One Another: Share in the responsibility of office coverage or manning the phones. Coordinate schedules so that each individual can have some downtime. If you are a department of one or part of the gift processing team whose work is time sensitive, make sure you have a few days in early January to be out of the office and recharge.

• Mandate the Use of Strategic Out-of-Office Messages: Provide a template for your team to set expectations with donors, colleagues, and stakeholders and insist that it be mandatory. For example:

"Thank you for your email. If you are looking for ways to support [name of your charity] during this season of giving you can do so on our website at [your website here]. If you need assistance making your gift or have a matter that won’t wait until we return on January 2, please reach out to [name] at [phone number] In the meantime we wish you a Happy Holiday and a joyful New Year! "

This approach protects your team’s time and ensures they can focus on the most critical tasks without feeling overwhelmed and maybe even enjoy a bit of R&R this year.

Start Planning Now for Next Year

As we push through December and prepare for the new year, I encourage you to start thinking about how you can set your team up for even greater success during the next holiday season. Here are some strategies to consider:

• Plan Vacations in Advance: Encourage your team to map out their time off months ahead of year-end, ensuring coverage and minimizing disruptions. Clear communication with colleagues and donors helps reduce stress as the holidays approach.

• Leverage Automation and Technology: Invest in tools like CRMs, AI, and email automation to streamline donor outreach, follow-ups, and reporting. This allows your team to focus on relationship-building rather than administrative tasks during the busiest time of the year.

• Establish Realistic Boundaries: Create a culture where team members feel empowered to set limits and focus on the most impactful activities. Encourage the use of mobile tools for staying connected when necessary, but emphasize the importance of genuine time off whenever possible.

By demonstrating that we are committed to reducing stress and fostering sustainable well-being, I hope the next generation of fundraisers will not need the painful wake-up call that I did.

Stay Tuned

When organizations prioritize their teams’ well-being, they’re not just being “nice.” They’re strengthening their ability to cultivate donor relationships and drive mission impact. A thriving team leads to committed donors who understand the impact of their donations and want to do more.

This blog signals the start of many more to come. I am as passionate about philanthropy as I am concerned for its future. The talent shortages, open vacancies, and shocking rates of burnout are undermining our ability to propel our missions forward.

In upcoming posts, I’ll explore organizational changes that contribute to healthy, engaged non-profit teams and sustainable philanthropy. Together, we can create a nonprofit culture where our people feel supported, donors stay engaged, and missions reach their full potential.