Fundraising has always been demanding. But lately, it feels like the job itself has changed.
Today, fundraisers are busy running multichannel campaigns, interpreting disconnected data, managing tech stacks, writing copy, segmenting audiences, and building reports… all at the same time. The expectations have exploded.
Even small, “simple” campaigns now require 30+ hours of work, multiple tools, dozens of assets, and constant syncing just to execute. It’s not your strategy that’s broken, it’s the infrastructure holding it up.
So why does it feel like so much, and what exactly are the best teams doing differently behind the scenes to stay ahead?
Let’s unpack what’s driving the exhaustion and what smart teams are changing to work better, not just harder.
The Real Problem: Modern Fundraising Is Designed for Burnout
In a recent Avid webinar, our VP of Training Nathan Hill mapped out what it actually takes to run a campaign in 2025. The math is brutal.
Even a basic two-week appeal now means:
- Five+ emails, often segmented across 3 audiences.
- Custom donation pages, banners, ads, and direct mail.
- Real-time updates to targeting and suppressions.
- SMS and voicemail drops synced to timing.
- A/B testing multiple variations.
- Creative approvals and copy rewrites.
- Multi-platform coordination and manual reporting.
And that’s before the next campaign starts.
The problem is that all the work lives in disconnected places. Lists live in one system. Behavior lives in another. Campaign logic lives in someone’s head. And the more tools you add, the harder it is to keep up.
We call it modern fundraising. But for many teams, it feels like building every campaign by hand with duct tape.
That’s exhausting and unsustainable.
Your Donor Journey Changed. But Your Workflows Didn’t
Nathan also made a simple but profound observation:
We’re still planning campaigns like a funnel exists. But donors don’t move in funnels anymore.
In the webinar, he shared the story of “Sarah”, a fictional donor whose journey looked nothing like the neat marketing funnels we were taught. Sarah didn’t go from awareness to action in a straight line. She signed a petition, saw a retargeting ad, got a postcard, clicked an email, ignored it, and only donated after a friend shared a campaign on LinkedIn.
It took six touchpoints across five channels to convert one donor. That’s not a funnel anymore, it’s a metro system! People jumping on and off different lines, moving in nonlinear ways, and needing continuity across every channel.
But most fundraising teams are still working like they’re planning for a single, linear journey and doing all the hard work to connect the dots manually.
The Real Cost Is Lost Momentum
When fundraisers spend their time:
- Updating suppression lists manually.
- Copy-pasting creative between tools.
- Pulling data instead of acting on it.
- Rebuilding campaigns from scratch.
- Scrambling to interpret dashboards.
- Chasing approval on three email versions…
…they’re not doing what they were hired to do: build relationships, craft strategy, and inspire generosity.
This is the hidden cost of modern fundraising. Not just burnout, but lost momentum. Lost innovation. Lost purpose.
Eventually, the best people leave, and not because they don’t care, but because the system makes caring unsustainable.
So What Are High-Performing Fundraising Teams Doing Differently?
Top teams aren’t immune to the pressure. They’re not superhuman or running fewer campaigns. They’ve just changed how they work behind the scenes.
Here’s what’s different:
1. They Don’t Build From Scratch Every Time
Instead of starting every campaign from a blank doc, they use systems that embed proven logic.
- Pre-built segment rules.
- Dynamic campaign templates.
- Suppressions that update automatically.
- Smart defaults that don’t need reinventing.
This approach reduces friction and helps fundraisers spend less time building and more time optimizing.
2. They Sync Data Once and Let the System Handle the Rest
Top teams no longer export lists, dedupe records, or chase down updates. Their system handles that for them every night, automatically.
That means:
- Every tool sees the same data.
- Suppression logic stays accurate.
- Audiences stay fresh.
- Retargeting flows keep working.
They’re not faster because they hustle harder. They’re faster because their system doesn’t stall.
3. They Use AI to Prioritize, Not Just Personalize
The value of generative AI is in helping teams know what to do next.
High-performing teams use AI to:
- Surface churn risk based on behavior.
- Spot re-engagement signals in time.
- Flag upgrade opportunities automatically.
- Rank segments by urgency and value.
This turns noise into direction so every action counts.
The problem is that most teams aren’t sure where to start with AI, and the tools they try often don’t know what’s actually working
4. They Build for the Journey They Actually See
Rather than plan campaigns around a funnel that doesn’t exist, they accept the chaos and design for it.
They use systems that:
- Track donors across every channel.
- Respond to behavior in real-time.
- Orchestrate campaigns that adapt mid-flight.
Donors don’t follow a path. Systems should.
The Answer Isn’t Another Tool. It’s Fixing the System Behind the Scenes
High-performing teams haven’t solved complexity by working harder. And they haven’t stitched together more tools hoping they’ll play nice.
What they’ve done is simpler: they’ve adopted a system that connects the dots for them.
Not a tech stack or another dashboard. A system that makes their tools smarter, their data actionable, and their execution automatic.
That’s what Avid was built to do.
How Avid Turns Burnout Into Bandwidth
Avid isn’t another dashboard or another CRM solution.
It’s a Fundraising Intelligence System designed to reduce manual work, surface opportunities, and drive execution in real time.
Here’s how:
- Unified Signals: Avid connects your CRM, email, ad platforms, donation forms, and more—into a real-time donor profile.
- Built-In Intelligence: It shows you who’s drifting, warming, or ready to act—so you stop guessing.
- Execution Sync: Avid keeps your segments, suppressions, and campaigns updated across platforms automatically.
- Embedded Strategy: It comes with proven logic baked in—so you don’t have to reinvent anything.
Avid helps you act faster, with more clarity, and with less work. That’s why it powers some of the most effective fundraising teams in the world.
Fundraising Doesn’t Have to Feel This Hard. You Need a New Way to Work!
The expectations placed on fundraisers are real. But burnout isn’t inevitable. And fundraising doesn’t have to feel this hard.
You don’t need more hours in the day, you need a system that works behind the scenes to give your time back.
👉 Book a demo of Avid and see what it looks like when your team finally works the way today’s donors actually behave.
