What I'm Seeing Now that I Missed for the First 25 Weeks
Issue #026
This week's strategic brief (4-minute read)
Hi Reader,
After six months of writing this brief every Sunday, one pattern stands out that I completely overlooked before: the fundraisers who truly scale aren't always the ones with the largest teams or the longest hours. They're the ones who've built operating systems that make growth feel steady and sustainable.
Twenty-five weeks. Twenty-five issues. One constant I know to be true?
We're doing heroic work inside organizations that weren't built to accommodate the growth we're capable of delivering. Not yet.
What Changed My Mind About Growth
When my organization was at $16 million, I thought our next leap required hiring more fundraisers. That felt like the obvious answer.
Instead, my team and I tried something different.
We invested in systems — donor intelligence, partnership operations, automated workflows, and better internal coordination. And that shift changed everything.
Today we're at $27 million — a 68% increase — without adding new frontline fundraisers. Headcount grew, but nowhere near as fast.
That alone was enough to make me rethink how scale happens. The chief fundraisers who break through aren't solving problems one at a time. They're building systems that prevent those problems from happening in the first place.
The Thread Running Through Every Issue
Looking back at what we've covered so far — team structure, CEO alignment, delegation, database intelligence, revenue planning — the through-line is clearer than ever:
Almost every challenge we face traces back to missing infrastructure.
Not missing skill, commitment, or talent.
I spent too long being "the system" — the coordinator, the fixer, the person everything had to flow through. And I've heard the same story from readers.
If there's one thing these 25 issues have taught me, it's this: You can have great people, great plans, and great intentions. But without systems, everything depends on you.
The Operating Architecture That Allows for Growth
Over six months of conversations with readers and reflections on my own fundraising journey, the full picture came into focus. What we're really building, whether we realize it or not, is an operating system for fundraising growth.
The OS breaks into three layers that require a solid foundation:
Layer 1: The Revenue Engine
Make growth predictable across pipelines, recurring giving, data, and messaging.
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Layer 2: Internal Operations
Help your team act independently and keep momentum.
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Layer 3: External Power
Strengthen your influence with the CEO, board, and other departments.
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The foundation is system zero — addressing hidden constraints. These are the unwritten rules, assumptions, and politics that quietly shape everything else.
There are 12 systems altogether. We'll unpack each starting in January. For now, the important part is that this framework ties our first 25 issues together into one cohesive roadmap.
Most chief fundraisers assume the pressure they feel is a workload issue — too many meetings, too many decisions, too many people depending on them.
After 25 issues, it's clear that's not the real story.
The pressure is not from missing effort. When infrastructure is weak, everything becomes manual. When infrastructure is strong, growth feels lighter.
Coming Next
Many of us are wrapping up the year and taking a bit of downtime (including me). I’ll skip publishing an executive brief on December 21.
On December 28, I’ll offer three questions. Your careful answers will clarify what 2026 needs from you.
Starting January 4, we'll walk through the Chief Fundraiser OS together, one per week. Nothing theoretical. Just the practical frameworks I use and the ones I've seen work consistently for other CDOs.
We'll begin with System Zero: Hidden Constraints. It's the layer I ignored for far too long.
I hope that by the end of this series, you'll feel lighter, clearer, and backed by the systems that make your leadership feel sustainable.
Question for You
Please reply and let me know. Your answers will directly shape the Chief Fundraiser OS series.
| Which of these four layers is your #1 constraint heading into 2026? |
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Wishing you a happy, healthy holiday season. I hope you can step back, recharge, and enjoy time with the people who make your life full.
Cheers,
Christine
P.S. Thank you for being part of these first 25 issues. I’m grateful every week for the space you make in your inbox for me.
