What do a 🐍 and a 🐎 have to do with fundraising?
Stay with me.
As we close out the year, we’re seeing patterns emerge from our 2025 fundraising work across nearly 20 organizations of different sizes, sectors, and stages—and they happen to mirror the Chinese zodiac calendar.
2025 was the Year of the Snake 🐍: a year of shedding what no longer served.
2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse 🐎: a year of moving with precision and momentum.
We’ve seen this shift show up clearly in our fundraising work.
2025 asked nonprofit organizations to shed.
2026 will ask them to move.
Below, we break down what we observed this year and how those lessons are shaping what comes next.
What We Observed in 2025
Across our client work this year, when fundraising slowed or stalled, the most common response was to add more:
❌ Another event
❌ Another new donor to chase
❌ Another cold ask
This increased donor activity—but not outcomes.
More effort was being applied to systems that weren’t built to support it.
What Actually Moved the Needle = Shedding Like a 🐍
In many cases, leaders were already pushing hard. The real gains came later, when the system itself had less friction.
Pressure applied to an under-built machine doesn’t increase output—it accelerates breakdown.
When teams simplified and clarified their fundraising systems, we consistently saw:
✅ Communication become consistent rather than sporadic
✅ Donor conversations become more intentional and human
✅ AI free up leadership time so relationships could actually deepen
✅ Funders feel more inspired—and give more
In one case, a client raised $300,000 in new commitments after simplifying their pipeline and outreach strategy. Once the system was clear, momentum followed.
What’s Coming in 2026: The Year of the 🐎
If 2025 was about shedding what no longer fit, 2026 is shaping up to be about forward motion—for organizations that are ready for it.
The Horse moves powerfully because it’s strong in its foundation and clear on its path.
Based on what we’re already seeing with early-moving teams, 2026 will likely reward:
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Subtraction as a leadership muscle
- Narrowing donor pipelines to a smaller number of high-potential relationships
- Pausing or sunsetting events and initiatives with unclear ROI
- Reducing internal meetings, reporting, and approval layers that slowed follow-through
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AI that gives time back
- Draft first-pass donor emails and follow-ups
- Capture and summarize donor call notes and next steps
- Keep pipelines current without relying on memory or manual clean-up
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Execution that compounds
- Clear ownership across the donor pipeline
- Simple systems that made follow-up predictable
- Regular review rhythms to adjust quickly when something wasn’t working
Fundraising in 2026 will require less work, done better.
If this mirrors what you’ve been experiencing, we’ll keep sharing the systems, experiments, and questions shaping our work as we move into 2026. I’m glad you’re part of the conversation.
Looking forward to MAPing out 2026 with you,
Michelle + the MAP team