Fundraising Tips

Before you even think about raising money…..

Be very clear about what your organization is and why it exists.

Be very clear about what your organization wants to accomplish in the next 12-18 months. What do you want to do?

Figure out how much it will cost to accomplish what you want. Make a careful, specific budget for the year, detailing what you need to spend for each item.

Figure out how much money you can count on already, and how much you will have to raise.

Remember that once you have planned your fundraising, you will need to go back and modify your budget to add in the cost of fundraising. Raising money always costs money; it may not cost a lot, but you still need to budget for it.

Check local laws. Do you need a license or permit?

It's always a good idea to know where your current funding comes from…..
Do you have a balanced mix of funding resources? Write down what you know about each percentage of the whole, and what you think it should represent, for example:

• corporate contributions = 40%
• membership dues = 20%
• special invents = 10%
• individual donations = 30%

What kind of staff and organizational capacity is needed to support this funding mix? What restrictions are attached?

How much time will it take to keep this funding mix intact?

Does it provide for the long-term financial stability and viability of the organization or would a different funding mix be better?

Possible Sources of Revenue to Tap

• Foundations
• Community
• Local and family
• Private
• Corporate

Service Organizations

• Local veteran organizations
• Local service clubs (Lions, Elks, Kiwanis, etc.)
• Professional societies
• National service organizations

Businesses

• Regional and national corporate offices
• Community small businesses
• Veteran-owned businesses
• Your vendors
• Community subsidiaries of companies, financial institutions, utilities, and manufacturing plants

Religious Institutions

• Churches and temples in your community
• Affluent suburban and metropolitan congregations
• City-wide, state-wide, or regional denomination structures

Federated Campaigns

• Combined federal campaign
• Local United Way (as a member agency or via discretionary funding)

Governments

• City or County
• State or federal
• Quasi-governmental structure (councils of government, school boards, etc.)

Individuals

• Bequests and planned gifts
• Memberships
• Direct mail
• Face-to-face solicitation
• Workplace solicitation
• Canvassing or prospecting
• Special events

Income-Producing Activities

• Program related services
• Fee-for-service
• Training or technical assistance
• Consultation
• Development and sale of materials
• Publications
• Product sales (i.e., shirts, buttons, mugs, posters)

Special Events Planning Tips Choose something you know how to do, and involve others with valuable experience.

Plan backwards. To calculate deadlines and plan activities, start with the day of the event and work your way back to the present day, in order to make sure that everything gets done when it needs to be done.

Write out your plan. Figure out how long you think it will take, and then increase that estimate by at least half!

Arrange publicity-be sure people know about the event. Don't be shy about asking for help-but when you ask, be specific about what you want. Remember the job of the chairman is not necessarily to accomplish things directly; it is to ensure that other people accomplish things.

Special Events Follow-up Send thank you notes within a week. It is okay to use a boilerplate letter if there were many volunteers, but add a few words in your own handwriting to key volunteers. It is a good idea to include vendors.

Finish bookkeeping and pay vendors. Prompt payment will make you a favored customer to any business. That will be handy the next time you seek a donation or a price break.

Contact individuals you met at the event that might be future donors or volunteers. A note or invitation to lunch may get them on board early for the next event.

Organize your notes for the next time. A three-ring binder for each event is a good place to put notes and reports.

Additional Information Resources Successful Fund Raising: A monthly report of successful fundraising ideas, strategies and management issues. For information and subscription costs visit www.stevensoninc.com or call 712.239.3010.

A.H. Wilder Foundation Publishing Center has a wide variety of topics for nonprofits. For more information or to request a catalogue visit www. wilder.org or call 800.274.6024.

Jossey-Bass Publishers has a variety of topics for nonprofits. To view their publication selection visit www.joseybass.com.

America's Fund Raisers is an Internet directory of fundraising products, services and resources. Visit www.americasfundraiser.com or call 977.949.FUND.

eFundrasing.com is an Internet resource for fundraising opportunities. Visit www.efundraising.com or call 800.561.8388.

Grassroots Fundraising Journal provides online resources and publishes a bi-monthly magazine. For information and subscription costs visit www.chardonpress.com or call 888.458.8588.

The Society for Nonprofit Organizations publishes Nonprofit World magazine on a bi-monthly basis. For information and subscription costs visit www.danenet.org/snpo or call 800.424.7367.

Contributions Magazine produces a newspaper full of resources for nonprofit professionals. F or information and subscription costs visit www.contributionsmagazine.com or call 508.359.0019.

Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) represents thousands of members in hundreds of chapters in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. AFP works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education, and certification programs. For more information and membership fees visit www.afpnet.org, call your local chapter or 703.684.0410.

Donordigital.com has information about fundraising, marketing, and For more information visit www.donordigital.com or call 415.278.9444.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy website has useful articles in the fundraising section in additional to publishing a resourceful newspaper for the nonprofit sector. For more information and subscription costs visit http://philanthropy.com or call 800.842.7817.

The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers website has important information for mail-based fundraising at nonprofit rates. For more information visit www.nonprofitmailer.org or call 202.462.5132.

In addition, government websites usually provide information about government sources of funding. Visit www.firstgov.gov to access federal sites, or type www. (your two-letter state designation).us for your state's website.

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