Fundraising for not-for-profits (NFP)
Are you interested in creating a sustainable flow of funding for your not-for-profit or charity?
I can help you build a fundraising ecosystem which will grow revenue, as well as make your organisation attractive to new members, motivated to join in your mission.
Most not-for-profit and charitable organisations engage in some form of revenue raising or cause-related fundraising programs.
Several inter-linked strands combine to form an organisation’s fundraising ecosystem and as we all know, a well-managed ecosystem is both productive and sustainable.
Fundraising activities can start off small and simple, then expand as your organisation grows. It’s important to regularly review the diversity and effectiveness of your fundraising strategy and mechanisms.
This is where it can be useful to work with a third-party who can lead consultation, gather information, analyse your status quo and future requirements to produce recommendations on how to develop your fundraising capacity.
The section below outlines the various components of a well-oiled fundraising ecosystem.
Strategic Plan
A strategic plan is a document that establishes the direction of an organisation. It outlines priorities and how resources may be allocated to pursue the strategy. A strategic plan often explains an organisation’s vision and on-going mission, expresses its core values, explores its strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis), outlines annual and long-term goals, and includes a list of actions. Specific actions relating to fundraising activities can be further detailed in a Fundraising Plan.
Vision
A vision statement describes the way you envision your business – what does success to look like?
Mission
A mission statement describes the work your team currently does, for whom and how. It explains how what you do contributes to achieving your stated vision.
Fundraising Plan
The ‘delivery’ side of a Strategic Plan can be outlined in a Fundraising Plan – what steps will your organisation take to deliver on its mission? It’s your over-arching action plan, outlining the tasks you’ll undertake, who you will approach for fundraising and how to reach those cohorts.
Case for support
At the centre of the Fundraising Plan is your Case for Support – a statement that explains the ‘why’ and which can be quickly understood by all stakeholders. Getting this right will demonstrate the impact of your organisation’s work, while illustrating why public funding will help deliver on the mission.
Giving programs
There are many ways to raise funds by engaging potential donors. The types of mechanisms that suit your objectives will relate to your organisation’s purpose, primary activities and target donor cohorts.
Such mechanisms include hosting fundraising events, building relationships with corporate partners, working with community and small business sponsors, implementing gifting programs, managing memberships, inviting bequests, convening a project-focussed donor circle, or promoting an annual funding drive.
Stewardship Plan
The Fundraising Plan should also incorporate a Stewardship Plan describing how your organisation will recognise donor support as well as how to manage such tasks within your resources. It may include a matrix for donor interactions.
Fundraising platform
Managing all this information can be efficiently achieved using one of many cloud-based donor management tools on the market today. Selecting the platform that best suits your organisation’s capacity and budget is an important decision.
Marketing & communication
You’ve created your fundraising plan and now you need to tell everyone about it!
Your public-facing documentation and communication channels may include a regular newsletter, an annual report, a fundraising prospectus, a social media strategy, advertising campaigns and donor surveys.
I can compile a 12-month timeline to achieve your project vision and help manage your time according to the capacity of your management committee or Board.
Events
For many small to medium sized NFPs and charitable organisations, hosting events is both the most impactful fundraising mechanism and the most time-consuming activity in which they engage. This can lead to volunteer burn out.
Events Delivered was conceived to provide a complete suite of event management and production services under one roof, including budget control, sponsorship/grant funding, event logistics and infrastructure, health and safety, marketing, graphic design and advertising.
What’s right for you?
This brief overview of the various components of an effective fundraising ecosystem is designed to stimulate thinking about your current fundraising strategy and mechanisms. Are there areas in which you would like to improve; have you identified gaps to be filled?
Whatever your requirements, the starting point is a conversation, so get in touch today.
Final thought
A well-defined and clearly communicated fundraising plan can also attract new members to your organisation’s management committee, helping to relieve the widely experienced challenge of succession planning in NFP and charity organisational structure.