business plan for fundraising

How to Write a Successful Fundraising Plan

Why You Need a Fundraising Plan

Many non-profits, particularly smaller charities and start-ups, operate without a fundraising plan. When someone has an idea for an event or a campaign, these organizations simply put together a host committee or volunteer group and go for it. They may send out a letter here and there, and do some donor meetings, and when the bank account seems to be low, they often go into “panic mode” and race around trying to find cash to keep the doors open.

This is definitely not the best way to run your development program. Even if your non-profit is flush with cash, running an un-organized and un-planned fundraising operation is a recipe for stress, headaches, and ultimately… financial ruin.

So, how do you avoid this fate? The best way is by having a written fundraising plan. No matter how small your church, school, or charity is, or how far along you are into your operations, your group needs a comprehensive, well-written fundraising plan. A written plan will allow you to focus your efforts, plan out your yearly fundraising calendar , and give you guidance on strategy and tactics when you are in the thick of events, mailings, and calls. In short, your fundraising plan will keep you sane in the insane day-to-day world of the development office.

Your Plan: Who and When

The first questions you need to answer are: who should write your plan, and when should they write it? I’ll answer the second question first… When should you write your plan? How about now! Seriously – if you are operating without a plan, it is worth your time to sit down for a week and write your plan. Ideally, you’ll write a plan every year, or will write a 2, 3 or 5 year plan and tweak it at the beginning of every year.

As for who should write your plan, if you’ve got a development staff (like a development director), they should write the plan, in consultation with your charity’s CEO or Executive Director (E.D.) as well as the board. If you don’t have a development staff, then it is probably best for the E.D. or head person to write the plan, again, in consultation with the non-profit’s board of directors. You can also seek help from a qualified development consultant, many of whom specialize in writing fundraising plans.

The Anatomy of a Fundraising Plan

O.k., you know you need to write a plan, you know who is going to write it, and that person has consulted with all of the appropriate stakeholders and is ready to write. What needs to be part of the plan?

1. The Goal

The best starting point for your plan is with the end point in mind: what is your overall fundraising goal? (Even better: what is your overall fundraising goal for this year, and for each of the next four years?). This number should not be drawn out of thin air. It should be based on the needs of the organization. How much money will your group need to raise in order to carry out the activities that you want to carry out?

2. The Mission / Your Message

If the goal answers the question, “How much money do you need?” then the mission answers the question, “Why do you need it?” What is your organization’s mission? What do you plan to do with the money you raise? What is your operating budget, and why is it the amount it is?

3. The Tactics

Once you know how much you need to raise and why you need to raise it, you need to figure out how you are going to raise the full amount. What tactics will you use to raise your goal amount this year? Next year? The year after? Go into detail here, and figure out a goal for each of the tactics that adds up to your total goal. (For example, if you need to raise $5,000 you may say that you will raise $3,000 through a major donor group and $2,000 through an event). Some common tactics include:

• Individual Giving – Asking major donors to make gifts to your organization.
• Major Donor Groups – May include board giving, a finance or development committee, etc.
• Events – Both large and small.
• Direct Mail
• Telemarketing
• Online and E-Giving
• Grants – Foundations, Corporate, Government
• Corporate Giving Programs
• United Way Fundraising
• Minor Donor Groups – Yes, they do exist!
• Participatory Fundraising – Like walk-a-thons and chili cook-offs
• Annual Giving and Multi-Year Giving Campaign

When it comes to tactics, there are no shortage of ways to raise money, only a limited amount of staff and volunteer resources to implement your ideas. Try to include a good mix of fundraising tactics, and be willing to nix ideas that end up not working, and make up the lost revenue elsewhere.

4. The Timeline

Many organizations stumble here – they come up with a solid budget, have a great mission, and draw up a plan that includes a solid group of fundraising tactics, but fail to set timelines, and thus never seem to get things done.

Some development pros like plans that have only basic timelines: Hold an event in April, send out a mailing in September, run a board giving campaign in November. I actually prefer far more detailed timelines that list not only big picture goals, but also all of the small goals that go into making that big goal a reality (a management consultant might call this a “critical path.”) For example, instead of just listing that we’re having an event in April, I would also list when decisions on venue and entertainment need to be made, when sponsors will be solicited, when invitations will go out, etc.

Whichever type of timeline you include, include one… it will force you to think critically through your fundraising decisions, and provide invaluable guidance on your activities as the year progresses.

Want a step-by-step guide for writing a fundraising plan that works? Check out our webinar How to Write a Successful Nonprofit Fundraising Plan .

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Business Plan Template for Fundraising Campaigns

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Are you an entrepreneur or startup founder in search of funding for your brilliant business idea? Look no further than ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Fundraising Campaigns! This template is your secret weapon in impressing potential investors and securing the funds you need to bring your vision to life.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template, you can:

• Clearly outline your business model, market analysis, and growth strategies for a comprehensive and compelling pitch
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• Streamline the process of creating a professional and polished business plan, saving you time and effort

Don't miss out on the funding you deserve. Use ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Fundraising Campaigns and make your business dreams a reality!

Business Plan Template for Fundraising Campaigns Benefits

When it comes to fundraising campaigns, a solid business plan template is a must-have for entrepreneurs and startup founders. Here are the key benefits of using a business plan template for fundraising campaigns:

• Streamline your fundraising efforts by providing a comprehensive overview of your business model and growth strategies
• Impress potential investors with a well-structured plan that showcases your market analysis and competitive advantage
• Clearly communicate your financial projections and potential return on investment, increasing your chances of securing funding
• Save time and effort by utilizing a pre-designed template that ensures you cover all the essential elements of a successful business plan.

Main Elements of Fundraising Campaigns Business Plan Template

ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Fundraising Campaigns is the perfect tool for entrepreneurs and startup founders looking to secure funding and attract investors. Here are the main elements of this template:

• Custom Statuses: Keep track of the progress of each section of your business plan with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.
• Custom Fields: Use custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to add important details and streamline your fundraising campaign.
• Custom Views: Access different views to visualize your business plan from various angles, including Topics, Status, Timeline, Business Plan, and Getting Started Guide.
• Collaboration and Organization: Utilize features like task assignments, comments, due dates, and notifications to collaborate with team members and stay organized throughout the fundraising campaign.
• Document Management: Create and store your business plan in ClickUp's Docs feature for easy access and editing.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Fundraising Campaigns, you'll have all the tools you need to create a comprehensive and convincing business plan that will attract investors and help you secure funding for your startup.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Fundraising Campaigns

If you're looking to create a business plan for fundraising campaigns, follow these steps using the Business Plan Template in ClickUp:

1. Define your campaign goals and objectives

Before diving into the details, it's crucial to clearly define your goals and objectives for the fundraising campaign. Are you aiming to raise a specific amount of money? Do you have a target audience in mind? Clarifying your goals will help guide your strategy and ensure that your business plan is aligned with your campaign objectives.

Use Goals in ClickUp to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals for your fundraising campaign.

2. Identify your target audience

Understanding your target audience is essential for effective fundraising. Determine who your ideal donors or supporters are and create buyer personas to gain insights into their demographics, interests, and motivations. This information will help you tailor your messaging and outreach efforts to resonate with your target audience.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to create and document your buyer personas, including their characteristics and preferred communication channels.

3. Develop your campaign strategy and tactics

With your goals and target audience in mind, develop a comprehensive strategy for your fundraising campaign. Outline the key tactics you will use to reach your audience and inspire them to donate or get involved. This could include social media marketing, email campaigns, events, partnerships, or any other relevant tactics that align with your campaign objectives.

Use the Board view in ClickUp to create cards for each tactic and track their progress throughout the campaign.

4. Determine your budget and resources

To ensure a successful fundraising campaign, it's important to allocate appropriate resources and budget. Consider all the costs involved, such as marketing materials, technology platforms, staff or volunteer support, and any other expenses. Determine how much funding you need to raise to cover these costs and support your campaign goals.

Use custom fields in ClickUp to track your budget and allocate resources to different areas of your campaign.

5. Monitor, evaluate, and adjust

Once your fundraising campaign is in motion, it's crucial to monitor its progress, evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies and tactics, and make adjustments as needed. Track key performance metrics, such as donation amounts, engagement rates, and conversion rates, to assess the success of your campaign. Based on these insights, make data-driven decisions to optimize your efforts and increase your fundraising results.

Use Dashboards in ClickUp to create visual representations of your campaign data and regularly review and analyze the metrics to inform your decision-making process.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Fundraising Campaigns

Entrepreneurs and startup founders looking to attract investors and secure funding can use the ClickUp Business Plan Template for Fundraising Campaigns to effectively present their ideas and potential return on investment.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a comprehensive business plan:

• Use the Topics View to outline and organize different sections of your business plan, such as executive summary, market analysis, financial projections, and growth strategies
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each section, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• Utilize the Timeline View to set deadlines and milestones for completing each section of your business plan
• The Business Plan View provides a holistic view of your entire plan, allowing you to easily navigate and review different sections
• Use the Getting Started Guide View to provide step-by-step instructions and guidance for completing your business plan
• Customize the Reference, Approved, and Section custom fields to add additional information and categorize different sections of your plan
• Update statuses and custom fields as you progress through each section to keep stakeholders informed of progress
• Monitor and analyze your business plan to ensure it effectively communicates your ideas and potential return on investment.
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Nonprofit fundraising plan: 13 must-do steps for success.

Education Writer

A nonprofit fundraising plan is a guiding document designed to help you raise the money you need to achieve your goals.

It breaks down your organization’s vision into actionable, highly-specific steps for success.

It doesn’t matter if you are running a multi-million dollar nonprofit organization or are a small start-up: the key to financial success is a well-thought-out fundraising plan. Don’t set yourself up for failure by just ‘winging’ the fundraising process.

Instead, get your team together (or go solo if it’s only you) and get to work on creating your nonprofit fundraising plan.

What Is A Nonprofit Fundraising Plan?

A nonprofit fundraising plan is a document that strategically organizes all of your fundraising activities over a certain period of time (usually one year). These strategic plans chart out campaign dates and strategies, donor-tracking and retention plans, special event details, and a targeted communication schedule.

In addition to being strategic, you want to make sure that your fundraising plan is flexible enough to accommodate changes as they arise. If your fundraising plan is rigid and formulaic, chances are, you’ll miss out on some great opportunities. The key is to have an adaptable fundraising strategy with set goals that will also allow you to respond to unexpected challenges. We know this all too well – after all, the pandemic certainly threw a wrench in even the best-laid plans.

Before we dive in on how to create your own nonprofit fundraising plan, I want to go over a couple of questions you might be asking.

What is Strategic Fundraising?

I mentioned strategic fundraising earlier but what is it exactly? Strategic fundraising refers to moving your organization’s mission forward by honing in on what you do best. It involves the buy-in of multiple stakeholders such as your staff and board members, and maps out a path forward as you raise funds. 

A strategic fundraising plan is intended to keep you on track toward your fundraising goals by using your organization’s resources as effectively and efficiently as possible while keeping aligned with your overall mission and vision.

How Does a Nonprofit Fundraising Plan Differ From Other Fundraising Plans?

A nonprofit fundraising plan organizes your fundraising activities over the course of a year. You may have other fundraising plans that detail the fundraising campaigns and activities included within your overall plan.

Download a free fundraising plan template:

Why do you need a fundraising strategy.

First and foremost, fundraising plans get everyone – staff, volunteers, board members, and potential donors – focused and on-track to hitting your goals throughout the year. With a set plan in place, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and won’t lose sight of priorities along the way. It should give your team a clear idea of what will be expected of them as well as the anticipated results.

These documents are also essential in shifting an entire organization’s attitude about fundraising. Let’s face it, fundraising is oftentimes reactionary. Problems such as an economic downturn or changes in federal funding can arise at any time.

A better way forward is to have fundraising goals, which then dictate your fundraising efforts and fundraising strategy.

A fundraising plan should provide a clear course of action from diversified funding streams, leaving everyone with a little less stress on their plate when problems do pop up.

It all boils down to the fact that when you are in the thick of an underperforming capital campaign, you are much more likely to come out on top if you have a plan in place to tackle the issues.

Are you ready to create a great fundraising plan? There’s no time like the present to get started. Follow these 13 must-do steps to ensure your fundraising plan is ready.

How To Write A Successful Fundraising Plan

1. reflect on your past finances.

Before you start putting together a fundraising plan for the upcoming year, it’s best to look at last year’s finances. At minimum, take a note of your total revenue and expenses. What’s going to carry over to this year? Which fundraising initiatives were successful? Which ones didn’t go as planned and either need more attention or should be scrapped altogether? Should more funds be allocated towards a certain initiative over another? Will new staff be brought on?

If you maintain a donor database or other CRM , you’ll be able to access this data quickly. If that data isn’t available or you are a start-up, look at your estimated budget or check out the stats of similar organizations.By reflecting on your past finances, you’ll be better equipped to create targeted fundraising goals going forward.

2. Define Your Vision

Any successful fundraising plan will have a vision. A vision statement acts as an anchor for your organization but outlines the direction going forward.

There’s only so many hours in a day, and only so many days in a year. Being able to articulate your organization’s vision allows you to strategically set priorities rather than attempting to tackle everything all at once. It lets your staff and your donors know the direction of where your organization is going and how you’re planning to get there. Keeping your vision statement top-of-mind as you’re creating your fundraising plan leaves little room to get sidetracked along the way.

3. Consider New Trends for Your Fundraising Plan

Through the pandemic, nonprofits have demonstrated their resiliency by rolling with the punches and reimagining the way they market their fundraising. It’s no surprise that how we market and fundraise is constantly changing, especially with new technology. 

Keeping up to date with emerging fundraising trends can help you market and engage more effectively and efficiently. Here are a few new marketing trends worth considering when putting together your fundraising plan:

Influencer Marketing

Does the adage “people donate to people who they trust” sound familiar? That’s because it’s so true! With 49% of consumers depending on influencer recommendations , influencers are here to stay.

Teaming up with a celebrity or a public figure to amplify your reach isn’t a new concept but social media has created all sorts of opportunities for specific niches of influencer marketing. These days, influencers can be any popular figure or subject matter expert with a significant online following. They can be local celebrities, board members, or politicians eager to advocate for your cause. There’s also varying levels of influencers but they generally fall into one of two buckets: 

• Macro influencers – larger reach (100K+ following)
• Micro influencers – smaller reach (10K-100K following)

There’s benefits of leveraging both but it certainly depends on your budget. Macro influencers obviously have a wider reach which is helpful for growing brand awareness. On the other hand, micro influencers may have fewer followers compared to their macro counterparts but they tend to have higher engagement due to being closer with their audience.

If you’re in the beginning stages of influencer marketing, know that it’ll take time, effort, and research. However, when you find the right person to endorse your cause, they’re enhancing your credibility by putting you front and center of an audience that already trusts them too. 

Video Marketing

In today’s digital world, nonprofits and charities should consider investing in video and visual storytelling as a key fundraising tool.

Over the past decade video marketing has only grown in popularity. With more and more smartphone users, people are spending an average of 19 hours a week watching videos online. When it comes to fundraising, 80% of the highest-grossing campaigns on CauseVox have used video as part of their campaign. In fact, 57% of people who watch nonprofit videos go on to make a donation .

Without a doubt, an impactful nonprofit video is one of the most effective tools in your belt for rallying support. I’m referring to those videos that showcase the remarkable journey from trial to triumph of an individual or group.

The best thing about video marketing is that it doesn’t have to be a full-scale production especially if you have limited marketing dollars. These days, shooting high-quality videos doesn’t have to cost an arm and leg. Short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram Reels are extremely popular ways to connect with your audience. All you need is a smartphone and good lighting to get started!

SEO… you’ve likely heard this acronym tossed around but what is it exactly?

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is another way to target your audience and expand your reach organically. How search engines work can seem like a mystery but SEO can help demystify it a bit. In short, search engines use algorithms that crawl, index, and rank websites. When a user enters a search query, a search engine will return content that best matches the query. 

Effective SEO means optimizing your website to show up at the top of search engine result pages (SERPs) when users enter keywords and phrases relevant to your mission. The higher you rank, the more often you show up – which means that users will be more likely to see and click on your link. Ultimately, the goal of SEO is to increase website traffic and subsequently bring in and convert donors .

If you haven’t made SEO a central part of your fundraising strategy yet, you should. This means making sure that you have relevant keywords that represent your brand, creating high-quality content, and mobile-optimizing your website. I can talk about SEO all day and it certainly deserves a dedicated article (or class) of its own. Luckily, there’s a webinar you can check out that breaks down how to build a sustainable SEO strategy.

Although it can take up to six months to see improvements in your search engine ranking, the long-term ROI proves that it’s an effective marketing and fundraising tactic. 

4. Set Your Fundraising Plan Goals

Your fundraising goals should be based on what funds you need to keep the organization operating.

Your goals are also the catalyst and “North Star” for all your fundraising activities.

It is best to start with what your costs were during the last three fiscal years. If that data isn’t available or you are a start-up, look to your estimated budget or check out the stats of similar organizations.

Jot down the precise amount you need for the upcoming year. Then, build on this goal. Do you see growth in your organization’s future? If so, increase your year-to-year goals based on your anticipated growth.

You’ll notice that the fundraising goal worksheet example above follows the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Here’s how to get SMART when charting out your goals: 

• Specific:   What will the goal accomplish?  How will it be accomplished?
• Measurable: How will you measure success? How will you know when you’ve accomplished your goal?
• Achievable:  Is it realistic and possible? Have others done it before?
• Relevant:  Is the goal relevant to the problem you’re trying to address?
• Time Bound: When do you expect to complete this goal?

5. Align With Your Mission

You’ve got the right team in place and a basic idea of the goals you need to meet. Now it is time to make sure these goals align with your nonprofit’s fundraising objectives.

Bust out that organizational mission statement. This statement should answer these questions:

• Why is your organization in operation?
• What types of change are you making in the world?

Base your fundraising plan on how these dollars are helping put your mission into action.

You aren’t just raising money. You are raising money to make a difference. So, dissect your mission statement and goals and align the two. Explain, in detail, how much money you need to accomplish everything in your mission.

6. Detail Your Methods

After you’ve aligned your goals and mission, it is time to describe exactly how you will be raising those funds. You want your fundraising plan to be so detailed that even those outside of the organization will be able to understand it!

List the types of fundraising techniques you will be using. Include strategies such as:

• Crowdfunding campaigns
• Face-to-face asks
• Phone calls
• Mail campaigns
• Email marketing campaigns
• Fundraising Events
• Thank-a-thon
• Grants and matching gifts
• Corporate giving and partnership development
• Recurring donation campaigns
• Month-long focus on endowments and planned giving
• Capital campaigns

(Be sure to also check out our comprehensive list of fundraising ideas for more inspiration.)

Then, list the steps you need to take before and after each of the above activities. You may need to train volunteers, get your materials ready, or talk to someone about setting up the campaign website. Take some time to really dive deep into each of your fundraising strategies.

Also, be sure to think of both short-term and long-term activities. What can you focus on now and what fundraising tactic can you expand if your organization needs additional funding?

7. Look at the Big Picture

Does your organization have a strategic plan? If so, you’ll want to make sure that your fundraising plan aligns with it. Creating 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year plans is a best practice in the nonprofit world, and you can do this with your fundraising plan as well.

Your 1-year fundraising plan should be very specific. Detail every fundraising activity you will engage in over the course of the year.

Your 3 and 5-year plans can be much broader. Highlight key activities for each month, as well as your ultimate goals. If you see your organization growing and needing additional resources in 5 years, then outline a basic schedule that includes the steps you need to take in order to meet this demand.

Also, be sure you’re tracking every cent of fundraising revenue from previous years, as this will help you create data-backed fundraising goals for the future.

8. Bust Out Your Fundraising Plan Calendar

You’ve written down all of your fundraising plan information in a document. Your team has come to an agreement on appropriate financial goals, aligned those with your mission, described your fundraising techniques in detail, and then put this information into 1, 3, and 5-year plans.

Now, it’s time to get out your calendar which will supplement your total fundraising plan. Your fundraising calendar will help you to stay on task throughout the year. Let’s say you are nearing the busiest time of the year for fundraising—the holidays.

Your calendar should detail all the steps you need to take before the “busy season” starts such as establishing your goal, website preparations, and volunteer training.

Mark down your hard deadlines, action deadlines, communication schedule, and your donor retention strategy schedule. Viewing these dates as inflexible will keep you on task, even if you have to make adjustments here and there.

Keep your fundraising calendar on hand at every development meeting. This is a great tool to keep your schedule and goals top of mind. Need to keep track of important dates that may be related to your cause? Check out NonProfit Tech for Good’s sample cause awareness day calendar .

Take a look at our article on creating a fundraising calendar for additional information on creating a stellar fundraising calendar. You’ll find a template and worksheet you can use to build your own calendar.

Your final fundraising plan is likely to change as your organization grows, and that is okay! It isn’t meant to be a static document.

You should never ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ in fundraising. You are setting yourself up for failure if you go this route. Taking the time to develop a thorough fundraising plan will pay off in dividends and help you and your fundraising team stay on-task for years to come.

9. Assemble the Troops

When it comes to planning, you definitely need all hands on deck, so figure out who needs to be involved in the process. After all, your development team may be in charge of fundraising, but it takes the entire organization to produce consistent results.

So, let’s get the right people sitting around the table. First, make sure that your board of directors is involved. Their input and support are necessary for this document to “go live.”

Small organizations may only have one or two employees, and it is, therefore, best to have your board there to advise you and get involved helping to create the plan.

Larger organizations that have many departments should focus on creating this plan with top-down support. Therefore, it is best to include the leadership team, the development department, and those working with communications and marketing.

If you are at a loss as to where to start, talk with a professional nonprofit consultant. They can get you started or even guide you through the process if you require extra help.

10. Determine & Delegate Activities

At this stage, it might seem like there’s so much to do and only so much time to do it in. Once you’ve got your team assembled, create a timeline to determine who’s doing what and when. Your timeline will be a roadmap for all your fundraising efforts and can include things like when to launch a campaign or when to schedule out social media posts.  

Make sure to review your timeline with your team to ensure that everyone’s on the same page and that it’s realistic. Chances are, your team members are saddled with other responsibilities so by divvying up activities, you can ensure that you’re not overwhelming them if they already have a heavy workload. 

Consider using a project management software to help with this process.

11. Perform a SWOT Analysis

As an additional level of assessment and to make sure nothing is slipping between the cracks, you may want to perform a SWOT analysis . When done correctly, a SWOT analysis can be an extremely powerful fundraising tool.

But what exactly is a SWOT analysis and why should you use it?

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning and evaluation tool that can provide direction by assessing your organization’s internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats). Below is a SWOT analysis template with sample questions in each domain:

A SWOT analysis takes a critical look at your operations, giving you a clearer idea of the overall health of your organization, how you’re doing compared to similar organizations, and areas where you can improve.

12. Segment and Strategize For Different Donor Types

When it comes to fundraising, personalization is key. You wouldn’t talk to a ten year old the same you would communicate to a thirty-year old. It’s the same concept with your donor base.

You donors aren’t a monolith so skip the generic communications and instead, segment and tailor your messaging for different donor types. One of the most common ways you’ll see a nonprofit segment donors is by gift amount. You could have a segment for small-dollar donors, mid-level donors, and major donors. Of course, it’s up to you to choose what the cutoff amount for each category is. 

Major Donors

The definition of a major donor will vary from organization to organization. For some, the criteria for a major donor could be anyone who gives $10K or more, while others may view anything above $1K as a substantial gift. Regardless of how you define who a major donor is, as a fundraising professional, you already know that they’re important, especially since 88% of all nonprofit funds come from just 12% of donors .

Mid-Level Donors

Similar to major donors, the amount threshold will vary based on your average gift size and donor base. Mid-level gifts can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.

Small-Dollar Donors

Small-dollar donors are just as important as mid-level or major donors. These are individuals providing $5, $25, or even $75 to your organization each year. Even if it may seem like a nominal amount, it’s still important to steward them well .

Once you’re done segmenting, make sure the messaging to your donor is appropriate for the amount they’ve given. If the most a donor has donated to your organization was $25, asking them for $1,000 doesn’t make a lot of sense and would likely turn them off. 

In a similar vein, small-dollar and mid-level donors have the best potential to be monthly recurring donors which can provide more value over a lifetime compared to a one-time donor who may donate a higher amount. Sometimes, breaking down a large amount into smaller chunks over time is more digestible and an easier ask for your donor.

For instance, Anne is a $25 donor but she donates to your cause every month. That’s $300 every year. Ben on the other hand is a $500 donor but he only gives once. Over the course of 3 years, Anne will have given $900 compared to Ben’s one-time gift of $500. While you still value and appreciate Ben’s gift, based on this, it’s worthwhile for you to focus on communicating recurring giving programs to your small-dollar and mid-level donor groups.

To maximize gift size while fully automating donation payments, CauseVox’s pledge donation option allows donors to make a donation pledge now and pay in designated installments. 

Other Ways to Segment

While segmenting by gift amount is popular and common, it’s not always the most personal approach. How much someone gives only tells you their giving capacity but it doesn’t provide much more information otherwise. You’re not going to know how often they give on average (propensity), why they gravitated to your cause, and what they care about (affinity). 

If you don’t want to segment by gift amount, you can always consider segmenting donors based on their level of involvement, their interests, or even by geography. For example, a volunteer will interact differently with your organization compared to someone who’s receiving services. Alternatively, you wouldn’t want to send the same messaging to a lapsed donor and to someone who engages with your organization regularly. 

When you’re attuned to the specificities of a donor (i.e. their interest and intent), you can make their donor journey way more meaningful. The possibilities are endless, so go wild!

13. Keep Everything Organized With the Right Software

The last step in your fundraising plan is to figure out how to keep everything organized. 

Are you cobbling together disparate donor information across multiple spreadsheets? Are you struggling to find the most recent version of a spreadsheet? Do you have spreadsheet fatigue? If the answer is a resounding ‘yes’, you’re not alone. It honestly sounds like a nightmare. 

Fortunately, there’s a better way. Whether you’re using Google Sheets or Excel, it is not remotely close to being a replacement for a dedicated donor database. When it comes to keeping everything organized, it’s time to ditch the spreadsheets and switch to a customer relationship management (CRM) software. CRMs are designed to help you track donor information, provide insights, and give you more control of your fundraising efforts. Of course, choosing the right software can make or break your fundraising plan. 

Let’s face it, there’s no shortage of fundraising software out there. If you’re trying to narrow down your options, here’s why you should choose CauseVox. Our fundraising platform is designed increase giving and reduce back-office tasks with features such as:

• Smart donation forms,
• Automated receipts,
• Donation tracking and insights,
• Built-in CRM to track and build donor relationships,
• Event ticketing,
• Customizable peer-to-peer and crowdfunding campaigns,
• And expert support delivered by real people

We’ve helped thousands of nonprofits simplify their fundraising and reach their goals. You’ve put in the blood, sweat, and tears all year. Let us help you make your job a little easier, all starting at an unbeatable cost of $0 . 

Download a comprehensive fundraising plan template:

Get started on causevox.

Book a demo to learn how CauseVox can help you maximize your digital fundraising in 2023 and beyond!

This post was updated in December 2023 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

Ultimate Guide To Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Customer Story: Spur Local Raises Over $1M With Their Give Local Campaign

Fundraising Strategies for Nonprofits: Craft the Best Approach for Your Organization

Create a Killer Fundraising Plan - Best Practices, Strategies, & Downloadable Template

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The Essential Guide to Writing a Fundraising Plan

• Fundraising
• Strategy/Planning

Easily Manage Your Donor & Fundraising Needs in Bloomerang!

Nonprofits with written fundraising plans consistently outperform organizations without them. However, many nonprofits lack these important guiding strategies . One study found that 37% of organizations with budgets under $1 million and 22% of organizations with budgets over $1 million don’t have a fundraising plan in place .

A fundraising plan defines clear goals, keeps your team on track, provides accountability, and ultimately helps you raise more for your cause. But where should you start when writing your plan?

In this quick guide, we’ll explain the crucial steps your team needs to take to build your fundraising plan.

6 steps to creating a fundraising plan

While every fundraising plan looks a bit different, they all involve the same planning steps and core components.

1. Assess past performance.

The first step in making a fundraising plan isn’t thinking about the future — it’s taking stock of your past. Establishing a baseline rooted in past successes and failures allows you to set measurable, realistic goals.

Look back at your previous fundraising initiatives and outreach campaigns to assess your strengths, challenges, and opportunities. Ask yourself these questions:

• Which fundraising sources offer the best return on investment?
• How well are we engaging with our donors?
• What were our donor retention and new donor acquisition rates?
• How many of our fundraising initiatives reached their goals?
• Who are our most loyal donors ? What do we want to learn from them, and how will we ask?

Answer these questions and review the data from past campaigns to understand where your organization currently stands and how you can build on past performance.

2. Define goals.

Writing down your goals encourages you to clarify objectives and identify the tasks and timeline needed to complete them. The best goals are SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Here are a few examples of SMART goals you might set for your organization:

• We will plan and launch a monthly giving program by September 1. We will engage at least 100 donors in the program.
• We will recruit two volunteers to join the board development committee. We will train them and have them in place by April 15.
• We will grow our donor base by 10% by June using direct mail appeals , social media posts, and our giving day campaign.
• We will improve overall donor retention by 5% (to 50% overall) by creating and implementing a donor-centered stewardship plan . This plan will include at least seven meaningful, personal thank you touches in a six-month period.

Define your goals by looking at your past performance and your nonprofit’s future growth plans. What can you reasonably achieve with the tools and capacity you currently have?

3. Update your case for support.

Your nonprofit’s case for support is the reason you give donors for why they should contribute to your cause. When building a fundraising plan, it helps to have a solid case for support you can rely on to craft your fundraising and marketing initiatives.

When you can organize your messaging around a guiding idea or theme, you’ll have an easier time communicating to donors about why they should support you and what their support will accomplish.

Refresh your organization’s case for support by:

• Conducting audience research. Has your organization’s audience evolved or grown recently? Conduct audience research to assess the demographics, interests, and motivations of your supporter base. This helps you ensure you’re creating a case for support that appeals to your unique audience.
• Incorporating storytelling. Centralizing your messaging around a single person or story helps you build empathy among your audience members. Use storytelling techniques , such as introducing the main character, the issue your organization is trying to address, and your proposed solution.
• Connecting donations to impact. Donors want to know that their contributions will actually make a difference. Make sure your message includes specific descriptions of how you’ll use donations. For instance, you might explain that a $100 gift can purchase supplies for 10 shelter dogs, or a monthly $20 donation helps keep your children’s after-school program running.

Once you’ve revamped your case for support, you can incorporate it into your email, social media, and direct mail campaigns, as well as your in-person donor meetings.

4. Identify fundraising methods.

What are the actual fundraising initiatives, campaigns, or events you’re going to launch in order to reach your defined goals? For example, you might decide to plan:

• Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns
• An auction/gala
• A social media challenge
• A fundraising 5K/Fun Run
• A direct mail campaign
• An email campaign
• A giving day/Giving Tuesday challenge

Choose your fundraising initiatives based on events and campaigns you’ve had the greatest success with in the past as well as what you think supporters will be most interested in moving forward. For instance, you might have held most of your fundraising events in person in the past, but recently discovered that supporters are interested in attending virtual or hybrid events . You can incorporate these event types more moving forward to appeal to supporters’ current preferences.

5. Prepare your marketing channels.

A strong fundraising plan also needs to include the marketing channels you’ll use to get the word out about your fundraising initiatives. These marketing channels might include:

• Social media
• Direct mail
• Your website
• Local news/radio

Review your donor profiles and marketing engagement analytics to determine your target audience’s preferred communication platforms. Then, focus your efforts on those channels to connect with the right people. This allows you to keep your focus on marketing channels that will deliver a higher return on investment (ROI) for your campaign.

6. Determine and assign responsibilities.

The next step in crafting your fundraising plan is assigning responsibilities to your staff, board members, and other volunteers and adding them to a calendar.

Your fundraising plan should clearly define:

• Each overall goal (fundraising amount to hit, donors to connect with, etc.)
• The individual, team, or department in charge of working toward that goal
• The associated fundraising initiatives you will launch to help reach that goal
• Benchmarks to hit along the way
• The events you will host to support that goal

With a clear plan, you ensure all team members are on the same page and aligned on your priorities. However, that doesn’t mean your plan has to be set in stone. Unexpected circumstances and challenges frequently arise throughout the course of carrying out any strategy, along with new opportunities you might not have thought of. Keep your plan flexible and adjust it as needed to account for these obstacles and opportunities.

Keep in mind that to carry out your fundraising plan effectively and efficiently, you’ll require the support of dedicated fundraising tools . This includes platforms like your:

• Nonprofit CRM to store and manage donor information, identify your most and least engaged donors, and pull fundraising reports
• Email marketing software to help create campaigns and analyze email engagement metrics
• Social media scheduling tools to help you develop an active social media presence
• Event planning software to plan and manage your fundraising events and volunteer staff
• Matching gift database tool to follow up with match-eligible donors and encourage them to submit matching gifts through their employers

If you’re lacking any of these solutions and looking to expand your technology stack, be sure to choose solutions that integrate with your existing software. This allows for streamlined data migrations and keeps all of your fundraising activities under one roof. Then, if you want to pull names from your donor database to create an event guest list, or create an email campaign to connect with match-eligible donors, you can easily do so.

Looking for more information about creating and carrying out an effective fundraising plan? Review Bloomerang’s additional resources on the topic:

• Fundraising Apps: 25+ Tools To Help Your Org Raise More . Interested in learning more about the best fundraising software tools available for nonprofits? This roundup reviews the most effective solutions and what they specialize in.
• Major Gifts: The Ultimate Guide to Kickstart Your Program . Acquiring major gifts requires a specialized, tailored fundraising strategy aimed at developing relationships with high-value donors. Use this guide to build your major gift fundraising program.
• The Ultimate Donor Engagement Guide + Top Strategies . Your fundraising plan must include a dedicated strategy for engaging with donors and developing stronger bonds. This guide provides top strategies for better donor engagement.

Bloomerang’s fundraising solutions help nonprofits build and launch effective fundraising plans.

Our tools help you raise more and create lasting change.

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Fundraising plan template: Your step-by-step guide

With our fundraising plan template, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about drafting your own campaign fundraising plan.

What does every nonprofit and charity have in common? They all need a fundraising plan for each campaign!

A fundraising plan template will help you organise and maximise your campaign’s success. It doesn’t matter what your organisation does, or who or what you’re raising money for. Without a strategic plan, you’ll be leaving money on the table.

Luckily, whether you’re planning a peer fundraising campaign or an active fundraising event like a 5k race, most fundraising plans follow a similar formula:

• Determine your desired outcome
• Set fundraising goals and benchmarks
• Define a budget
• Decide on a fundraising tactic
• Create a timeline
• Give your campaign a test run
• Market your event or campaign
• Launch your campaign
• Send out “thank yous” and analyse your results

Let’s explore each of the steps in a typical fundraising plan template, using a peer-to-peer campaign as an example. Keep in mind, this is for a single campaign, not your organisation’s overall fundraising strategy.

1. Determine Your Desired Outcome

Your fundraising campaign’s goals are really the heart of what your efforts are all about. In fact, you should consider them the foundation of your entire plan, from conception to completion .

Before you define your budget, audience, or fundraising goal, you should think about what you want to get out of your fundraising campaign. What are you hoping to do and achieve with the funds you raise? Are you looking to increase awareness and the engagement of your supporters? Who will benefit from your campaign? Which fundraisers and donors will you target as your intended audience?

Your desired outcome will serve as your campaign’s North Star, and will help you determine the rest of your decisions.

2. Set Fundraising Goals and Benchmarks

Let’s assume you’ve decided on a peer-to-peer campaign. If you do a specific annual fundraising campaign, you can look to your previous year’s metrics to get an idea of what your goals should be. If this is your first peer-to-peer campaign, no worries! As long as your goals are clearly defined, your chances of hosting a successful fundraising campaign will go way up.

We recommend setting SMART goals. This means they’re:

✅ Specific : Your goal should be precise ✅ Measurable : Your goal needs to be quantifiable ✅ Achievable : Your goal is realistic and you have the necessary resources ✅ Relevant : Your goal aligns with your overall efforts ✅ Time-Bound : Your goal has a set deadline

Let’s say your nonprofit is a breast cancer foundation. You formed it after surviving breast cancer, and every year host a walk-a-thon to raise money for cancer research. Last year, your nonprofit raised $22,000 and acquired 50 new donors.

Here are some examples of SMART goals:

Goal 1: Raise $25,000 for breast cancer research by hosting your annual walk-a-thon on Sept 7.

🎯 Specific : You want to raise $25,000 for breast cancer research during your annual walk-a-thon. 📈 Measurable : Your goal is measurable in dollars. 🏆 Achievable : Your nonprofit raised $22,000 last year. Increasing your fundraising revenue to $25,000 this year seems achievable. 🙌 Relevant : You’ve hosted walk-a-thons before to great success. 🗓 Time-Bound : You have until the end of Sept. 7 to achieve your goal.

Goal 2: Increase your number of new donors to 60 by the end of the walk-a-thon.

🎯 Specific : You want 60 new donors to give during your annual walk-a-thon. 📈 Measurable : Your goal is measurable in your number of new donors. 🏆 Achievable : You acquired 50 new donors last year. Acquiring 60 this year seems reasonable. 🙌 Relevant : You’ve hosted walk-a-thons before to great success. 🗓 Time-Bound : You have until the end of Sept. 7 to achieve your goal.

3. Define a Fundraising Budget

It’s time to crunch the numbers . As we just mentioned, it’ll come in handy to first review your budget and expenses from last year.

Create a spreadsheet that lists the items and costs of everything you need to budget for. Here are a few line items to consider:

• Fundraising platform costs (unless the platform is free )
• Personnel and administrative expenses
• Credit card processing fees
• Marketing costs (direct and indirect)
• Social media advertising
• Fundraising consultant fees

If this is your first campaign of this nature, do your research to estimate roughly how much each of these items may cost. Luckily with a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, you might find that a small budget can go a long way

4. Decide on a Fundraising Tactic

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself, your staff, and maybe even your active board members:

❓ What is your fundraising campaign’s message? It should be tangible, clear, concise, and emblematic of your organisation’s work.

❓ What type of fundraising campaign do you want to do? Are you planning a Facebook birthday fundraiser , social media challenge, grassroots community effort , etc.?

❓ Are you going to focus solely on individual donors or teams? Corporate sponsorships? Public figures or influencers? Some combination of the three?

❓ How will you encourage major donors to give more? Are you going to gamify your fundraiser by encouraging team members to compete against one another

to rank on a leaderboard? Will you entice them with major gifts for each donation level?

❓ What fundraising software will you use to track and quantify the success of your campaign?

The questions might feel endless at first, but they’re key to settling on a fundraising idea and getting the planning process started. Ultimately, you’ll be glad you spent the time preparing up front.

You may find yourself revisiting and updating your basic plan as you go, and that’s okay! Your answers to these questions are meant to give you direction — they’re not etched in stone … yet.

If you feel like you need a little help, we have multiple free campaign templates for you to use.

5. Create a Timeline

Now that you’ve identified your goals, budget estimates, and approach, it’s time to put everything together. Create a fundraising campaign timeline , and fill it out thoroughly with each step of the process to launch your campaign — remember, details matter!

Your timeline will serve as your team’s roadmap throughout your campaign and keep everything on track. Think of it as a checklist that you’ll complete to execute your fundraising efforts. This could include creating a campaign website , scheduling social media posts, sending email blasts, and obtaining donor prizes.

Review it with your team to ensure you’ve covered all your bases and your timeline is realistic, then assign tasks accordingly.

Pro tip: Sometimes it’s easier to start at your campaign’s launch date, then work backwards.

6. Give Your Campaign a Test Run

Go over your campaign before launching it to identify any potential errors. If something isn’t working, it’s better to fix it before, rather than during.

Review your event’s timeline, determine when you’ll engage with your donors, and what you’ll say. Ask your team for feedback, and make corrections as you go.

You should also test your idea with your regular, long-term donors and supporters to get their feedback. For a peer-to-peer campaign, they could offer some insight, like what attracts their followers, or how to clarify your overall message.

The more prepared you are, the more successful your efforts are likely to be.

7. Market Your Campaign

With your nonprofit fundraising campaign in place, it’s time to start marketing ! There are literally hundreds of ways to market to your current donors. For example, if you’re running a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, here are a few marketing tactics to consider:

📢 Create a landing page on your website highlighting your campaign, complete with an effective call to action and a user-friendly donation form .

📊 Create a wealth of organic content (copy, photos, videos, charts, graphs, etc.) to share on your website and social media.

📲 Post about your campaign on social media, and encourage your donor base to get their peers involved.

📝 Create an online petition, manifesto, or declaration to generate a list of potential donors prior to your campaign launch.

🧑🏽‍💻 Start an email marketing campaign. The average open rate for nonprofit emails is 25.17% , compared to the average open rate across a spectrum of industries, which is only 21.33%.

🗞 Contact media partners — like your local newspapers, radio, and other relevant sources — that may be inclined to boost your message.

8. Launch Your Campaign

You’re ready to launch! Congratulations! All your planning and hard work has led you to this point.

There are three key things you need to focus on at this point:

• Engage with your donors. This will help you leave a memorable impression and improve your donor retention rates.
• Have fun! If you’re enjoying yourself, your donors will, too — and in some cases, they’ll be inclined to donate more.
• Be flexible. Sometimes supporters will provide helpful feedback during your campaign, or you may need to make tweaks to adapt to changing circumstances. Also, it never hurts to have a back-up plan, just in case!

9. Send Out Thank-You Notes and Analyse Your Results

The final step to build into your fundraising plan is to thank donors. Thank your donors throughout the entire event, not just when they’re donating to your cause. After your fundraising event ends, thank them again for participating and share your campaign’s impact and success. Tell donors what you’ll be able to do with the funds raised, and stay upbeat, optimistic, and appreciative, even if you didn’t reach your goal (now you’ve got a goal for next year!).

In addition to thanking your donors, meet with your team and analyse the results of your fundraising efforts. Now that you have data, you can look back on every step of the campaign and determine what went well and what you can improve upon next time. The more you learn, the better chances you’ll have at running successful campaigns in the future.

A Fundraising Plan Template Can Organise Your Campaign

Not every campaign will emphasise each of the steps we’ve mentioned in this fundraising plan template, but it’s a general format that can help you map out your ideas. We know that planning a fundraising campaign can be a challenge. At Raisely, we’re simplifying the process with an all-in-one fundraising platform that provides plenty of tools to get a headstart on your next campaign, including easy website creation, a signature three-step donation form, and more.

Ready to create your next campaign?

Anthony Greer is a freelance content writer who crafts consistent, engaging, on-brand copy for nonprofits, real estate, and digital marketing agencies.

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Start » strategy, how to write a nonprofit business plan.

A nonprofit business plan ensures your organization’s fundraising and activities align with your core mission.

Every nonprofit needs a mission statement that demonstrates how the organization will support a social cause and provide a public benefit. A nonprofit business plan fleshes out this mission statement in greater detail. These plans include many of the same elements as a for-profit business plan, with a focus on fundraising, creating a board of directors, raising awareness, and staying compliant with IRS regulations. A nonprofit business plan can be instrumental in getting your organization off the ground successfully.

Start with your mission statement

The mission statement is foundational for your nonprofit organization. The IRS will review your mission statement in determining whether to grant you tax-exempt status. This statement also helps you recruit volunteers and staff, fundraise, and plan activities for the year.

[Read more: Writing a Mission Statement: A Step-by-Step Guide ]

Therefore, you should start your business plan with a clear mission statement in the executive summary. The executive summary can also cover, at a high level, the goals, vision, and unique strengths of your nonprofit organization. Keep this section brief, since you will be going into greater detail in later sections.

Identify a board of directors

Many business plans include a section identifying the people behind the operation: your key leaders, volunteers, and full-time employees. For nonprofits, it’s also important to identify your board of directors. The board of directors is ultimately responsible for hiring and managing the CEO of your nonprofit.

“Board members are the fiduciaries who steer the organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by making sure the nonprofit has adequate resources to advance its mission,” wrote the Council of Nonprofits.

As such, identify members of your board in your business plan to give potential donors confidence in the management of your nonprofit.

Be as realistic as possible about the impact you can make with the funding you hope to gain.

Describe your organization’s activities

In this section, provide more information about what your nonprofit does on a day-to-day basis. What products, training, education, or other services do you provide? What does your organization do to benefit the constituents identified in your mission statement? Here’s an example from the American Red Cross, courtesy of DonorBox :

“The American Red Cross carries out their mission to prevent and relieve suffering with five key services: disaster relief, supporting America’s military families, lifesaving blood, health and safety services, and international service.”

This section should be detailed and get into the operational weeds of how your business delivers on its mission statement. Explain the strategies your team will take to service clients, including outreach and marketing, inventory and equipment needs, a hiring plan, and other key elements.

Write a fundraising plan

This part is the most important element of your business plan. In addition to providing required financial statements (e.g., the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement), identify potential sources of funding for your nonprofit. These may include individual donors, corporate donors, grants, or in-kind support. If you are planning to host a fundraising event, put together a budget for that event and demonstrate the anticipated impact that event will have on your budget.

Create an impact plan

An impact plan ties everything together. It demonstrates how your fundraising and day-to-day activities will further your mission. For potential donors, it can make a very convincing case for why they should invest in your nonprofit.

“This section turns your purpose and motivation into concrete accomplishments your nonprofit wants to make and sets specific goals and objectives,” wrote DonorBox . “These define the real bottom line of your nonprofit, so they’re the key to unlocking support. Funders want to know for whom, in what way, and exactly how you’ll measure your impact.”

Be as realistic as possible about the impact you can make with the funding you hope to gain. Revisit your business plan as your organization grows to make sure the goals you’ve set both align with your mission and continue to be within reach.

[Read more: 8 Signs It's Time to Update Your Business Plan ]

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6 Simple Fundraising Plan Tips [With Free Templates!]

Your nonprofit’s fundraising plan is the backbone of your success as an organization.

Without a solid fundraising plan in place, there would be nothing to guide your fundraising efforts and no way to tell if your nonprofit is on track to meet your goals.

Before implementing any change in fundraising strategy, you need to have an official fundraising plan in place. To get you started, here are 6 simple tips to consider:

• Gain fundraising plan input from key stakeholders.
• Develop goals (and challenges)!
• Set a fundraising plan timeline.
• Determine your fundraising methods.
• Build corporate partnerships into your fundraising plan.
• Tailor your case for support.

Bonus! Once your fundraising plan is in place, you should periodically assess your strategy. Check out Double the Donation’s ultimate fundraising strategy assessment to stay ahead of the curve!

Ready to get started on your fundraising plan? Let us break these tips down into a bit more detail.

1. Gain fundraising plan input from key stakeholders.

Stakeholders are an important part of your nonprofit’s team. Not only do they help fund your organization’s philanthropy, but they typically have final say over big-picture fundraising decisions.

Since a fundraising plan outlines a nonprofit’s key activities, it is important to get support from these board members and other key stakeholders.

There are a couple of ways you can gain input from your stakeholders:

• Experiential input. You can ask stakeholders directly about what fundraising strategies have worked well for your nonprofit in the past. Inquire about past fundraising activities, strengths and weaknesses. Take their feedback into consideration and be sure to demonstrate to them how you address their input.
• Consultant interviews. You might find it helpful to bring in a fundraising consultant . They can conduct stakeholder interviews to determine what is most important to your board and how to get everyone on the same page when designing your fundraising plan.

Remember: Your nonprofit’s board members are just as passionate about your organization’s mission as you are. Do not think of their approval as a bureaucratic hurdle to overcome, but rather an important step towards improving your fundraising plan.

2. Develop goals (and challenges)!

When designing your fundraising plan, your final product should reflect your nonprofit’s primary goals above all else.

It is easy to fall into the trap of vaguely fundraising without an endpoint in sight, but to stay on track your nonprofit needs to actively work toward a defined set of central goals.

Before designing your fundraising plan, your nonprofit needs to sit down and agree upon what goals to prioritize across all levels of your organization. Your goals should be:

• Specific, actionable, and measurable. Do not just decide to increase fundraising revenue, or plan to retain more donors. Set numeric benchmarks and timelines, and decide how you will tackle these goals.
• Evaluated against metrics. You cannot accurately assess your progress towards achieving a goal without having metrics in place to track your success. Diligently monitor consistent metrics so you can see how well you are improving and when you need to make changes to your fundraising plan.

( Bonus tip! Be sure to collect valuable data when carrying out your fundraising plan to help evaluate these metrics and shape your future fundraising plans. Check out Fundly’s guide to nonprofit CRMs for an idea of how your nonprofit can maximize the power of your donor database to improve your fundraising strategy.)

Additionally, one way to help your nonprofit stay on track is to identify upfront what potential challenges or obstacles you will face in the process of achieving your goals.

Some obstacles you might encounter could be:

• Seasonal fundraising dry spells
• Low donor retention
• Failure to obtain major gifts
• Poor fundraising event attendance
• Inadequate online engagement

For example, an animal shelter that wants to increase donor retention by X% over the summer months might identify the challenge of supporters being less engaged during this season since they may be traveling or caring for children on summer vacation. To reach their goal, they’ll need to recognize this challenge and develop strategies to overcome it.

Remember: Use your nonprofit’s history to guide you in identifying roadblocks and deciding on goals. Every nonprofit has its unique strengths and weaknesses and when designing a fundraising plan, it is important to know going in what is reasonable to expect from your organization.

3. Set a fundraising plan timeline.

Staying on top of your goals also means staying on top of your fundraising plan’s timeline.

Fundraising plans typically plot out a 3-5 year timeline for your nonprofit, with the first year being very detailed and the following years becoming less defined.

Your fundraising plan’s timeline should be developed into an annual fundraising calendar that details the year’s worth of activities for your organization.

When developing your timeline, keep a few things in mind:

• Milestones. Structure your timeline around a set of core milestones. These will both guide your progress and help you regularly assess your fundraising strategy.
• Accountability. Your timeline (and subsequently, your fundraising calendar) should clearly identify what departments are responsible for individual fundraising activities. This will help keep the different arms of your nonprofit on track and help your departments prioritize tasks throughout the year.
• Accessibility. Your timeline and calendar should be easily accessible to all members of your team, regardless of their department or role. Every team member should be aware of what other departments are up to; this way, they will have a better sense of the big picture of your organization and how your core fundraising goals are being achieved.

Not sure where to start when designing your fundraising plan timeline? Consider enlisting the help of a fundraising consulting firm. If you need a recommendation, DonorSearch has got you covered with their list of the top 11 fundraising consulting firms in the field!

Remember: During the design process, your fundraising timeline should be as specific as possible and you should hold yourself to the timeline as much as you can. However, if you find you are not progressing as quickly as you had planned, identify the roadblock and always give yourself room to edit the timeline if necessary.

4. Determine your fundraising methods.

A common thread among these tips has been specificity and when plotting out your fundraising plan, it is doubly important to specifically determine your fundraising methods.

It is not sufficient to simply say you will raise $XXX by such-and-such date. You need to plan out how you will raise that money and from whom you will solicit donations.

Fundraising is not a one size fits all process, and you should curate your fundraising methods with your prospects in mind. For example, consider these fundraising methods and how they serve prospects:

• Online donation pages. If your donors cannot all come to you, meet them where they are. Online donation is simply convenient; for nonprofits interested in prospects in varying geographical locations, utilizing optimized online donation tools is a must.
• P2P fundraising. For nonprofits seeking to grow their network of donors, P2P fundraising is a great way to engage constituents online and leverage the power of their social network to help your organization reach a broader audience.
• Text-to-give. Mobile giving is a fundraising style that has been growing in popularity over the last several years. Like online donation pages, text-to-give fundraising makes it convenient for donors to give. Additionally, because donors are not tied to a desktop, they may consider donating more frequently.
• Fundraising events. A strategic fundraising event help you engage donors and bring in major donations, too! Just make sure you plan out your fundraiser well in advance so you have plenty of time to consider important elements, such as the type of event, when and where to host it, and  what technology you’ll need to pull it off.

Remember: You should consult your nonprofit’s existing data when determining which prospects to pursue and which fundraising methods best serve your prospect pool. Consider past data and metrics when determining fundraising methods, as well as what has worked for other nonprofits of a similar donor makeup and mission as yours.

5. Build corporate partnerships into your fundraising plan.

Corporate partnerships can be important sources of revenue and support for nonprofits.

When designing your fundraising plan, develop a strategy that will help you achieve corporate partnership so that you do not bypass such a valuable asset.

If you already are partnered with a corporation, consider these ways to leverage that relationship during the fundraising plan design process:

• Event sponsorship. Your corporate partner could agree to sponsor a fundraising event for your nonprofit. With their name and notoriety attached, prospects may be more inclined to participate in your fundraiser.
• Challenge grants. Your corporate partner might be amenable to offering your nonprofit a challenge grant. With a challenge grant, your organization and your partner agree upon a specific fundraising goal. If the goal is met, they might match the amount of funding raised or commit to donating an agreed-upon sum.
• Matching gifts.  One of the simplest ways to incorporate corporate philanthropy into your fundraising strategy is to seek out a matching gift tool. In a matching gifts program, a corporation agrees to match the donations of their employees either to a certain percentage of the donation or to a consistent maximum value.  With a tool like this one offered by Double the Donation,  donors can quickly determine whether their donation might be matched by their employer.

Take a look at DTD’s matching gift tool in action! The donor simply types the name of their company into the tool, and then DTD searches their database to see if they are matching gift-eligible.

Remember: Every nonprofit has unique needs and that extends to any relationship you have with corporate sponsors. You do not have to go after a partnership with a multi-million dollar company if that does not suit the scope of your organization. Partnering with small local businesses can get the job done, especially for regionally-focused nonprofits.

6. Tailor your case for support.

Your case for support underpins the success of your nonprofit, but it is often taken for granted when designing fundraising strategy.

Organizations and hospitals often create cases for support when they launch a capital campaign. These documents outline every detail of the campaign from how the funds will be used to the ways supporters can contribute.

Moreover, the case for support acts as an effective promotional tool to help educate potential donors on the importance of your cause. The content in your case for support can easily be posted on your website or published in a brochure.

While they’re common practice for capital campaigns, organizations should create a case for support as a part of any fundraising strategy.

Donors will not give to your organization unless you have a compelling case for support, so you need to take the time to thoughtfully develop your case.

Your case for support should answer these important questions:

• What is our mission?
• Why should donors give to this cause?
• Why should they give to our organization in particular?
• How much should donors give?
• What specifically will our nonprofit do to achieve our mission?

At all levels of engagement, your nonprofit should actively communicate with donors the ways that your fundraising strategy addresses your case for support. The more compelling your case, the more likely it is that donors will give to your organization.

Remember: Your case for support should govern your fundraising strategy. Just as you should choose fundraising methods that target your prospects, you should similarly design your fundraising plan with your case for support as a foundation.

Your fundraising plan is the single most important tool in your arsenal when enacting a new fundraising strategy. Get closer to achieving your nonprofit’s fundraising goals by designing a detailed fundraising plan today!

Additional Resources

• Conduct a Fundraising Feasibility Study: 6 Steps to Success.  Capital campaigns can help your nonprofit reach larger goals as part of an effective fundraising plan. But first, you need to conduct a capital campaign feasibility study before your campaign can begin. With our step-by-step guide, your feasibility study is sure to give you the information you need to succeed!
• Top 5 GoFundMe Alternatives.  After developing a fundraising plan, your nonprofit may decide to pursue crowdfunding as a way to meet your fundraising goals. You might initially consider GoFundMe as a crowdfunding host, but don’t make your choice so quickly. There are many other crowdfunding sites just like GoFundMe (but better)! Check out our guide for some awesome alternatives.
• 14 Charity Auction Tools.  Similarly, your nonprofit might choose to hold a charity auction as a fundraising event. Not only are auctions great ways to raise funding, but they’re also useful events to strengthen your donor relations. Be sure to consult our guide to the 14 best charity auction tools that are perfect for nonprofits of any size!

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• Responsive Fundraising

How To Design A Nonprofit Fundraising Plan

• February 21, 2021

A nonprofit fundraising plan is your guide to raising the money you need for your mission, with a focus on both acquiring new donors and nurturing repeat donors. It’s how you bring the numbers from your annual budget into the real world and go from listing goals to describing how you’ll achieve them.

Planning how you’ll raise money is essential. A fundraising plan that describes what you’re going to do, what you won’t do, and roughly when you’ll do it can help you focus your efforts and work towards your goals proactively. It’s also a critical tool for unifying your team.

What Exactly is a Fundraising Plan?

A fundraising plan is a document that describes your fundraising goals—including strategies for securing recurring donations and the specific methods you’ll use to reach these objectives. It’s a map to follow and measure your progress against during the year. It includes key dates, campaigns, events, and fundraising activities, along with goals and roles for fundraisers.

Without a  formal fundraising plan , it’s easy to get off track—potentially missing opportunities to re-engage lapsed donors. While your plan should remain flexible enough to incorporate lessons learned and new data, it also needs to be firm enough to guide your activities, including strategies to reconnect with those who have previously supported your mission. Otherwise, you risk getting overwhelmed by your goals or derailed by every passing opportunity.

Fragmentation, distraction, and losing sight of priorities all ultimately impact revenue. With a fundraising plan, you can avoid these risks and steer your organization to pursue goals with specific strategies and tactics.

Your Fundraising Strategic Plan

If your organization has engaged in a strategic planning process, you already have many of the skills needed to create a fundraising plan and know the value of a plan to unite an organization. Your fundraising plan doesn’t just detail how you’ll raise money over a specific period of time—it can bring everyone involved in fundraising at your organization together. Think of it as a fundraising strategic plan, designed to set the course and keep everyone headed in the same direction.

Like a nonprofit strategic plan, a fundraising strategic plan works best when all stakeholders participate in its creation. While you probably won’t need everyone to work directly on creating the plan, getting insight from across the organization can help you make a better plan. A development associate who focuses on data entry and acknowledgment will have a different perspective on your donor appreciation process than your executive director. A board member may have experience with other organizations that you can learn from.

To begin your planning process, invite input from everyone involved in fundraising at your organization. Share your budget goals for this year and your fundraising results from last year, so that everyone can come to the discussion with the same information. Identify who the decision makers are, but invite insight and ideas from others.

Questions to ask in this fundraising strategic plan brainstorming discussion include:

• Which elements of our fundraising are most successful? Why do we think that is?
• What do our existing donors respond to the most?
• What opportunities are available to us?
• What isn’t working well?
• Which fundraising activities have the highest and lowest ROI?
• Do we need to give something up to try something new?

The value of this kind of fundraising strategic plan discussion extends beyond the plan you create. In addition to giving you a broader view of your fundraising, it can set the tone for more conversations about fundraising that are based on data and effectiveness, part of building a culture of fundraising at your organization.

What are the Elements of a Good Fundraising Plan?

Once you’ve heard from your stakeholders, you can start the actual plan. To create a comprehensive fundraising plan, you’ll need:

Your budget:  Use your nonprofit’s annual budget as the guide for goal-setting and targets. Before you can make a plan, you need to know what you’re trying to hit.

A calendar:  Divide the year into manageable chunks. Make sure your calendar accounts for holidays, local events, and other major activities at your organization to avoid double-booking yourself or competing against other goals or entities.

A breakdown of revenue goals:  You can get to your big goal, but you can only take one bite at a time. Break your goal into bite-sized pieces–quarterly, monthly, maybe even weekly.

A description and schedule of fundraising strategies:  What are you doing? When will you do it? Describing your strategy in the plan will help keep everyone on the same page.

An assignment of roles and responsibilities:  Who will be responsible for what? Are certain projects or strategies “owned” by one person in the organization? Spell it all out to manage expectations and accountability.

Assess Your Current Fundraising Benchmarks

If you’ve ever hiked a trail, you know the value of a “You Are Here” point on a map. It helps you understand everything around you so you know how to proceed. In the same way, a good fundraising plan has to take where you’re starting into account.

What’s working? What isn’t? Where do you spend the most time? Where are the opportunities to grow?

Whenever possible, use data to guide your assessment rather than your own feelings or preferences. Often, your gut can tell you things that data will prove wrong, like “everyone hates getting phone calls” or “direct mail seems to be over.” Look for the numbers:

• What is your donor retention rate?
• What is your donor lifetime value? How does this vary by donor segment?
• How much money are you spending to raise a dollar?
• Which fundraising activities have the highest ROI?

With this information in place, your goals can be much more precise.

Consider taking a “zero-based” planning approach, even if you only do it as a thought exercise. What would your plan look like if you started from the absolute beginning instead of with what’s always been done?

For a moment, clear your mind of what’s come before, all of the “well, we have to..” and “our donors expect us to…” and look at your priorities. If today was the first day of trying to reach those priorities, what actions would you take? What would you leave behind?

If you don’t have the real option to clean the slate completely, a zero-based planning approach can still be useful because it can help you discover what’s truly essential. This can help you know where to put the most time and effort, even if you don’t have the buy-in or authority to cut activities completely.

Fundraising Strategies: The Donor Growth POT

The Donor Growth POT is a way to organize your fundraising strategies. It focuses on your highest priorities and presents your fundraising activities in a simple and deliberate way.

The Donor Growth POT has four components: Priorities:  What are the most important things? Plays:  What are you going to do? Omissions:  What aren’t you going to do? Targets:  What is the goal? How will you know you hit it?

Use the Donor Growth POT to plan quarterly or even monthly, and you’ll have a solid framework to guide your future work and decisions.

Determining Priorities

Raising the money you need for your nonprofit to pursue its mission is the ultimate goal, but identifying specific priorities within that goal will help refine your plan. For organizations trying to grow giving, these will most likely fall into three categories, which all drive growth.

Retention:  How you’ll inspire loyalty from your current donors Acquisition:  How you’ll engage new donors Cultivation:  How you’ll engage all your donors to grow giving

Setting these priorities, including focusing on increasing the percentage of donors actively contributing, will help inform everything that follows in your plan and ensure that you spend your time on activities that serve your goals.

A play is an action or activity you’ll undertake to get towards your goal. Plays are where the rubber meets the road. Until you choose plays, your plan will be largely theoretical; plays are where you put the plan into practice. What, exactly, are you going to do?

If you’re prioritizing donor retention, for example, you might choose plays like creating a  donor welcome series  or launching a thank you campaign. If you’re pursuing cultivation, you may choose to engage donors with personalized donor journeys, or more relevant communications. Tie each play with a priority and make sure the play relates to achieving it.

Before committing to a play, it’s worth analyzing if it’s the best way to reach the priority you’ve chosen. Is there another play that might accomplish the same thing in a better way that uses fewer resources, takes less time, or has a higher ROI?

For example, many nonprofits run large donor impact events as a cultivation play. However, upon examination, they might find that they’d actually raise more and create more meaning for donors with a strong  monthly giving program  or even simply by segmenting their communications more specifically. If the event is never questioned, it will stay on the calendar, taking up time that could perhaps be spent better elsewhere.

There are a lot of good fundraising ideas out there, but not every one of them is right for you right now to reach your goals. By naming what you won’t do, you clarify things for everyone.

Every organization has limits on time and resources. You may find some activities would stretch your team too thin or simply aren’t possible with your existing technology. Others may be more suitable for later down the road—once you’ve completed your current plays.

It’s harder to get distracted by a play’s potential when you’ve specifically said you’re not going to do it. So, if you determine that paid lists are not where you’re putting your budget or energy, you won’t have to decide again at the time you’d normally rent the list. You already know the answer.

Likewise, describing what you’re not doing stops you from getting pulled into every fundraising idea that comes up. Instead of automatically going wherever the loudest voice suggests, you have the basis for a discussion: “We didn’t plan to do that—what is the value of changing our minds?”

Listing your omissions is a good way to avoid misunderstandings on your team and across the organization. People may make assumptions, especially about legacy plays, i.e. “We always do the gala/summer mailing/return address labels!” When you put it down in writing that something isn’t happening, you save people from being surprised and help them work towards the same thing.

How will you know if you’re making progress toward your priorities? By establishing targets to meet along the way. Translating your priorities into numbers will help you understand if your plays are working and show you where you need to correct your course.

Targets make your fundraising plan measurable. The more detailed and specific you can be, the better. “Retain more donors” is a good general hope, but it can’t be measured. “ Increase donor retention by 10% ” can be. Even if you don’t hit the target, you’ll be able to tell how close you got. That’s good data for analyzing how effective your plays are–there’s a big difference between retaining 4% and 9%, for example.

As you think about targets, the SMART goals framework is a good way to stay realistic. SMART goals are:

Specific:  You almost can’t get too granular when setting targets Measurable:  You should be able to answer “did we meet this target?” with a yes or no. Achievable:  Stretching is good, but don’t set a goal you’d need to work miracles to reach. Relevant:  Your target should relate directly to the priority you’re trying to achieve Time-Based:  Every target needs a deadline.

Targets to guide your plan can be: Financial:  How much money you want to raise from a particular effort. Retention-Based:  Percentage of donors retained, year-over-year changes in your retention rate. Engagement-Based:  Attendees at an event, lists subscribed to, emails opened, video views, links clicked. Process-Based:  Shortened response time to donor questions, following up with every social media comment, making a certain number of calls, and hosting a certain number of meetings.

Fundraising Plan Example

Using the Donor Growth POT, here’s what a nonprofit fundraising plan might look like for a quarter.

In this fundraising plan example, the nonprofit has made acquisition, retention, and cultivation their highest priorities. They chose three plays for each priority, clearly identified their omissions, and chose SMART goals for their targets. The plan is lean, with each action directly related to achieving priorities.

The number of plays you can implement and the kinds of targets you can reach will be determined by organizational capacity. This includes available staff, your fundraising budget, and your available technology. Even if you have a large staff and abundant resources, there is power in focus. Choosing 3 top priorities, with 3-5 plays and 3-5 targets associated with them, will allow you to put all your energy where it can make the most difference.

How Do I Make a Responsive Fundraising Plan?

Here’s a hard truth about making a fundraising plan: You can make a plan that checks all the boxes, but without a responsive fundraising approach, you won’t get the results you’re hoping for.

The world has changed, and donor preferences, habits, and trends have shifted along with it. Today’s donors want authentic and meaningful relationships with the nonprofits they support. They want personalized interactions, communication on their own terms, and to make a difference and be part of the causes they care about. Mass messaging, impersonal interactions, and organization-focused communications simply don’t work the way they used to.

Responsive fundraising is a fundraising approach that puts the donor at the center. Instead of pushing their own agenda, nonprofits listen to their supporters, connect them to their stories, and make suggestions for the next most meaningful action for the donor to take. Using the tools of automation, they take donors on personal journeys at scale. They give every donor the kind of individual experience that used to be reserved only for major donors.

The responsive fundraising framework has three elements, each of which should influence your fundraising plan: listen, connect, and suggest.

The first step to making your fundraising plan responsive is to listen to your donors and observe their signals. What are they telling you? You might find this out in direct conversation—or see it in emails opened, links clicked, website behavior, or social media listening.

Before you create a fundraising plan, consider the needs and wants of your donors. It may not make sense to plan a massive phone call thank you campaign to donors who have never answered the phone when you’ve called, or invest in increasing your presence on a social media platform your donors don’t use. On the other hand, if your donors are watching every video you make, making more of them might be a good idea.

When you start with listening, everything that follows is more likely to resonate with your donors. By keeping a measure of how many donors are actively engaging, you can gauge the effectiveness of your strategies—ultimately increasing loyalty, satisfaction, and revenue. Spending time on this stage of the framework early saves you time later.

Once you’re listening, you’ll be able to create plays that connect your audience with your story and connect givers with the good they’re getting done. Connection is how you make your organization relevant to donors, and is one of the biggest values nonprofits offer their supporters.

Donors want to feel part of something bigger than themselves and to know that they’re making a difference in the causes they care about. As you choose your plays, think about how they’ll bridge the gap between your audience and your work. How can you use these plays to tell stories, share inspiration, and build community with your supporters? How can you carry on this conversation everywhere your donors encounter you across channels?

For example, if your biggest priority is to engage new donors immediately and move them towards that all-important second gift, your play might be to start an automated  new donor welcome series . By filling it with stories and gratitude and showing the new donor what they’re helping to do, you can use the series to foster connection and deepen the relationship. That’s a connection play.

Connecting donors to your story leads to the next step: making suggestions for the next action you want each donor to take. Suggestions are invitations based on donor signals and engagement. Once you see what your supporters are most interested in and care most about, you can invite them to take another step to deepen their commitment.

In your fundraising plan, your suggestions can relate to plays and targets. Your suggestion may be a financial “ask,” that is directly tied to your revenue goals. It could also be inviting a supporter to an event (one of your cultivation plays), asking them to subscribe to your email list (a retention play), or share your content with a friend (an acquisition play). These suggestions could then result in more attendance (target: increasing YOY), growing your email list (target: reaching a certain number of subscribers), or new donors making a first gift (target: number of new donors acquired).

Building a Fundraising Plan for Action

To make sure your fundraising plan is useful in the real world and doesn’t gather dust on the shelf, you have to plan for action. The Donor Growth POT will get you started making your strategies clear and achievable, but to super-charge your plan’s effectiveness, consider the systems, processes, and people necessary to put the plan in practice.

What systems and platforms will I use in the fundraising plan?

Your nonprofit systems and platforms will influence your fundraising plan. For instance, without some kind of donor management software, it will be hard to create donor journeys. Without marketing automation, a  multi-channel strategy  will be difficult to pull off. Without a responsive nonprofit CRM, taking a responsive fundraising approach is less feasible.

What systems and platforms are at your disposal? How are they working? Will they help you grow your fundraising or are they getting in the way?

What does my fundraising plan look like in action?

What does the day-to-day pursuit of your plan look like? How often will you measure your progress? Who is responsible for each play? When, exactly, are activities happening? When you make these decisions as part of the planning process, everyone will be able to hit the ground running in the right direction.

Make sure your plan includes:

A fundraising plan without roles can lead to confusion and redundant work. Spelling out who is doing what and is responsible for which targets will make things run much more smoothly, circumvent conflict, and give staff confidence that they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing.

Much of the time, you’ll find that your staff’s jobs and your plan’s plays align in an obvious way, like the communications manager being responsible for your email newsletter or your Major Gifts Officer setting up a major donor coffee date. However, this isn’t always the case. Make sure there aren’t any unclaimed plays just because they don’t directly fit with someone’s job. Where do responsibilities overlap, and how will you assign work in those cases?

As you plan, look for potential collaborations between staff members. There will be projects and plays that require more than one person, and identifying them ahead of time lets staff plan better and take more ownership of their role instead of feeling suddenly “pulled in.” Does the Chief Development Officer need to identify potential donors to interview so the Communications Manager can write a newsletter article? Should they do the interview together because the donor’s primary relationship is with the CDO? You won’t be able to flag every instance in advance, but keep an eye out for what you can predict.

Check-In Dates

Check-in dates are what keeps your fundraising strategic plan off that old dusty shelf. Build them directly into your plan to keep things running on schedule.

Start checking on your progress early and regularly to avoid surprises. If you’re monitoring your efforts on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, you won’t get to the end of the quarter and discover you’ve spent three months on an activity that isn’t working. While monitoring your efforts doesn’t guarantee you’ll hit every goal, it does guarantee you won’t be blindsided when you miss (or dramatically exceed!) one.

A deadline alone only gives you one piece of data–did we reach the target on time, or didn’t we? Frequent assessment throughout the process gives you more to work with. You can determine if there are trends in donor responses, pinpoint particularly effective plays, or see where engagement dropped off. With this kind of data, you can make better decisions for the future and course-correct in real time.

Different activities will have different timelines. An ongoing campaign to increase your email subscribers may benefit from a monthly check-in, while a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign might require more frequent assessments. When assigning check-in dates in your plan, err on the side of too many rather than not enough. It’s better to have nothing new to report than to have a deadline sneak up on you.

Raise More With a Responsive Fundraising Plan

A fundraising plan is a guide and a roadmap, but it’s powered by the people, processes, and platforms that get the work done. Do your platforms support your people and processes?

How much more effectively could you run your processes and empower your people with a nonprofit CRM that’s built for responsive fundraising? What would tackling your fundraising plan be like?  Find out with Virtuous.

What you should do now

Below are three ways we can help you begin your journey to building more personalized fundraising with responsive technology..

Take a self-guided tour of Virtuous , where you can explore the platform at your own pace and see if Virtuous is right for you. 

Download our free Responsive Maturity Model and learn the 5 steps to more personalized donor experiences.

If you know another nonprofit pro who’d enjoy reading this page, share it with them via Email , Linkedin , Twitter , or Facebook .

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The Ultimate Guide to Nonprofit Fundraising

Learn about the legalities of nonprofit fundraising, the different ways to raise money, and how to build a simple fundraising strategy for your organization.

NONPROFIT MARKETING + FUNDRAISING TRENDS REPORT

Statistics, trends, and insights for nonprofit organizations.

Updated: 11/16/22

Published: 11/16/22

Nonprofit fundraising is exciting. It’s the lifeblood of charitable organizations and can serve as a way to raise awareness of a cause and drum up interest among donors.

Fundraising is also a massive undertaking. Because it’s likely your primary means of income as a charitable organization, raising money can be a burdensome, never-ending effort. It can even seem scary.

But it shouldn’t. Great fundraising can (and should!) be learned and mastered. Building a nonprofit fundraising plan is the best way to equip your volunteers, avoid fundraising pitfalls, and create a sustainable organization.

That’s why we built this guide. Below, you’ll read about the legalities of nonprofit fundraising, the different ways to raise money, and how to build a simple fundraising strategy. Keep reading to get started or use the chapter links to jump ahead.

What is Nonprofit Fundraising?

Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas

Nonprofit fundraising strategy, what is nonprofit fundraising.

Nonprofit fundraising refers to the process of gathering money to support a nonprofit or charitable organization. Nonprofits can fundraise through various digital and traditional means and engage both individuals and corporations to provide a variety of ways to donate.

Nonprofit organizations can be philanthropic, religious, educational, artistic, or scientific in nature. Some churches and universities qualify as nonprofit organizations as they don’t keep a profit — any money received is spent on its cause or on maintaining the organization itself.

Fundraising is often the primary means of revenue for these organizations. That’s one reason why nonprofits and charitable organizations dedicate so many resources to it.

The other reason is to meet the requirements of the public support test , among other nonprofit fundraising rules.

To qualify as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (meaning, donations are tax-deductible with a donation receipt ), a nonprofit organization has to receive a “substantial portion of its income” from the public … hence the public support test. Non-exempt organizations can still raise money, but their donors won’t be able to write off their donations as a tax deduction.

Nonprofit fundraising is heavily regulated by state law. This holds organizations accountable for how they approach and treat donors, and it ensures donors are giving money to the proper parties.

Before soliciting any donations, organizations must register with the state government in whichever state they’re operating. If the organization goes to another state to fundraise, they’ve got to register there, too. Also, if an organization hires a fundraising consultant or grant writer , he or she must also register with the state. (TL;DR: Fundraising requires lots of registration.)

Cause-related marketing, also known as commercial co-ventures, are also regulated by law . Commercial co-ventures exist when a nonprofit organization makes an arrangement with a business to receive a percentage of sales. This also refers to when two charitable nonprofits that agree to sell something together and jointly benefit from profits. We talk more about these below .

Overall, all nonprofit organizations should follow ethical fundraising practices . The IRS doesn’t enforce specific structural policies, but it highly encourages certain management and operational practices so organizations can better “obey the tax laws, safeguard charitable assets, and serve charitable interests”.

Note: This legal information is not the same as legal advice, where an attorney applies the law to your specific circumstances, so we insist that you consult an attorney if you’d like advice on your interpretation of this information or its accuracy. In a nutshell, you may not rely on this as legal advice, or as a recommendation of any particular legal understanding.

Understanding the legalities of nonprofit fundraising can help you navigate the wide variety of fundraising methods — which ones you can and can’t do, and which ones are best for your charitable organization and donors.

There are many options when it comes to raising money for a nonprofit — however, there are two major ways to raise money: individual fundraising or company and corporation fundraising . 

As you review these types of fundraising — and the different ideas behind how to raise money within both categories — don't be afraid to combine some of the methods, or use the multi-channel fundraising approach .

By using this multi-channel approach, you diversify your fundraising methods so donors have more ways to contribute. Also, donors might be motivated by one method but submit their donation via another method (such as seeing a direct mail piece but donating via text).

Note : Many of the following fundraising ideas for nonprofits can be used for both individual or corporate fundraising — we've placed them in the category they're most frequently used in. For example, you'll notice we have events listed under both individual and corporate fundraising below.

Also, before you implement any of these ideas, don’t forget to review the fundraising guidelines from the IRS .

1. Individual Fundraising

Individuals account for about two-thirds of all donations made to nonprofits.

With individual fundraising — also known as personal fundraising — you can ask people within your network, such as friends, family, or colleagues, to donate to your cause. The process allows you to share your story and ask these people to help and support your cause (or whoever/ whatever you're raising money for).

Why use individual fundraising tactics?

A few reasons why you may implement individual fundraising tactics include the need to raise money for an emergency or natural disaster, trips, life events, education, or medical expenses.

Here are some ideas for how you can implement individual fundraising tactics within your nonprofit:

Direct Mail Donations

Direct mail is a tried-and-true fundraising tactic. It’s cheap, quick, and can be repeated time and time again. The key? Writing a great fundraising letter .

In today’s world, direct mail should only be one of many fundraising tactics you use due to the fact so much content is digital. So, don’t forget to provide a way for your mail recipients to donate online, too (versus mailing in a check ... which seems a bit old school these days, doesn't it?).

Online Donations

Online donations refer to any donations made online — through your website, social media, or on a crowdfunding site.

Online giving is pretty straightforward. It also serves as the primary donation method for most other fundraising tactics. And even if your donors don’t hear about your fundraiser online first, there's still a large chance they'll end up visiting your website to learn more and make their donation online.

Social Media Donations

Social media has become a booming, online fundraising tactic due to the sheer number of people on various platforms — over 3.5 billion people globally , to be exact.

For example, Facebook allows individuals to run fundraisers on their news feed and for their birthdays. The platform has also released a “Donate Now” button for organization’s Pages . On Instagram, you can share a URL in your Bio that takes your followers directly to your fundraising site/ web page — you can even write a short description of your nonprofit, cause, or fundraiser in your bio to pair it with the URL.

Lastly, no matter the platform, social media makes it very easy to share content about your cause, why you're fundraising, and who's already involved to get others excited to become involved.

Mobile Donations

These days, people are rarely without their phones — and charitable organizations know it. Nowadays there are multiple ways to donate using your mobile device.

Some charities have apps through which you can give. Apps like Charity Miles , Feedie , and Walk for a Dog allow people to give back while doing everyday activities like running, walking their dog, or posting their food on social media. Companies can sign up to sponsor nonprofits through these apps.

Let’s not forget about texting, the most popular way to give using your smartphone. In 2018, almost 50% of donations came from a text link. You can send out links via text or encourage your donors to give through text to give .

Individual Event Donations

Events are a popular way to raise money. Events are a common individual and peer-to-peer (p2p) fundraising method — meaning your supporters (not volunteers) are encouraged to raise money on your behalf. Examples of these events include silent auctions, charity dinners, craft sales, and talent shows.

Note : Remember: corporations can also raise money through events, too .

2. Company and Corporation Fundraising

About $5 billion dollars are raised through workplace giving annually. You can use company and corporation fundraising if you're looking to raise money from businesses that are willing to partner with your nonprofit.

Why use corporate fundraising tactics?

A few reasons why businesses may be looking to partner with a nonprofit include supporting or fulfilling their corporate social responsibility, reputation, and public relations. 

Here are some ideas for ways you can implement corporate fundraising for your nonprofit:

Matching Gifts

The process of matching gifts is when a company matches employee donations. 90% of companies offer some kind of matching gift program. This is because these programs help companies give back while helping donors give twice as much. If you're interested in matching gifts, consider using a tool like Double the Donation to make these programs easy to market and implement.

Volunteer and Corporate Grants

Companies give volunteer grants when their employees have volunteered a certain number of hours. This encourages employees to donate their time and holds businesses accountable for charitable giving. Volunteering can serve as a great team (or company) outing, too.

Corporate grants are sums of money that companies and corporations give to nonprofit organizations. Companies can either give these grants directly to an organization or choose from a pool of grant applicants. Nonprofits should look out for grant opportunities and ways to apply for corporate funding.

In-Kind Donations

In-kind donations describe non-monetary items given to nonprofits from companies and businesses. They usually include food, drinks, or supplies for an event, free professional services like accounting or legal services, or equipment for a construction project. In-kind donations are typically accepted from businesses with which a nonprofit already has a relationship.

Note : In-kind donations are often used as part of fundraising events, like silent auctions.

Commercial Co-Venture Donations

Commercial co-ventures, or cause-related marketing, is when a nonprofit organization partners with a business to raise money. Examples of commercial co-venture are when a restaurant donates a portion of its proceeds for an evening, or when a retail store gives a percentage their sales, to a nonprofit.

5K Walk and Run Race

Host a 5K race for employees (and community members) to participate in. To raise money, charge a race entry fee. You can also give participants the option of getting sponsorships and/ or fundraising themselves to participate in the race.

Corporate Cookbook

Ask employees to provide one of their favorite recipes to create a corporate cookbook. You can charge the employees who submit their recipes a small fee — then, once the book is printed, you can see the books to the employees as well as local community members.

Employee Events

Give employees a reason to bond, have fun, and raise money for a good cause. Accept donations throughout the night and charge an entry fee — you can also organize a raffle. You might even encourage employees to bring their family and/or friends depending on the type of event you choose.

Here are some employee event ideas for you:

• Wine tasting (partner with a local winery)
• Golf outing
• Silent auction
• Set your fundraising goals, mission and story
• Identify your fundraising team or specialist
• Build your prospect list
• Create a fundraising campaign plan
• Say thank you

Creating a nonprofit fundraising plan or strategy for your next campaign will help you focus your efforts and guide your day-to-day fundraising efforts when things get tough. It’ll also ensure your fundraising team is aligned on certain tactics or events that may be part of your strategy.

Walk through the steps below to start piecing together your nonprofit fundraising strategy.

1. Set your fundraising goals, mission, and story.

Start with the end in mind. What’s your fundraising campaign goal ? Better yet, what’s your overall goal for this year? For the next three years?

This number should be rooted in the needs of your organization. To figure out those needs, return to your mission statement . If your fundraising goal answers the question of “How much money do you need?”, your mission answers “What do you need the money for?”

Defining your mission statement will guide your fundraising “asks”. What do you plan to do with the money from your fundraiser? How will it contribute to your organization’s mission and purpose? Donors will ask these questions, so outline the answers now.

A recent study found that transparency among charities could increase donations by 50% . Also, two-thirds of donors say that understanding the impact of their donation would encourage them to give more. If you’re open about how you spend your funds, people may give more to your cause.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to tell your organization’s story , as well as the stories of those whom you help. A 2010 study found that “charitable choices are largely driven by the donor's own inclinations and preferences, a desire to help people they feel some affinity with, and a partiality for certain causes as a result of personal experiences.” A donor’s similarity to your cause or people you help can also motivate them to give .

Also, 62% of donors research charities before they give. Be sure to publish your story on your website for donors to read and connect with.

2. Identify your fundraising team or specialist.

Fundraising campaigns involve a lot of moving parts. Even if your entire organization will be involved in the campaign, it’s best to appoint an individual or small team to manage the fundraising efforts.

These folks will be in charge of tasks like:

• promoting the fundraiser
• organizing fundraising-specific events
• training and leading any volunteers
• managing and analyzing the funds received
• measuring the fundraiser’s performance and looking for ways to improve

Some nonprofit organizations hire a fundraiser specialist to help with these tasks, too.

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3. Build your prospect list.

Who are you targeting for your fundraiser? What communities, companies, organizations, neighborhoods, and groups of people will you approach for donations? Can your volunteers, board members, and beneficiaries of your organization help you compile a list of potential donors?

This list will guide your campaign promotion. Whether you decide to fundraise via direct mail, social media, crowdfunding, events, sponsorships, in-kind donations or all of the above, having a prospect list will help you know exactly who to target. Consider implementing responsive moves management for a systematic and personalized approach to donor relationships.

4. Create a fundraising campaign plan.

This is your most actionable step and will define precisely how you’ll raise money. First, define which tactics you’ll use for your fundraising. (We cover these in the previous section .) Remember, providing a variety of ways to donate will likely increase the number of donations you receive.

Next, decide how you’ll promote your fundraising campaign as a whole. How will you market your organization and its drive to raise money? How will people hear about your events, sponsorships, commercial co-ventures, and more?

Note: How you receive your funds (fundraising tactics) and how you promote your fundraiser (fundraising marketing) are two separate things. This step of your nonprofit fundraising strategy helps you define both.

Lastly, consider how to establish recurring donations so that your organization doesn’t have to fundraise so actively and so often. Almost 50% of donors are enrolled in a monthly giving program , like this one for Charity: Water . Providing a recurring donation option can actually help you raise more money — the average monthly online donation is $52 ($624 per year) compared to the average one-time gift of $128.

5. Say thank you.

Regardless of how you choose to raise money for your nonprofit, always remember to say thank you. Sending a thank-you note and donation receipt is good practice per the IRS , but it’s also beneficial to build relationships with your donors and supporters.

Donor loyalty is just as important as customer loyalty. Fostering relationships by maintaining transparency can alleviate the pressures of non-stop fundraising. Put your donors first (alongside the people helped by your organization), and your nonprofit will see long-term success.

Over to You

Nonprofit fundraising is critical for charitable organizations. By researching tactics and building a nonprofit fundraising strategy, organizations can set themselves up for long-term fundraising success — and impact.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Charity Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Charity Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their charity companies. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a charity business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Charity Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your charity business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Charity

If you’re looking to start a charity business or grow your existing charity company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your charity business to improve your chances of success. Your charity business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Charity Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a charity business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and major donors . When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan (hand it to them in person or email to them as a PDF file) and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Donations and bank loans are the most common funding paths for charity companies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a charity business.

If you want to start a charity business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide and sample below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your charity business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of charity business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a charity business that you would like to grow, or are you operating more than one charity business?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. 

• Give a brief overv iew of the charity business industry. 
• Discuss the type of charity business you are operating. 
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. 
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team. 
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of charity business you are operating.

For example, you m ight specialize in one of the following types of charity businesses:

• Public charity business: A charity business that is defined by the Internal Revenue Service as a “public service support,” is one that benefits the public at large. This may include chambers of commerce, labor unions, and certain types of insurance companies. If a charity business fits within the specifications set by the IRS, the charity is considered a 501c3 entity, and receives preferential tax treatment.
• Private charity business: By far, the majority of charities fall within the category of “private charities,” which can be identified as serving a specific group of people. This may include philanthropic foundations, churches or synagogues, and other clubs or associations that serve via a privately-funded means. If a private charity business fits within the specifications set by the IRS, the charity is considered a 501c3 entity and receives preferential tax treatment.

In addition to explaining the type of charity business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of people served, the number of charitable outcomes, reaching X number of geographic locations, etc.
• Your legal business structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the charity business industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the charity business industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating. 

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your charity business business plan:

• How big is the charity business industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your charity business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Donor Analysis

The donor analysis section of your charity business plan must detail the individuals or business entities who donate or those you expect to donate to your charitable business. 

The following are examples of donor segments: individuals, families, foundations and corporations.

As you can imagine, the donor segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of charity business you operate. Clearly, individuals would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations, for example.

Try to break out your target donors in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential donors you seek.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target donors . The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your donors . Ideally you can speak with a sample of your target donors before writing your plan to better understand their needs.

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With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are othe r charity businesses. 

Indirect competitors are other options that donors may contribute to that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes service-related charitable endeavors, private foundations, and organizations that serve specific communities, etc. You need to mention direct competition, as well.

For each direct competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of donors do they solicit ?
• What type of charity business are they?
• What is their donation model (cash, assets, estate-wealth)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the donors’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ donors what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide recognition for all your donors?
• Will you offer premium products or services for your top-tier donors?
• Will you provide consistent communication with your donors?
• Will you offer directorships or preferential placement for your donors?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a charity business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type o f charity company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide food for the homeless population? Will you improve the neighborhood park? Will you invest in artwork on behalf of your charity to support the art world? 

Value : Document the specific value your charity provides and how that compares to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of yo ur plan, yo u are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their respective values.

Place : Place refers to the site of your charity company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your charity business located in an affluent neighborhood, a warehouse, a standalone office, or is it purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for the donors who contribute and the services you provide.

Promotions : The final part of your charity business marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential donors and charitable recipients to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites 
• Distribute flyers
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your charity business, including answering calls, planning and providing fund-raising events or campaigns, correspondence with donors and charitable recipients, and maintaining records of acts of service.  

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to serve your Xth charity recipient, or when you hope to reach $X in donations. It could also be when you expect to expand your charity business to a new city.

Management Team

To demonstrate your charity business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company. 

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing charity businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a charity business or top-tier donors who are regularly involved in your charity business. 

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your donation and gift income statement, balance s heet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. In a charity business, profits can be made through sales; however, the majority of income is received from donor gifts and activity. Your income statement will show several avenues of income as a result. It will demonstrate your receipts and then subtract your costs to show the IRS the activity of your 501c3 organization. 

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you hold 5 donor events each year, and/or offer acts of service weekly ? And will your charity business grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your charity business, this will not give you an immediate return on the investment. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you maintain your charity business for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can generate gifts or assets , but run out of money and go bankrupt. 

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a charity business business:

• Cost of equipment and office supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your list of top-tier donors, or examples of how your charity has changed lives or communities for the better. 

Writing a business plan for your charity business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the charity business industry, your competition, and your donors. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful charity business.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Charity business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how a Growthink business plan consultant can create your business plan for you.  

Charity Business Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my charity business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your charity business plan.

How Do You Start a Charity Business?

Starting a charity business is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your Charity Business
• Create Your Charity Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Charity Business
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Charity Business (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Charity Business with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Charity Business
• Buy or Lease the Right Charity Business Equipment
• Develop Your Charity Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Charity Business
• Open for Business

Where Can I Download a Free Business Plan Template PDF?

Click here to download the pdf version of our basic business plan template.

Our free business plan template pdf allows you to see the key sections to complete in your plan and the key questions that each must answer. The business plan pdf will definitely get you started in the right direction.

We do offer a premium version of our business plan template. Click here to learn more about it. The premium version includes numerous features allowing you to quickly and easily create a professional business plan. Its most touted feature is its financial projections template which allows you to simply enter your estimated sales and growth rates, and it automatically calculates your complete five-year financial projections including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Here’s the link to our Ultimate Business Plan Template.

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.  

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Sample Fundraising Business Plan

Fundraising business plan sample.

A fundraising business is essentially a business that is involved in raising funds for worthy causes such as fighting poverty, desert encroachment, and unemployment among a plethora of other important causes.

There are spread across different niches and it is left for the entrepreneur to know which of the niches would be of most interest to him.

Public spending cuts have raised the need for fundraisers to be organized to fill deficits created by these cuts.

In this article, we will consider how to start a fundraiser and the process involved in organizing such events.

As you read through, you will have a basic understanding of what a fundraiser is all about and how to start or create one.

Here is a sample business plan for starting a fundraiser business.

If you must organize a successful fundraising event, then the following steps are very necessary. Skipping any will affect your chances of succeeding. They include;

Identifying your Purpose

It is necessary that you clearly understand your goal(s).

This allows you to streamline your efforts towards achieving these.

While the primary purpose for organizing fundraisers is to raise money, these events serve as a platform to advertise or publicize the organization among other things.

To make the best use of this platform, you have to clearly understand your purpose for organizing it.

Leadership is central to its Success

Successful fundraising events usually have a set of chairperson’s heading the event.

These normally consist of wealthy donors who contribute substantially to helping you achieve the objectives of the event.

As leaders, they are not involved in the organization of the main event itself; they only help you to meet your financial target.

Operating Budget

This is an important aspect of the event.

Here, the budget should cover all organization costs involved such as security, space rental, transportation, staff hire, and every other aspect of the event that requires funding.

To forestall against any unforeseen spike in expenses, it is necessary to have a backup funding reserve. Above all, your operating budget should not exceed your targeted goal.

Without this, your event will likely turn out chaotic.

Logistics involves fully taking into consideration every detail of the event such as the location, the dress code (if any), knowing whether there would be any form of entertainment and food, and preparing adequately for these.

It allows you to put in place a contingency plan if things do not turn out as expected.

Your Target Audience

When organizing a fundraiser, you need to have a clearly defined target audience. This allows you to streamline all your efforts towards getting the best results from them.

In other words, who are these people? Is the event open for everyone? Are they professionals or the business community? Is your event niche-specific?

This will save you a lot of headaches in planning, and allow you to reach your audience with less stress.

Effective Marketing

This is essential to fundraising events as it is for business.

There are several ways to do this. The important thing is that you can convince your target audience that your event is worthy of their time and commitment.

It will be nice to have a person with experience in this field. This will be of tremendous help in charting the way to effective publicity.

Mind you, all your marketing efforts will be targeted at your identified audience.

Ticket Scales

This is the point where all your efforts are climaxed.

Due to its importance, you need to be meticulous here. Clear identify the levels of contribution you will need. Will you require VIP tickets? Will ticket costs be uniform across the board?

Who will be put in charge of ticket sales? How will these tickets reach your audience? And finally, who will be in charge of confirmation on the day of the event?

These are pertinent questions that require answers.

Organizing a large fundraiser requires everyone involved in an organization to be at their very best on the day of the event.

Rehearsal allows each member of the team to prepare way ahead of time to handle any situation that may arise. Working as a team allows you to have a better grasp of what is needed and what is not.

It also gives you the advantage of eliminating unforeseen circumstances that may act as a hindrance to success.

Appreciation

This is an integral part of a fundraiser.

Gratitude allows your donors to feel appreciated for their efforts. It will also make them favorably disposed to donating whenever another need arises.

Not appreciating your donors is likely to make them feel unwanted. This results in them giving a cold response to similar requests in the future.

In knowing how to start a fundraiser, you need to follow the above steps. These are concrete steps that will guarantee the success of your fundraising event.

Apart from the planning process, being able to make your donors see the reason why they should donate to your cause is equally important.

FUNDRAISING BUSINESS PLAN EXAMPLE

• Executive Summary
• Mission Statement
• Vision Statement
• Products and Services
• Financing/Startup Costs
• Our Competition
• Marketing Strategy
• Our Donor Profile
• Publicity and Advert Strategy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Based in Nevada, Funding for All Inc. is a fundraising company that intends to raise and make available funding for worthy causes such as charities and has a vision of growing into a global charity funding program with its tentacles spread across the world touching the most vulnerable in society.

Funding for All was founded by Clayton and Associates.

Starting in Nevada , we have a plan to spread our services to cover the entire United States and eventually the world.

Funding for All Inc. intends to enlist the services of a business strategist to adequately strategize and align its mission, vision, and activities towards achieving set targets.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our Mission statement at Funding for All Inc. is to make available critical funding through donations to bodies that share our passion to touch lives especially to the vulnerable members of society such as orphans and homeless kids and also families facing a financial crisis.

Also, we intend to provide highly effective services powered by a highly motivated workforce that will propel us to our goals.

VISION STATEMENT

At Funding for All, we have a vision of spreading our services beyond Nevada within the first 6 years to cover the whole of the United States and to eventually operate globally within 10 years of commencement of operations.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Funding for All Inc. is essentially a funding redistribution charity organization.

With a strong drive of making profits through seeking individual and corporate benefactors/donors critical to the raising of capital that will further be distributed to other relevant charities in need of funding to achieve set goals and objectives.

In addition to the core areas of raising income, we will be involved in raising funds through other lawful means such as the sales of publications relevant to our area of expertise, provision of consultancy services and training, and other related services. FINANCING/START-UP COSTS

For full operations to commence, Funding for All Inc. needs a total sum of $300,000.

Part of this sum, precisely $150,000 will be provided by Clayton and Associate while the rest of the amount ($150,000) is to be made available through grants received by donors.

The breakdown of how these funds will be utilized is provided below;

START-UP COST AND EXPENSES;

– Payroll $100,000 – General Administrative costs $20,000 – Rent and Utilities $50,000 – Marketing Expenses $30,000 – Workforce Training $10,000 – Company Vehicles $40,000 – Licensing and registrations $50,000 Total $300,000

OUR COMPETITION

Although there might be other businesses that operate similar services to ours, we are not in competition with others because of the unique services we provide.

We see ourselves as partners in progress as our duties are essentially humanitarian and hence, we would be most happy to see lives being touched positively.

Hence, the more funding platforms available, the better as our services are mainly humanitarian

MARKETING STRATEGY

Funding for All Inc. plans on carrying out an extensive marketing campaign to showcase itself to the world especially to the donor groups (individual and corporate).

It intends to achieve this through educating the public on the activities of Funding for All Inc. and the impact it has made on the lives of its targeted population.

Also, enlisting the help of celebrity personalities is an area where Funding for All seeks to market itself. Such VIP would be given an ambassador to Funding for All Inc.

DONOR PROFILE

Our targeted donors at Funding for All Inc. are expected to be both individual and corporate.

For individual donors, we expect a majority to be middle-aged, (no restrictions to age, but must be above 18 years), they must have a legitimate means of income and should have made their wealth through clean means and may be male or female.

For corporate donors, they should be those interested in expanding their services in areas like corporate social responsibilities. Such is the profile of donors that we at Funding for All Inc. will be on the lookout for.

PUBLICITY AND ADVERT STRATEGY

Funding for All Inc. intends to deploy high-tech tools in advertising its presence and activities.

Such tools include the use of the internet through social media and the creation of a website to educate people on the services we provide and to woo donors to join us in making the difference.

Also, we will enlist the services of a brand consultant to assist in projecting our image to the world.

Given above is a fundraising business plan sample and includes all the components relevant to a sound fundraising business plan.

If you want to start a fundraising business, then you have come to the right place as the information made available in this article will be of great benefit to your business.

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A Founder’s Guide to Startup Fundraising

Running a tech startup is both exciting and challenging. One minute you’re sure you’re on the right track, and the next, you aren’t sure what steps to take.

If you’ve ever tried to raise funds, you know that startup fundraising can be daunting, especially if you’re doing it alone. You must find the right investors, communicate your unique selling proposition, determine the funding required, negotiate terms, and manage expectations.

This is when even the most resilient startup founders experience decision fatigue and often feel pressured and isolated.

This guide will help you navigate the fundraising process successfully. Here, you’ll find valuable insights, practical tips, and answers to your most pressing questions about startup fundraising . 

Therefore, whether you’re struggling with fundraising or want to take your fundraising game to the next level, this guide can help you achieve your fundraising goals.

What Is Startup Funding and How Does It Work?

Startup funding is the process of raising capital to start or grow a business. It’s a critical step for early-stage startups , as it provides the financial resources necessary to bring their vision to life.

Raising capital and funding startups typically involves multiple rounds of fundraising, with each round providing more capital than the previous one.

The first round of fundraising is often called the “seed” round and typically involves raising a small amount of capital to get the business off the ground. One of the most popular ways of getting seed fundraising for a startup is angel investor funding. This type of funding comes from high-net-worth individuals who provide capital to startups in exchange for equity.

Subsequent rounds of fundraising for startups include the Series A, B, and C rounds. These rounds are designed to provide more significant capital as the business grows and reaches key milestones.

Why Startups Need to Raise Funds

Starting a business can be costly, especially when it comes to product development. Above all, whether you’re launching a new product, expanding your team, or looking to scale, raising funds is a crucial step in the startup journey.

Startups need to raise funds for many reasons.

For example. marketing is also a crucial part of any startup’s success as they must create awareness, generate leads, and convert these leads into customers, however it can be expensive. Similarly, building a new product or service requires a lot of money, and startups need funds to create a prototype or minimum viable product.  In addition, startups need to hire a team of experienced professionals to help them achieve their goals. From marketing specialists to developers, startups require a team of experts to turn their vision into reality. 

Above all, without adequate funding, startups may find it challenging to grow and achieve their full potential.

When Should Startups Raise Money?

Knowing when to raise funds for a startup is crucial for startup success. Raising money for startups is easier when founders have a compelling idea, a strong team, and a real, sizable market opportunity. 

To determine if they’re ready to raise funds, founders should ask themselves:

• Is my business model solid and scalable?
• Have I identified the market opportunity and my target customer?
• Have I developed a clear business plan and strategy for growth?
• Do I have a strong and committed team to execute the plan?
• Have I delivered a product that meets their needs and is growing at a good rate (such as 10% per week)?
• Have I identified my competitors and understood how to differentiate my product/service?
• Do I have enough customer adoption (a.k.a. traction)?
• Am I ready to expand or scale our business?
• Do I have a realistic understanding of my financial needs and projections?
• Have I done my due diligence on potential investors and their compatibility with my vision and values?
• Am I prepared to handle the legal and regulatory requirements that come with fundraising from investors?
• Am I prepared to relinquish some of my ownership and decision-making power in exchange for funding?

Understanding Startup Funding Rounds

When it comes to fundraising for startups, it’s crucial for founders to have a solid understanding of the different types of funding rounds.

The different types of startup funding rounds include:

Pre-Seed Funding

Pre-seed funding is the first stage of funding for startups, which happens in the early days of a company’s existence. It is not a traditional funding round but rather a way for founders to raise capital from their savings, family, friends, supporters, or network of other founders. 

Seed Funding

Seed funding is a startup’s first official funding round, usually tied to equity. It funds product research, launch, marketing, and audience-building resources. This funding comes from various sources such as family, friends, angel investors, incubators, and private equity firms. 

Series A Funding

The Series A funding round is when a startup is ready to scale and expand, attracting investors from private equity firms. The funding amount varies but can reach up to $15 million, with high-growth tech companies raising more due to high valuations.

Series B Funding

Series B funding is the second round of financing for a company after seed and Series A rounds. At this stage, a company is looking to expand its reach and increase its revenue. The funding is generally used for hiring new talent, marketing and sales efforts, and investing in product development and technology. Venture funding firms typically lead this round, and companies undergoing Series B rounds are valued at around $17 million on average, but this number can vary greatly. 

Series C Funding

Series C funding is the next financing stage for startups that have already raised Series A and B rounds. It is often used to scale operations, expand into new markets, and develop new products. The usual funding sources are venture capital firms, private equity firms, and strategic investors.

Series D and Beyond

Series D funding is a later-stage funding round that typically takes place after a company has achieved significant growth and has an established track record of success. This funding round is less common but important for scaling a company, expanding into new markets, or developing new products. 

To learn more about startup fundraising, see if you qualify for membership to join Founders Network .

What Are the Types of Startup Funding?

Startup funding can come from a variety of sources. Each type of funding has its unique characteristics and can provide various benefits to founders. 

In the following subsections, we will explain each type of funding, how it works, and what benefits it can offer startups.

Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping is a type of self-funding where startup founders rely on personal savings, early customer revenue, or borrowing from family and friends. 

This allows them to retain full ownership and control of their business and stay true to their vision without external investor influence. In some cases, startup founders can skip fundraising and go on to be wildly successful. 

Angel Investors

An angel investor is a high-net-worth individual who provides capital to startups in exchange for an equity stake. They invest early and offer less money than venture capitalists or private equity firms. 

They provide valuable mentorship, guidance, and industry contacts. Founders can find angel investors through networking events, angel investor groups, or online platforms. To find and pitch to angel investors , founders can research syndicates, or use online platforms such as AngelList or Gust.

Bank loans are a common way to finance startups with lower interest rates and longer repayment terms than other types of funding. To apply, look for banks that offer business loans and provide documentation such as a business plan, financial statements, and tax returns. 

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers programs such as the SBA microloan, providing up to $50,000 of working capital. Personal business loans may also be an option for those with a strong credit score and personal finances.

Grants provide free money for startups and do not require repayment or dilute ownership. They allow businesses to focus on growth without the burden of debt and can help them validate a business idea, attracting future investors.

Crowdfunding

This involves raising money from a large group of people, often through online platforms, without giving up equity in the company.  There are various types of crowdfunding, including reward-based, equity-based, and debt-based. To succeed, startups need a well-defined business plan, a compelling pitch, and a clear understanding of the target audience.

Venture Capital Firms

Venture capital firms invest in early-stage startups with high growth potential in exchange for equity in the company. They also often offer expertise, mentorship, and industry connections to help startups succeed.

To receive venture funding from venture capital firms, research those that fit your business model, prepare a strong pitch deck, and be ready to negotiate terms. Some successful startups funded by venture capital firms include Airbnb, Uber, and SpaceX.

Incubators and Accelerator Programs

Incubator and accelerator programs help startups grow by providing mentorship, funding, resources, and networking opportunities. Incubators offer long-term support, while accelerators focus on rapid growth over a few months. 

Admittance into these programs is limited. Startups must research programs, understand their eligibility requirements, and apply. Successful startups that benefited from these programs include Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit. 

The Pros and Cons of Each Type of Startup Funding

How to choose the right type of funding for your startup.

Above all, choosing the right type of funding for your startup is an important decision that can impact your business’ future success. 

When considering which funding option is best suited to your startup, there are a few key factors to remember:

• Assess your startup’s specific needs and goals
• Research the different types of funding options available
• Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each option
• Consider the potential risks and rewards of each option
• Carefully evaluate every potential investor and partner
• Look for investors with industry and functional expertise aligned with your startup’s needs
• Consider an investor’s network and track record
• Seek out a platform that can provide capital and support for your business’ growth

Steps to Prepare and Secure Funding for Your Startup

Securing funding can be a game-changer for any business. Nevertheless, it’s not always an easy feat. To help you prepare for and navigate the fundraising process, we’ve compiled some essential fundraising tips every founder should know. 

From crafting a compelling pitch deck to negotiating the terms of the investment, we’ve got you covered. So, buckle up and get ready to learn how to secure the funding your startup deserves.

Identify your funding needs and goals

Before reaching out to potential investors, it’s important to identify funding needs and goals. Factors to consider include the stage of the startup, business model, growth plans, and competition. Realistic cost projections and using a startup cost calculator can help you determine the right amount of funding.

Create a business plan for your startup

A business plan is crucial for startups, outlining goals, strategies, and plans for achieving success, as well as securing funding. Key components include an executive summary, market opportunity, competitive advantage, team, and financial projections. To make a effective plan, research and gather data, be clear and concise, tailor the plan to the audience, and update it regularly.

Evaluate your company’s financial health

To secure funding, it’s essential to evaluate your startup’s financial health by analyzing revenue, expenses, cash flow, and profitability. Understanding these metrics will help you determine the amount of funding necessary and showcase your startup’s potential for growth. You should review key financial documents such as tax returns, bank statements, and profit and loss statements to evaluate your company’s financial standing and determine funding requirements.

Research the different types of funding available

To fund your startup, you should consider different types of funding available. First, consider the stage of your startup and the amount of control you’re willing to give up, the timeline for funding, and the terms of the investment. 

For example, bootstrapping may give you more control but limit your growth potential. Angel investors can provide mentorship but may require a significant ownership stake. Venture capitalists can offer significant funding but may demand high control and a quick return on investment. 

Create a pitch deck

A pitch deck is a visual presentation that provides a concise and engaging overview of your startup, highlighting its key features and value proposition to every potential investor . Your pitch deck should combine visually appealing graphics and informative text, showcasing your product, team, market opportunity, and financial projections.

To create an effective pitch deck, start by identifying the key elements of your startup and crafting a clear message that communicates your vision, mission, and goals. In addition, use eye-catching visuals and easy-to-understand language to present your idea and make it stand out.

Key components to include in your pitch deck are the problem and solution, market opportunity, unique value proposition, business model, team, and financial projections. Also, remember to keep your pitch deck concise and avoid overwhelming investors with too much information.

Practice your pitch

Practicing your startup pitch is essential. It allows you to refine your message, gain confidence, and prepare for tough questions. A successful pitch should have a clear opening, address the problem your business solves, showcase your solution, and end with a strong call to action. You can rehearse with a friend, mentor, or network and review your performance to identify areas for improvement.

Research potential investors

When searching for investors for your startup, it’s important to find those who align with your goals and values. Networking is a great way to start your search. Attend industry events and pitch competitions to meet fellow entrepreneurs and startup veterans. 

Don’t be afraid to connect with investors, even if you feel underqualified or your business is in its early stages. Valuable resources and connections can come from unexpected places. Joining a community like Founder’s Network can also provide access to a network of like-minded entrepreneurs and potential investors.

Pitch to potential investors

Startup founders can pitch their startup to potential investors at events, using online platforms, or in-person presentations. It’s crucial to be clear, concise, and compelling, communicating your startup’s unique value proposition and understanding of the market. 

Attending pitch events and conferences can help you meet potential investors and network. Online platforms, such as the Founder’s Network’s community , can provide opportunities to connect with investors and pitch virtually. 

Close the deal

To close the deal, you’ll need to negotiate the terms with the investor, including the amount of investment, company valuation, and any specific terms. Be transparent during the due diligence process and provide requested information promptly. Draft and sign legal documents with a lawyer’s help to protect both parties’ interests.

Use the funding to grow your startup

After securing funding, startups must utilize the funds efficiently to achieve their goals. This requires allocating the funds strategically to drive growth and create value. Product development, hiring new team members, expanding into new markets, or launching marketing campaigns are all ways to use funds effectively. 

Maintain open communication and a strong relationship with your investors

Maintaining open communication and a strong relationship with investors is essential for a startup’s long-term success. So, be transparent and proactive in sharing updates and progress reports. Also, listen to feedback to build trust and credibility, as these can open doors to potential future funding opportunities, valuable guidance, and support.

Make a repayment plan

The next step in fundraising for your startup is to create a repayment plan. This shows a commitment to financial responsibility and helps build trust with investors. Even if the funding amount is small, having a repayment plan can ensure timely repayment and prevent financial issues in the future.

FAQs About Raising Funds for Startups

What is the best funding for startups.

The best funding for startups depends on the specific needs and goals of the business. 

For example, venture capital can provide significant funding and connections to industry experts, while angel investors offer smaller investments and more personalized support. 

Crowdfunding can be a good option for early-stage businesses looking to raise funds from many individuals. Business loans are another option, but they often require collateral and can be more difficult to obtain.

What is the most profitable fundraiser?

The most profitable fundraiser depends on the type of business and the fundraising goals. 

Crowdfunding can be a profitable option for startups looking to raise funds and gain exposure. However, venture capital and angel investing can also be profitable, as they often provide significant funding and connections to industry experts. 

Is it easy to get startup funding?

Getting startup funding can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. The funding process can be time-consuming and requires patience and persistence. So, being in a network of like-minded founders can help when startup fundraising is taking a toll on you.

Does anyone enjoy startup fundraising?

While startup fundraising can be a challenging process, some founders may enjoy the opportunity to connect with potential investors and showcase their business ideas. 

Should I hire a startup fundraising consultant?

Hiring a startup fundraising consultant can be a good option for businesses looking to navigate the fundraising process more effectively. A consultant can provide valuable guidance and connections to potential investors and help businesses develop a strong pitch and fundraising strategy.

Why don’t startup fundraising pitch decks include a table of contents?

Startup fundraising pitch decks typically do not include a table of contents because they are designed to be concise and visually appealing. Including a table of contents can make the deck appear cluttered and difficult to navigate. 

How should a startup compensate an advisor that helps raise money?

Compensating an advisor for fundraising help can take various forms, from equity to a flat fee, depending on their expertise and involvement level. Defining compensation terms is essential, ensuring it aligns with the advisor’s input and the startup’s goals. Additionally, you should consider the legal and tax implications of the compensation structure.

Ready to raise funds for your startup?

You’re now armed with the knowledge and tools to raise funding for your startup successfully. Remember, raising capital is essential to building a successful business, and with the tips and advice provided in this guide, you’re on your way to achieving your goals. 

Take the next step and put your new knowledge into action. Attend pitch competitions, network with investors and other entrepreneurs, and leverage the power of Founder’s Network’s community and events . 

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School Fundraising Business Plan

Start your own school fundraising business plan

Catholic School Development Foundation

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

Catholic School Development Foundation (CSDF) will be a not-for-profit operating foundation whose exclusive purpose is to provide development and fund raising counsel to Catholic elementary and secondary schools.   By definition, an operating foundation is “An organization that uses its resources to conduct research or provide a direct service.” (Foundation Directory, 1995, p. vi.) 

While most operating foundations depend upon large endowments, the concept driving this foundation relies instead upon a “living endowment.”  This term, wide-spread in Catholic school circles, refers to the sisters, brothers and priests that educated several generations of immigrant families while themselves living a vow of poverty.  Historically, our Catholic schools have had no financial endowment; rather they flourished at very low cost to families because of extremely low overhead–thanks to their living endowment.

To operate CSDF via a living endowment does not mean that the consultants working through CSDF must be vowed religious.  Nor does it mean that CSDF employees live a life of poverty.  In fact, compensation can be every bit as good as for-profit firms.  To understand how this is possible one must first understand the for-profit consulting fee/cost structure.

The industry-standard fees charged by for-profit firms for campaign work average $15,000 per month per client.  Of this amount, about one-third goes to the consultant doing the work, another third is overhead (primarily training costs and the cost of making presentations across the country for new work), and one-third is profit to the owner of the firm.  This standard income/expense structure creates a problem for the “for-profit” and an opportunity for the “not-for-profit.”

The problem for conventional firms lies in young consultants who see the monthly fees charged, compare it to their paycheck, and conclude “I can do this on my own.”  Consequently, the established national firms face constant turnover, recruitment and training costs while suffering a chronic lack of experience in the consultants who actually do the work.  At the same time, they have created a barrage of new regional competition.  Over the last ten years there has been an explosion of development consulting firms, most with no one in the firm except the owner.  The business card may read “John Doe & Associates” but there are rarely any associates.

The opportunity for the not-for-profit lies in the one-third of fees that normally would be profit.  What if, instead of buying a house on the beach for a firm owner, those profits were set aside each month in a cash reserve to serve Catholic schools that cannot afford development counsel?  While Jesuit High School may easily afford high monthly fees, St. Ann’s Indian School cannot.  By setting aside the “profits” from one client, CSDF could afford to send a consultant to St Ann’s.  In doing so, CSDF consultants will be the new living endowment serving those schools least able to afford development counsel.

1.1 Objectives

• Two clients in Year 1, four in Year 2, seven in Year 3.  From this point forward, growth can proceed much faster.
• Sales growing steadily from Year 1 through Year 3.
• Break even for three consecutive years as CSDF establishes its name and reputation.  Generate earnings in year four allowing us to begin gratis consulting projects.

1.2 Mission

Catholic School Development Foundation exists to provide development counsel to America’s Catholic elementary and high schools. 

• Focused on this single objective, we are specialists, not generalists. 
• Relieved of profit pressures, we take the long-term view of building lasting relationships between the school and its supporters.
• We will always act in the long-term interest of our clients.  If you are not ready for a campaign, we will say so.  Then we’ll do everything we can to get ready.
• We are development consultants, not fundraising consultants.  We take a comprehensive approach to the financial health of the school.
• Our primary job as consultants is very much like that of a teacher.  In our case, we teach by ‘doing.’ This implies, of course, a partnership between teacher and student.
• Knowing the unique circumstances of raising money for schools, we only employ consultants with specific experience in this area.
• Though we are a not-for-profit organization, to attract experienced specialists we must compete with the largest firms in the country.  While we operate on a sliding scale, we ask clients to remember this as they consider our proposal.
• Campaigns can be stressful.  Prayer keeps us positive, calls to mind the mission behind the money, and reconciles misunderstandings.  It overcomes fear in those who ask and softens the hearts of those who give.  This is why we believe prayer is an integral part of success.

1.3 Keys to Success

The keys to success are:

• Ability to attract and RETAIN qualified personnel.
• Perception in the marketplace as a specialist serving Catholic schools.
• Establishing trust with potential clients as a non-profit devoted to their cause.

The ‘capital’ in a consulting firm walks out the door every evening at five.  The only real equity rests in the experience levels of the people in the firm, for they represent the ability of the firm to attract future business.

Keeping experienced people is difficult.  Since the late 1980s there has been an explosion of new consulting firms serving non-profits with fundraising and consulting services.  Many consultants, now independent, were trained by the large national firms.  The organization that discovers how to attract and retain qualified people will ultimately win the day.  This, above all else, is the key to success. 

Why is it tempting for people to set up their own firms once they have a modicum of experience?  The answer lies in the nature of a not-yet-mature industry: fundraising consulting is the ultimate ‘low entry barriers’ business.

• There are no education requirements.
• There are no professional degree requirements.
• Ultimately, getting work is a function of relationships, not experience and knowledge.  Because so few Board members have experience with major gift fundraising, it is difficult for them to separate experienced professionals from good salesmen.
• It only takes one successful campaign to launch a career as a consultant, especially if that school was a high-profile prep school.
• Finally, start-up and office expenses are minimal.  Since clients never visit the firm, a home office will easily suffice.  A good voice mail system can give the impression of a much larger, more established firm.  Many one-man firms have been established for less than $5,000.

In short, it is relatively easy to establish an independent firm.  But if an organization is going to grow, it must retain qualified personnel. To do this, it must be more attractive for consultants to stay than to leave.  This is the central issue we will discuss later.

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2.1 Legal Entity

Catholic School Development Foundation will be incorporated as a nonprofit operating foundation.  A policy-making board will meet quarterly.

2.2 Start-up Summary

Total start-up expense details are included in the following start-up table. About a third of is earmarked for the travel necessary to secure contracts.  A home office is assumed.  Required start-up assets include cash reserves and purchase of a laptop computer and software.  The office is already equipped with furniture. 

2.3 Locations and Facilities

The initial office will be established in Fargo, North Dakota. With direct flights to Chicago, Minneapolis, and Denver, the central location provides timely access both East and West. Once the core team is well established (seven or more in Fargo), the organization will be in a position to employ out-of-state consultants. The moratorium on out-of-state consultants offers an opportunity to form a strong core group and culture, with frequent training opportunities and little expense.

Catholic School Development Foundation offers:

• Capital Campaign Readiness Assessment (Core business).
• Capital Campaign Counsel (Core business).
• Planned Giving Programs.
• Annual Fund Development.
• Market Research of Alumni and Parents.
• Alumni Relations Programs.
• Donor Relations Programs.
• Strategic Public Relations.
• Marketing and Recruitment Consulting.
• Development Director Recruitment and Training Services.

3.1 Service Description

Core Business: Capital Campaign Readiness Assessment and Capital Campaign Counsel Schools are most willing to spend substantial money on campaign counsel.  Therefore, campaign counsel must be the core of our business.  Monthly retainer fees of $15,000 for a 10-12 month campaign are not uncommon (i.e. a single school campaign contract generates $150,000 to $180,000 plus travel expenses). Depending on the campaign goal, these fees translate into campaign expenses of 4-6% and are considered good stewardship; the industry standard is 10% though some fund-raising ‘firms’ have been known to take as much as 70% of total dollars raised.

Fund raising costs of 6% on a $4M campaign (common these days) yields a substantial sum of money ($240,000) available to the school for consulting fees. 

Planned Giving Programs The largest intergenerational wealth transfer in world history will occur within the next decade.  Many schools have talked about endowments, but made the mistake of trying to grow them with cash gifts.  Most have successfully completed capital building campaigns in the 90’s, but because they sought cash, built only modest endowments. Planned gifts represent the opportunity of a lifetime for our Catholic schools, and the single most promising new area in development consulting.

Annual Fund Development and Market Research of Alumni and Parents These two services go hand in hand.  By now, every Catholic high school in America has an Annual Fund; phonathons and direct mail are common.  To grow revenue, schools will need to make use of market research to better understand why alumni parents choose to give or not to give.

Alumni Relations Programs The number one factor influencing major gifts is the degree to which an individual has been meaningfully involved in the mission of an organization.  Alumni Relations Programs build on this principal to attract people and dollars.

Donor Relations Programs Too often, once capital campaign pledges are secured schools leave relations with donors to chance.  There is rarely, if ever, a planned system of communication and involvement to keep the 200+ best donors (who represent 90% of all gift revenue!) informed and involved–and ready for the next campaign.

Strategic Public Relations About half the Catholic high schools in America have a public relations officer on staff.  But even among these schools, it is extremely rare to see a communication plan built on the strategic interests of the school.  Donor Relations are high-touch and focused, the goal of Strategic Public Relations is to improve perceptions in order to grow the number of supporters.

Marketing and Recruitment Consulting In the late 80’s and early 90’s many Catholic schools suffered severe enrollment problems.  By 1997 that was no longer the case.  A demographic bulge, plus continuing uncertainties about public schools helped fuel the growth in Catholic school enrollment.  But fortunes could change with demographics.  Now is the time many schools need to think strategically about their position in the market–before demand weakens.

Development Director Recruitment and Training Services The turnover rate among development directors is very high due to the overwhelming demand  in the NFP sector for experienced development people, and the high burnout rate of people new to the field.  An investment in training yields as much as twice the first-year revenue for the school.

3.2 Alternative Providers

The competition comes in two forms. First there are a multitude of regional consulting firms consisting of one person, or an owner who sub-contracts consultants.  Second are the national firms such as Ketchum, Community Counseling Service, etc.

Though the large firms have the financial power to advertise with full-page ads in the Chronicle of Philanthropy and sponsor elaborate booths at national conventions, it is the smaller firms who consistently have more qualified staff.  Herein lies the irony.  The large firms  may truthfully say they have “launched 10,000 campaigns.”  What they don’t say is that over 30 years they may have gone through 5,000 consultants, each doing two campaigns before burning out. 

On the other hand, the smaller firm may have only completed 30 campaigns, but each consultant was responsible for 15 of them.  Who looks better on the surface?  But who is better qualified?   

In presentations, prospective clients always want to know who they will be working with.  The firms, leery of the question, work hard to change the conversation from the level of the specific consultant to the success of the company as a whole.  But the natural inclination of the buyer is to return to the level of the individual.  Rather than fight this inclination in the buyer, the wise firm would seek to grow a company that could capitalize on it.  If a single firm could combine the power of marketing the firm name, backed up with experienced people across the board, the rest, as they say, would be history.  Thus, we return to the name of the game identified earlier: retaining qualified staff.

Finally, as a not-for-profit, the Catholic School Development Foundation has another competitive advantage: an aura of trust.  Given the lack of government supervision and the disparities in quality outlined in the Keys to Success section, it is little wonder that distrust surrounds the contracting of development counsel.  We believe our incorporation as a NFP allows us to readily differentiate ourselves from the pack.  Doing so will lead to more presentations and lower business acquisition costs–dollars that can be used for gratis clients and salary enhancement (thereby retaining the best talent!).

3.3 Printed Collaterals

The business will begin with a general brochure establishing our position, developed as part of the start-up expenses. Because our market is very specific, mailing lists and direct mail are the most natural avenue.  The sales process takes three steps:

• General mailings for awareness.  Interested parties are invited to call or write for a free publication: “Are you ready for a Campaign?”
• Those that identify themselves as interested receive the publication, followed by a phone call to discern their needs.
• Those interested in services receive a seven minute introductory video of the founder on location at the schools and projects he helped build, talking personally about the drama inherent in each campaign.  The objective is for the prospective client to see himself and his own situation reflected in that of other clients we have already successfully worked with prior to forming CSDF.

3.4 Fulfillment

Fulfillment will be provided by principals.  Once CSDF has expanded to four full-time employees we can then consider hiring a junior level consultant.  It would be too expensive and difficult to expect to attract an entire stable of experienced consultants.  We will need to train a certain number of experienced development directors interested in consulting.  The key to success is balance in the consulting staff between junior and senior consultants.

3.5 Technology

We will be PC-based.  An Internet presence is assumed, not only for marketing, but for company communications.

3.6 Future Services

Planned Giving represents the most promising extension of our services.  For a discussion of this, see Service Description section.

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

There are only 1,300 Catholic high schools in the U.S., and 8,000+ Catholic grade schools.  This defines our market.

4.1 Market Segmentation

Before CSDF can fulfill its mission of serving all Catholic schools, it must establish secure cash flow in the first three years.   Therefore, our first priority is identifying clients in need who have the ability to pay.

Because Catholic high schools have more mature development programs and larger budgets than elementary schools, they are the first group of interest to us.  Within the high school market, our most immediate group of potential customers are diocesan Catholic high schools, which represent about 1,000 schools located mainly in the Great Lakes states and the Midwest. 

Schools owned by religious orders comprise the remaining 300 Catholic high schools.  Order schools (operated by the Jesuits, Dominicans, Christian Brothers, etc.) tend to be more advanced–most have staffs of three to seven people in the development office and have completed at least one campaign in the last 10 years.  Diocesan schools, less experienced, are now following in their footsteps: Thus they represent a very defined target market and logical starting point.

4.2 Service Providers Analysis

As noted earlier, the development and extension consulting industry is pulverized, with hundreds of smaller regional consulting organizations and individual consultants for every one of the few  well-known companies. One of our challenges will be establishing the foundation as a legitimate consulting entity. Printed materials, video, an Internet presence and high quality phone and voice mail system are needed to project this image.

4.2.1 Organization Participants

As noted in the Competitive Comparison section and elsewhere, there are few major national firms relative to regional firms.  While some firms have envisioned consolidating the market through mergers and acquisitions, no one has yet succeeded.  In short, a dream is not the same as a plan.  All current market forces encourage further pulverization rather than centralization.

4.2.2 Distributing a Service

Consulting is sold and purchased mainly on the basis of references, with relationships and previous experience being, by far, the most important factor.  This fact, plus the low cost of entry into the industry, are the driving factors behind the inability to consolidate the market.

4.2.3 Alternatives and Usage Patterns

While the barriers to entry are low, the unseen danger to the unexperienced lies in the sales cycle.  Schools are notorious for debating at length decisions surrounding the procurement of consulting help. The sales cycle usually takes three to six months, and can take as long as 18 months from first inquiry to start date of the contract.

Aware of this, we currently have paying clients in the market supporting our personal needs, and potential clients “in the pipeline.”  For the purposes of this business plan, the issue is moving from that of an independent consultant with extremely low overhead to an operating foundation with plans for growth and employees.

4.2.4 Main Alternatives

The main competitors are not the large national firms, but the smaller regional one-man shops.  Considering the importance of personal connections and references, this should not be too surprising.

The only way to trump personal connections is to position our foundation as specialists in serving Catholic schools.  That fact alone should win us a spot in the traditional three-firm interview lineup.  From that point forward we have an opportunity to establish a relationship and sell our services.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

The market was defined in the Market Segmentation section. We discussed diocesan high schools as our primary target market. 

Over the last 10 years we’ve worked in 20+ schools as an independent consultant or employee of various firms.   Within the high school market it would seem logical to first approach these 20 schools to evaluate their current needs and seek referrals.

5.1 Pricing Strategy

Initially we will be priced at the upper edge of what the market will bear, competing with name-brand consultants. The pricing fits with our position as a specialist serving Catholic schools.

Consulting bids will be calculated on fees of $1,200 per day.  We believe this is the optimum point that balances market tolerance with the Foundation’s need for cash to attract qualified personnel.

5.2 Fundraising Strategy

The annual sales projections are included in the Funding Forecast table.

5.3 Milestones

Our detailed milestones for March 2001 through March 2002 are shown in the following table.

5.4 Strategic Alliances

While we envision no formal strategic alliances, personal relationships with leaders within the National Catholic Educational Association are important for the sake of references.  Many of these relationships already exist.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

The central challenge to growing an organization is in the first two years.  During this period the organization, small in size, cannot afford to designate a single individual to the exclusive growth of the business.  Rather, the leader must also be profitable in the field.  Experience shows that a firm must reach five to seven full-time consultants in order to afford the ‘luxury’ of a full time president/sales manager.

6.1 Organizational Structure

Structure within the consulting firms tends to be extremely fluid.  The best structure allows experienced people freedom but ensures quality control.  The way to achieve both is through the concept of milestone dates.  For example, in capital campaigns there are key board meetings that endorse strategy and set financial goals.  As company policy, we will always have more than one CSDF individual present at these key dates.  This ensures that the on-site consultant maintains objectivity, and that CSDF rather than a renegade volunteer remains in control of the project.

6.2 Personnel Plan

Throughout this proposal we have said that attracting and retaining qualified personnel is central to success.  Therefore, it is important to reflect on the factors influencing this area.  In priority order for many consultants:

• Money.  Starting salaries for consultants average $45,000 to $60,000, depending on experience.
• Size of the paycheck relative to the perceived paycheck of the boss.   Interest in leaving a firm and establishing one’s own business begins when the consultant suspects that his paycheck is a fraction of what the boss is making.  Because CSDF is a not-for-profit, the founder’s salary would be information shared with the board of directors and employee-consultants. 
• Time at home.
• A sense of mission.
• The ability to periodically work on new and creative projects without financial pressures.

Combining these five factors we envision attracting experienced consultants who have reached a mid-point in their career where money is important, but not the sole driving factor in their employment decision.  With the top money comes the most stressful situations and pressures.  While a certain amount of this is exciting, many consultants would enjoy a chance to work on a project every few months that was pure gratis.  This is the person we seek.

At the same time, because we are a not-for-profit, the one-third of consulting fees that traditionally flow to owners are now available as cash reserves to improve salaries and provide for gratis projects.  Again, to retain qualified consultants, the compensation plan must make it more attractive to stay than to set up one’s own firm.  Once a consultant has two years experience with the organization, the compensation plan should provide for an option to remain strictly salaried, or move to a commission structure. 

Every firm owner we’ve worked for spoke of their business as a ‘ministry.’  At the same time the most bitter disputes erupted solely from the issue of money.  The Catholic School Development Foundation offers an opportunity for competitive compensation AND a chance to periodically work for the poorest schools (with salaries covered by the Foundation).  In doing so, we draw a sharp distinction between those who claim their work is a ministry, and those interested in walking the talk.

In our first engagement as a development consultant in 1991, we had the good fortune of sailing Milwaukee Bay on the private yacht of a multi-millionaire.  He hosted a fundraising function for about a dozen classmates, and we were there to meet the guests.  As we boarded the yacht, decorated entirely in white, all guests were asked to remove their shoes.  In that instant it occurred to the young consultant that when one is done worrying about making money, a new stress is felt–keeping it and caring for one’s possessions.

The radical idea we hope to sell is this:  You will be well compensated for your work, with provision made for a comfortable retirement.  But if you are looking for financial equity, CSDF cannot help you.  We have none to offer.  Rather, the equity you gain is a life well lived.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

Our financial plan is based on conservative estimates and assumptions. We will need to plan on initial investment to make the financials work.

7.1 Important Assumptions

The following table summarizes key financial assumptions.  Retainer fees in this industry are generally billed in advance of service.

7.2 Key Financial Indicators

The following benchmark chart indicates our key financial indicators for the first three years.

7.3 Break-even Analysis

The following chart and table summarizes the break-even analysis, assuming two full-time consultants in the second year of operations.

7.4 Projected Surplus or Deficit

An annual pro-forma income statement is included here.

7.5 Projected Cash Flow

Cash flow projections are critical to our success. The monthly cash flow is shown in the illustration, with one bar representing the cash flow per month and the other representing the monthly balance. The annual cash flow figures are included in the following table. Consulting is always a feast or famine venture.  It is extremely difficult to consistently match demand and supply, especially in firms of five or less consultants.  (Beyond this, it evens out.)  Therefore, note that a large cash balance in essential to operate through the dry months.

7.6 Projected Balance Sheet

The following table shows the project balance sheet.

7.7 Standard Ratios

Business ratios for the years of this plan are shown below. Industry profile ratios based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code 8299, Schools & Educational Services, NEC, are shown for comparison.

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How to Plan a Fundraiser in 9 Steps

If you need help planning a successful fundraiser, you have come to the right place. As an experienced event planner, I understand the importance of  good preparation and organization for any fundraising event .

I have been an event planner for the last ten years and have a deep knowledge of all the nuances and complexities associated with planning successful fundraisers.

Throughout my career, I have planned and executed many different types of fundraisers, ranging from silent auctions to charity walks. My experience has taught me that  careful planning is key  to ensuring your fundraiser is a success.

In this article, I will share my knowledge and provide you with the  9 steps needed to plan a successful fundraiser !

Step 1: Start with Your Vision and Goals

The first step in planning a successful fundraiser is to create a clear vision and set attainable goals. It is important to consider what type of event you want to organize, how it will be accomplished, and the desired outcome.

To determine these objectives, it’s helpful to consider the big picture by asking yourself: 

• Why are you raising money?
• Who are you raising money for?
• How much money do you hope to raise?

Once these goals and parameters are established, it’s also necessary to develop a strategy for how you will reach these objectives. Consider developing  sponsorships  or  incentives  as part of your fundraising efforts and use data analysis to track progress towards those goals.

By creating a clear vision with achievable goals, you can ensure that all participants understand the importance of reaching these objectives and will be motivated by their involvement in making them happen.

Step 2: Establish a Realistic Budget

Establishing a realistic budget for a fundraiser is vital in planning a successful event. Without an appropriate budget, it can be  difficult to know how much money will be needed  to host the event and how much money can realistically be raised during the event.

When creating a budget, it is essential to consider every element of the event that costs money.

A well-planned budget should include the following:

• Sponsorships
• Staffing costs
• Catering costs
• Venue rental fees
• Transportation fees
• Entertainment costs
• Decorations or signage
• Insurance for the event

Additionally, if any additional features, such as an auction or ticket raffle, are part of the fundraiser, then those need to be factored in as well. Considering these factors when developing your budget will help ensure that your fundraiser runs smoothly.

However, it’s important to set aside money for  contingencies  and  unforeseen circumstances  to ensure your fundraiser is successful.

With an effective budget plan in place, you’ll easily organize funds and stay on top of expenses throughout your fundraiser.

Step 3: Find the Perfect Venue

Finding the perfect venue for your fundraiser is often one of the most important decisions you’ll make during the planning process. It’s necessary to find a spot that fits the size and type of event you have in mind, has adequate facilities, and suits your budget.

Consider the size of the event, how many people will be attending, and what kind of activities you’d like to incorporate. You should also think about  parking availability  and  wheelchair accessibility , depending on your guest list.

Additionally, do as much research as possible when choosing a space, including checking out online reviews from previous customers. Visit different venues in person and ask their staff questions to make sure they have experience hosting events similar to yours.

However, before signing any contracts with venues, find out what services are included in the quoted price so you know your financial obligations.

Step 4: Line Up Your Entertainment & Catering

Once you have established the location, you should consider what entertainment will make your event enjoyable for attendees. Organizing your  entertainment  and  catering  is the next step in planning your fundraiser.

It can be the difference between a memorable evening and one that leaves a negative impression on your guests. The entertainment should be suitable for the event being held and encourage people to stay engaged throughout the evening.

Depending on your budget and resources, you can line up the following:

• A live band

You will also want to decide how many people will attend and what  food  you would like to offer at the event. Selecting a reputable  catering business  with experience in providing meals for fundraisers can go a long way in making sure all guests have their dietary needs met.

If budget permits, it may also be worth considering hiring staff like waiters or bartenders so that guests don’t need to spend too much time waiting in lines. However, it is important to think about any alcohol regulations when selecting which beverages will be served at the fundraiser.

Step 5: Create Branding for Your Fundraiser

Creating  branding  for your fundraiser is another important step in ensuring it’s a success. Opting for quality, consistent visuals representing the cause you’re fundraising for will help ensure your message is  effective  and  clear .

To start, consider designing a logo or slogan that can be used on promotional materials, such as flyers and posters. This will give people an idea of the campaign before they even read more information about it.

It is also extremely important to create a website for the fundraiser to  promote the event  and give potential attendees more information about what they can expect at the event.

The website should include information about the following:

• How long will it last?
• Why it’s being organized?
• Who’s organizing the event?
• How to donate or buy tickets?
• When and where it will take place?

Additionally, include pictures of previous events (if available) and testimonials or stories from beneficiaries or sponsors of the fundraiser. Utilizing social media links on the website is also a great way to spread awareness and connect with potential donors or attendees.

Step 6: Start Marketing Your Event

Once your fundraiser is planned, it is time to start marketing the event. The goal is to generate  interest  and  attendance  to maximize donations and achieve success.

You can market your fundraiser through a variety of channels:

• Social media
• Word-of-mouth
• Email campaigns

Let’s take a closer look at these  marketing strategies !

Flyers are placed in public spaces, such as bulletin boards located in your area or on local college campuses. They should include eye-catching graphics, clear and concise language, and all the essential information about the fundraiser and how to attend it.

Social Media

Utilizing social media is a great way to ensure  your message reaches a wide variety of people , including those who may not come across your flyers. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn make it easy to spread the news far and wide.

Create a hashtag for your fundraiser and post content regularly to keep people updated on the progress of the planning process, including photos and videos leading up to the event.

Word-of-Mouth

Encouraging people to share information about the fundraiser through word-of-mouth is an effective way to get the word out. Consider  incentivizing people to spread the news  by offering discounts on tickets or donating a portion of their ticket price to charity.

Email Campaigns

Creating an email list is another great way to promote your fundraiser and increase attendance. Include information about why people should donate, how they can do so, and any other updates about the event.

Be sure to personalize the emails and use a call-to-action at the end of each one so that people know what they should do next. You could also include links to social media pages or your website for more information.

Step 7: Use an Event Platform for Tickets

Using an event platform for tickets is a great way to streamline your fundraiser. It will allow you to easily manage ticket sales and track donations. An event platform can also  provide useful insights  into the success of your fundraiser, which can be used for future planning.

When selecting an event platform, ensure it offers reliable customer support and features that make it easy for people to purchase tickets or donate funds quickly.

Many digital solutions are available, each offering a range of features and services to help you plan a successful fundraiser. For example,  Adrenaline Fundraising  offers a variety of features that can help your fundraising efforts.

However, it is important to research and finds the platform that best suits your needs. By utilizing an event platform for tickets, you can maximize your success while  reducing the stress  that goes along with planning a fundraising event.

Step 8: Stay Organized for the Event Day

Staying organized on the day of the fundraiser is essential to ensure that everything runs smoothly and according to plan. It’s important to  create an event timeline  with specific deadlines, create a checklist, and assign tasks to volunteers ahead of time.

It’s also important to set up an effective communication system between volunteers so that tasks can be completed promptly. Leading up to the event, it’s crucial to conduct regular check-ins and rehearsals with volunteers to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Additionally, assign a few people responsible for  tracking  and  monitoring  progress throughout the fundraiser, including handling any issues or problems that arise to stay organized on the day of the event.

Step 9: Follow Up With Attendees Afterwards

The last step after hosting a fundraiser is to follow up with attendees. This is essential to identify what went well and areas for improvement in future events.

Following up with attendees can be done through the use of the following: 

• Phone calls
• Thank you cards

However, you should reach out to attendees as soon as possible after the event to ensure better feedback. It’s also important to  thank donors for their contributions  and provide detailed information on how the funds will be used and what kind of impact they will have.

No matter which method you choose, ensure that everyone who attended feels valued and celebrated for supporting your cause. By following up with attendees, you ensure that your organization is on the right track and prepared to host more successful fundraisers in the future.

Organizing a fundraiser can seem like a daunting task. However, the right preparation can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. As the organizer, you can create something unique and special for your community.

By following the 9 steps outlined above, you can make the process of planning and hosting a fundraiser easier and more successful. You can plan the perfect fundraiser with hard work, dedication, and creativity.

Are you trying to plan a fundraiser? Do you have any questions about how to ensure your next fundraiser is a success? Let us know in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Organizing a successful fundraising event involves a lot of planning and coordination. It’s important to consider the type of fundraiser, location, budget, how many people you need to invite, and what promotion will be used. To ensure success, it is important to have a clear goal and plan accordingly. This includes setting realistic goals that are achievable and measurable. You should also create checklists and timelines to ensure everything stays on track.

Creating an effective fundraising plan requires you to start with clear objectives. You should think about what you hope to achieve with your fundraiser so that you can have some concrete targets to work towards. It is also important to develop strategies for reaching those objectives tailored specifically to your needs. This might include asking people directly for donations or selling tickets for an event or concert.

The type of activity used for your fundraiser will depend largely on its purpose and target audience. However, there are many different options available that can be used depending on your goals. Some common types of events include the following: – Live bands – Car washes – Silent auctions – Golf tournaments – Raffles or lotteries – Dinners or banquets – Carnivals or festivals – Walks/runs/cycles/swims – Performances by comedians – Art shows featuring local talent

Fundraising is an important way to generate income for charities, non-profits, religious organizations, educational institutions, and other organizations seeking financial support. It helps them fund initiatives and create change in the world around us. A fundraiser also allows individuals to unite to support something they believe in and make a difference in their communities.

The amount of money that can be raised from a fundraiser will depend on the size and scope of the event. An intimate dinner might raise hundreds of dollars if tickets are set at $50 each, and there is an auction component, for example. A larger gala might raise thousands of dollars if tickets are sold at higher prices and with sponsorships. A car wash could make more depending on the number of cars serviced and how much is charged per vehicle. Additionally, a 5K or another endurance-based event may raise over ten thousand dollars due to sponsorships, donations, and entry fees. 

The amount of time it takes to plan a fundraiser varies depending on the type of event you’re hosting and the complexity of the fundraising project. Small fundraisers, such as bake sales or carwashes, can be planned in a few weeks. Larger events, such as auctions or galas, may require more planning, ranging from several weeks to several months. It’s important to identify all the tasks involved in planning your event and create a timeline for completion to ensure that everything is ready by the set date. 

An acceptable cost of fundraising depends on the type of fundraiser and the organization’s size. It is recommended to keep the costs low to maximize the amount of money generated by donations. The costs of running a successful fundraiser include advertising and promotion, supplies, labor, and other miscellaneous costs. It is also important to factor these expenses into any budget when considering a fundraising event or campaign. 

Finding the perfect venue for your fundraiser can be a bit of a challenge. You’ll want to find a space suitable for your event and within your budget. Depending on the size of your event, you will need to consider factors such as the number of guests and the type of activities you plan to have. You’ll also need to establish a budget for your event and decide how much money you will spend on a venue.

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5 steps to create a fundraising business plan.

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A non profit organization requires a thoughtful business plan to clearly define it’s goals and mission, the activities which are conducted to raise funds and the marketing strategies of the organization. The plan should be made keeping in mind that there should be scope for future growth, to achieve both social and financial returns.

Step 1: Give Details about Your Organization

Step 2: create an operational budget plan, step 3: mention how you plan to make a difference, step 4: include information about your staff and supporters, step 5: include possible risks.

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More From Forbes

A startup's guide to surviving the fundraising circus.

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Henry Chen , Founder, Sapien, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

The startup fundraising process is exhilarating. But at the same time, it's daunting. Success isn't guaranteed, and every pitch and meeting feels like a performance.

As someone who has been through this process more than a few times, I want to share the truths to prepare you for the ups and downs of securing funding, and how you can survive what can feel like a circus at times.

What To Expect At First

Fundraising is just plain necessary for turning your startup dreams into reality. It's all about convincing venture capitalists (VCs) that your idea is worth their investment.

This process requires confidence and a compelling narrative that makes potential investors eager to participate in your vision. Remember, you aren't just selling a product or service. You're selling potential. Find a way to connect your vision for that potential to their potential for profit.

Samsung Issues Critical Update For Millions Of Galaxy Users

Drake kendrick lamar feud timeline another trespasser caught at drake s toronto home police say, the best queen mattresses that promote more restful nights, putting together an undeniable pitch deck.

Your pitch deck is your key tool in the fundraising circus. It should answer basic questions like, "How will this make money?" or "Do people actually want this?" and impress with its potential for growth. It’s not about what you have today but what you and your investors could build together tomorrow.

Use this tool to balance defensive data points with offensive, eye-catching projections. Keep it concise yet comprehensive, and address potential concerns while highlighting your ambitious goals.

Pitching Is A Dance

Pitching to investors is like an elaborate dance. Each meeting and each presentation is a chance to captivate your audience. You'll drink countless cups of coffee and shake hands more times than you can count, perfecting your pitch with each interaction. It's common to hear phrases like "I'm interested," though learning to discern genuine interest from polite dismissals is important during this stage. Always remember: Commitment is only confirmed with a term sheet.

Handling Rejection

Rejection is an inevitable part of the fundraising journey. Instead of letting it dishearten you, use it as a stepping stone. Each "no" brings you closer to the "yes" that will transform your startup's future. Learn to accept rejections graciously and use the feedback to refine your approach.

The moment you secure your first term sheet is an extremely important milestone. It will feel both exhilarating and surreal, offering validation for your hard work and vision. This initial success can propel you to secure additional investors, turning tentative interest into firm commitments as you see more investors make faster positive decisions with the additional group confirmation behind their decision.

Essential Survival Tips For Founders During The Funding Stage

So how do you get from a dream to a funded startup with so many intangible elements that you can’t control? You can’t control how people will react to your pitch or company, but you can control your process, methodology and what you bring to each and every pitch.

1. Refine Your Pitch Relentlessly

Your pitch is the core tool in your fundraising toolkit. Continuously refine and adapt it based on feedback from each meeting. Be open to criticism and use it constructively to improve your delivery and content. A pitch that resonates with one investor might not work with another, so flexibility and responsiveness are key.

I've been through more than one emergency pitch production on a tight deadline to make sure it's tailored to the investor we’re meeting the next day. Usually, those are the pitches that connect most effectively. Don’t be afraid to scrap everything and create something that you know will resonate.

2. Build And Leverage Your Network

Your network is invaluable during the fundraising process. Engage with mentors, peers and industry connections to gain insights, introductions and advice. Networking isn't just about expanding your list of contacts; it’s about building meaningful relationships that can open doors to potential investors. These relationships could last well into the future, leading to future startups and opportunities.

3. Understand Your Investors On A Personal Level

Research potential investors thoroughly before meetings. Understand their investment history, focus areas and what they look for in a startup. Tailoring your pitch to align with their interests can significantly increase your chances of securing funding.

4. Manage Your Time Wisely

Fundraising can be time-consuming. I have seen this firsthand as my days have turned into back-to-back pitch meetings separated only by a rushed meal eaten between calls. Manage your schedule effectively to balance fundraising efforts with running your startup, prioritize activities that offer the greatest return on investment and delegate or postpone less critical tasks whenever possible.

5. Prepare For Due Diligence

Welcome to the show: You need to be ready for in-depth scrutiny at every level of the fundraising process. Have all your financials, business plans, and legal documents organized and ready for investor review. Demonstrating preparedness and transparency during due diligence can significantly influence an investor's decision to fund your startup.

6. Stay Resilient And Persistent

Fundraising often takes longer than anticipated. Prepare mentally for a marathon, not a sprint. Persistence is crucial; don’t be discouraged by rejections. Learn from each experience and keep pushing forward with your vision.

By incorporating these focused, actionable strategies into your approach, you'll increase your ability to navigate the fundraising process successfully. Remember, the goal isn't just to secure funding but to build lasting partnerships that will support your startup's growth over the long term, and sign that term sheet that signifies the real commitment you need to bring your startup’s vision to life.

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?

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