There are four basic areas of activity for the sustainable fund development of nonprofit charitable organization. If you are creating a new fund development plan, focus on these four areas as the platform on which to build your fundraising activities for the year. If you are a more mature organization, revisit these areas to determine what needs attention, expansion or reworking. Of course there are other things you can do in addition to these activities, but these should be in addition to the basics - not a replacement.
Start with these basics, adding levels of detail and variations as required and over time you will have a sustainable stream of revenue for your organization. The four basics are:
1. A Mailing List
- Purchase a database for a computer or start with a simple spreadsheet.
- The database can be integrated with receipt and accounting functions.
- Continually add names to the list by whatever means you can think of. This usually means starting with the people who are involved in the organization in some way.
- Develop a strategy for adding new names to the list. This can be done through a variety of means. See the section on this site called 52 Ways to Raise Awareness for your cause.
- Get both street addresses and email addresses if possible. For email addresses, collect these by adding a newsletter sign-up feature on your website. Entice people to sign up by offering a free report or something like that. If you don't have a website yet, explore some cheap and easy ways to create a website.
- Use the list to send people newsletters both my mail and electronically, depending on how many names you have and what you can afford. The newsletter can be brief, just one page can be effective. It can go out once a month or once every couple of months.
- Use the list to ask people for funds. Usually a regular campaign a couple times a year, such as in the spring and in the late fall are good times to do this. The request can be for general support or for specific needs. Do some research on how to write effective letters.
- You can also use the list to thank people, notify them of events, direct them to changes on your website. Keep the list current and active.
- By continuing this activity, over time you will develop a list of supporters you can count on.
2. Get to Know Key People
- In addition to the regular support coming in from your list, you should continually identify and get to know key people who may make larger contributions to your organizations.
- This requires face to face meetings with these people. These may occur in their homes or offices or in your facility, or both. Often several meetings are required to secure them as major donors.
- Inviting key people to come and visit your facility is often a good place to start.
- You can identify these people from the supporters on your mailing list or they may be involved in your organization. Sometimes they may be past board members or extended family of people involved in the organization.
- Usually major donors will support the special needs of your organization.
- Make sure to keep in touch with these people after they have made a donation and continue to thank a recognize them.
3. Make Grant Applications
- There may be granting foundations that support causes like yours, government programs, lottery funds or even corporations that support the type of work you do. Usually these can be found with some research. See some of the online research resources we have listed on this site.
- Once you have identified some potential prospects, you should follow the grant writing procedure found on this site.
- You should add the names of Foundation Executive Directors or Granting Officers to your mailing list and keep in touch with these folks even if they decline your initial request. (But don't send them the same requests as others on your list.)
4. Hold an Annual Signature Event
- There are many types of fundraising events and you may decide you want to do several events each year. Whatever you decide, it is important to do at least one event a year that brings together your supporters, provides you with an opportunity to update them first hand on the work of your organization, and is a way to get new people involved.
- Often a dinner is the simplest way to hold this type of event. There are lots of ways to organize this and lots of variations from elegant to informal.
- Use your mailing list to get people to the event and use the event to add people to your list.
You will find many more fundraising ideas on this site, but if you stay focused on these activities, you will have a good financial foundation.
