Building Your Fund Raising Capacity Now! Most nonprofits are faced with significant fund raising challenges these days. As a part of the current Fiscal Crisis Eric Dickerson Womens Jersey , donors have cut back, foundations have trimmed their grantmaking, and state governments are cutting a great deal. In order to be a sustainable organization, able to weather these financial storms, nonprofits will need to develop fund raising plans. Then Jamon Brown Womens Jersey , they will need to implement the plan, focusing on those strategies that have the best opportunity for success. This article provides an outline of a fund raising plan, and a series of suggestions for areas of fund development that are working best for many agencies. I. Fund Raising Plan Your fund raising plan will guide staff, board and volunteers as they implement different goals and strategies — from the annual appeal to the events to major donor development. Your Fund Raising Plan is made up of three simple building blocks: A. Individual Donors B. Institutional Donors C. Earned Income For each of the three building blocks, there are a wide range of strategies for developing revenue Josh Reynolds Womens Jersey , as the following exemplify: A. Individual Donors 1. Direct mail (best for donors giving smaller gifts. Direct mail never makes money when acquiring donors – only through repeat gifts from those who are current donors. It is always a good idea to send out mailings multiple times each year). 2. Special events including events such as “AID and Comfort,” Rape Crisis Center’s “Hot Salsa” dance party, Big Brothers Big Sisters “Bowl for Kids Sake.” Special events require a 6-9 month lead time, a strong group of volunteers, active Board involvement Gerald Everett Womens Jersey , and corporate involvement to donate many items to keep costs down). 3. Small events can be house parties for major donors, thank-you events for donors and volunteers or other small events. Small events are excellent ways to involve new major donors, when current major donors are willing to serve as hosts and invite their friends. 4. Telethons (though people often cringe at the idea of calling people, phone contacts can be extremely effective when calling those who are regular, loyal donors. Agencies often send letters out in advance asking for a donation and letting people know the volunteers will be calling; often people send in donations. Calls should be short and to the point Rob Havenstein Womens Jersey , thanking the person for their support. Always use volunteers. 5. Individual Solicitations (primarily for those giving larger gifts).
B. Institutional Donors Institutional donors include all of the different institutions that provide grants, contracts and donations. These usually include: 1. Federal Government – grants and contracts