Guides | The Nonprofit Calendar

Build this year's grant calendar One list of every application, report and renewal due this year, with your own earlier deadline set before each one.
Count every December gift in the right year A check counts on the day it's mailed, a card gift on the day it's charged. How the IRS dates year-end gifts, and how to keep good records of them.
Draft next year's budget Start from what you actually spent this year, plan for what you know will change, and give your board the draft a month before the vote.
Find your Form 990 due date Count to the 15th day of the fifth month after your year ends, and move to the next business day if it lands on a weekend or holiday. Every date through September 2027.
Nonprofit awareness days and key dates, November 2026 Nonprofit awareness days, months and deadlines for November 2026, each with its source. Veterans Day, Form 990 on Nov 16, Thanksgiving and GivingTuesday.
Plan your GivingTuesday ask GivingTuesday is Tuesday, December 1, 2026. Pick one need, write three short messages, and have the thank-you ready before the day begins.
Plan your spring volunteer days Pick the date and the job, open a sign-up that shows the open spots, and plan the reminders and the thank-you before anyone arrives.
Send last year's giving statements Donors need a written acknowledgment from you to deduct any single gift of $250 or more. What it has to say, when to send it, and a simple template.
Thank the volunteers who helped this fall Name what each person actually did, in a short note or a quick call. It means more than any certificate, and it's how people come back.
Write the year-end letter One true story, one clear amount to give, and a mailing date in the first week of November. Here's how to write it.