Now that the New Year's celebrations have come to a close, you should already have a strategy in place to improve your organization's standing this year. You do have one, right?

Of course we do! Why else did you publish that previous post?

That's true. In any event, planning and executing strategies is important to running a nonprofit organization. That includes implementing constituent relationship management software that targets and nurtures your members. But you also have to pay attention to what's around you, especially when it comes to current or new development. Otherwise, you miss small things that lead to big events like that viral "Ice Bucket Challenge" that the ALS Association completed last summer.

Well, nobody saw that coming…

But they were based on trends that were developing at that point: A straightforward silly viral campaign to raise awareness.

Our strategy isn't about raising awareness, though. It's about raising funds.

Well, then, there are trends to look out for there as well. Consider donors: They made a roaring comeback in the last year, according to fundraising expert Gail Perry in her blog. Building up your relationship is now more important than getting more of them. They're becoming more trusting of you and your organization to use their donations for the aim of your organization. Their mentality has changed, however. They are far more cautious with their money. They don't like the idea of donating for the sake of giving so much as they want to make an investment that has a return.

Getting donors on your side is a big trend for 2015.

For all the efforts you made in bringing donors into your organization this holiday season, you're probably wondering, is it worth it? Are the amount of money you raise and people you enroll enough to help you grow? Or does it feel like you didn't receive all that much money despite a lot of new people delivering funds to you?

How many people donated this holiday season? How many didn't?

Those are quite a few questions, so I'll just say yes to all of them.

Well, let's be a little more concise by posing a single question: Have you earned more donors and money than you have lost this past holiday season?

Considering it's the holiday season, it only makes sense that people seem more than willing to give money to their favorite cause or charity. Their donations help you pursue your organization's mission by funding operations, run campaigns that raise awareness for your cause and expand your outreach. With that said, people donate for various reasons other than to provide you help. One reason is that, quite simply, giving feels good. When running your holiday campaign or any other fundraiser, make sure your supporters are happy making a donation. This seems obvious, but this sort of thinking will help ensure they feel more inclined to give more with greater frequency. You're building a relationship with the constituent by making them feel good, and when you use nonprofit CRM software to manage their donations and support, you can make them feel better.

Giving makes people feel warm and fuzzy

Studies have consistently shown that donating money to a charitable cause is heavily tied to positive emotions, including happiness. The Non Profit Times recently cited a study by Harris Interactive on people's emotions when they donated. The results showed that 60 percent of people who donated felt hopeful their contribution is making a difference. Forty-eight percent stated giving makes them feel satisfied, while 43 percent said it makes them excited.

We're now entering the second half of holiday donation season, and this can be a high mark for your organization. Donors give more money this time of the year as it is: The most recent survey from the Center of Philanthropy found that people give about 24 percent of what they donate on an annual basis to nonprofits and charities around the holidays. With the season's end fast approaching, you want to make sure you get the most out of your supporters in ways that build your relationship with them. This is especially the case as more people donate online.

Give them a guiding hand

As more people donate online, it's a good idea to give them a little guidance. If you aid them throughout the donation process, they'll feel inclined to make a larger donation while trusting you at the same time. The first thing you probably want to do is make sure your site is it's mobile-enabled. As Google noted, providing a great mobile site experience is essential. With so many of your supporters connecting to the Internet with a smartphone or tablet, more are going to find out about your organization on these devices.

In 2012, nonprofit organization 92nd Street Y, in conjunction with the United Nations Foundation, created Giving Tuesday. Strategically placed days after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the event with the hashtag #GivingTuesday was meant to bring something that has always been part of the holidays back into the fore: the spirit of giving. Many organizations sought to use Giving Tuesday to reach out to regular and infrequent donors alike to boost their support.