Fundraising Plan

Your Road Map to Money

Our Roadmap for Today What you need Assess existing resources Determine financial targets Identify Sources of Names Identify Prospects and Sources of Funds Storing Information Gift Range Chart Customized Prospect Lists Solicitation Tools Outcome/Gifts TIPS and Ideas

Something about Research

A good Fundraising Plan heavily depends on good research !

A good Fundraising Plan depends heavily on good research !

A good fundraising plan is heavily dependent on good research !

 Get it? Got it? Good.

Begin at the Beginning Where to begin? Each organization is unique  Case Statement!! It includes your mission, goals, future

plans, growth strategy, etc.

Define Funding Needs; ops, programs, professional development, events, endowment, capital improvements

  Make sure you know why you want to raise funds for each line

item. Make sure you understand the tasks involved. And above all, make sure you understand how much it will cost in terms of money and time.

Assessing Existing Resources Money Current donor list Prospective donor list Donor history Past fundraising strategy and analysis of results PR materials past and present Experienced staff and board members/other volunteers Fundraising Committee of the board Appropriate donor management software

At this stage fact finding is important. Assessing past successes and failures will save time in the long run

Determine your financial targetsFirst thing to do – fight the temptation to think only about the present. If you are

in an emergency situation…do we stay open? Do we close? This is not the time to plan for the future. Focus on three issues:

Present Needs A van, materials for an upcoming event, a board recognition dinner…etc.

Think about all the things that need money that are immediate…staff salaries!!!! 

Short term Needs All the expenses you will have for the coming year

Long term Needs All the expenses you are likely to incur over a 3-5 year period. Perhaps you

are planning an endowment campaign? A capital fund campaign?

Identify Sources of Names

Likely sources are:

BoardStaffStaff/Consultant FundraisersVolunteersSpeaking EventsResearchLists

Identify Prospects

This requires dedication to research. DO NOT skip this step!

  Individuals Foundations Corporations Government Church Groups You need to know who, what, where, and when

Sources of FundsSource    Advantages  Disadvantages 

Individuals 

Largest source of giving Ongoing source one can build Once a giver, also an advocate  Volunteers are a good source of money 

 Costly to develop, small return per individual unit  Hard to generate unless broad-based direct service appeal  Risky for the inexperienced  Need significant assistance from the organization's board and volunteers 

Large-Family 

Foundations 

  Source of large sums of money   Accessible, professional staff   Clear guidelines, process   Most likely to research your request   Board volunteers can help, not        always key 

 Start-up funds only  Lengthy process  More difficult to access through       personal influence  Proposals may be more lengthy 

Source Advantages Disadvantages Community Foundations Much like large-family foundations

Staff may be sufficient Host of foundations within foundations Most money is earmarked, special funds

Small-Family Foundations May fund ongoing operating expenses Personal influence with board members helps Guidelines often broad Not very fussy about grant format

Hard to access, no professional staff Often not large sums of money Without personal influence, may not be possible

Large Corporations / Corporate Foundations

Can be source of large sums of money Smaller amounts of money may be ongoing Often accessible, professional staff May be tied to volunteer involvement Business strategy may be clear Source of cause-related marketing

Large sums of money aren't ongoing Hard to get around staff Must be within their guidelines Not likely to contribute if not headquartered locally or have a public consumer base Often want board representation

Source Advantages Disadvantages

Small Corporations

Very informal approach Money may be ongoing Personal connections will suffice Neighborhood focus will help

Small amounts of money Narrow range of interest Personal contacts are key

Federated Funds (United Ways, United Arts, Combined Health Appeal)

Steady source of relatively large sums of money Clear process Professional staff, can be agency staff driven

Generally can't be a start-up organizationMust be social service and fit priority focus Very lengthy entry process Very time consuming as must be part of yearly fund raising process, with periodic in-depth review

Storing Information

Do you have an adequate donor management software system. Is the data secure?

Let’s Talk

Gift Range Chart

A helpful tool in planning and charting your progress

Customized Prospect Lists

Under $100Major Donors $500 and aboveCultivationProposalsPlanned giftsEvents

Solicitation Tools

Direct Mail – snail mail One on One Telephone Events; large and small Email Newsletters Case Statements Proposals Letters Cold calling

Outcome /Gifts

What kinds of recognitions are you going to provide your donors? This depends on what you have to offer

Newsletter lists Website donor walls Naming opportunities Sponsorship recognition Recognition events Gifts Media placements Paid advertising

TIPS Create a calendar  When are proposals due? Check websites for info on

corps./fdns/govt. Events require special calendars all their own If I spoke to major donor A in January, when should I contact

her again? How? Be vigilant and aware of government grant opportunities Have regular fundraising meetings to discuss

ideas/progress/status

Don’t leave anything to the last minute – opportunities can easily pass by

Social Media Fundraising

This is the newest vehicle and it’s changing by the minute.

For up-to-the-minute information on this emerging trend, visit: www.techsoup.org and read their blog – regularly.  It’s full of great resources and ideas

More Ideas “Ten for Ten”

Get 10 supporters to each ask 10 people for $10

each. Presto $1,000! You can change this to

$15,625 by changing the numbers to 25 people

asking 25 people for $25 each. This can also give

you a bunch of new donors!

More Ideas

PARTY!!

Ask supporters to have a dinner in their home

and invite their friends. Have a staff person do a short presentation on your organization followed by a testimonial from the evening's host. Then, give the guests the chance to make a gift. Make sure to get names and addresses so you can properly thank guests and get them on your list.

More Ideas

Yard Sale

Ask supporters to donate their unwanted items and hold a big yard sale. Publicize it beforehand to let the community know what you're doing and that you are trying to raise $1,000. Donate any leftovers to a local thrift store.

More Ideas

"Non Event"

Example: "No Ball at All"

Create a fictitious event and send out

invitations asking people to buy "tickets" to this event that won't take place. It's a great theme for a mailing and usually works well

More Ideas

Birthday GiftAsk for donations to your organization in honor of your birthday. Most of us have more than we need anyway, so ask friends and family to make a gift in honor of your special day. Facebook has a way to easily ask online friends to make a gift and you can set a goal so that others know how much you are trying to raise.

More Ideas

Email CampaignLaunch a viral email campaign. Write a short, compelling email and send to everyone you have email addresses for. Be sure to say that you are trying to raise $1,000. Include a link to your "Donate Now" button online. Then ask the reader to forward the email on to others who might be interested.

More Ideas

Upgrade

Upgrade an existing donor. Look through your current donor list and find someone who has given $500 in the past year or so. Invite them for a tour of your facility and ask them to make a $1,000 gift.

Questions