Key Fundraising Steps

Successful & effective fundraising comes with good planning and implementation. Follow these steps to help you prepare for successful fundraising event.

Step 1: Identify Your Fundraising Specialist (or an individual who will lead your fundraising initiatives.)

Do you have a person in charge of the organization’s fundraising strategies?
How much time is this person able to devote to fundraising? Is this their primary or secondary responsibility?
What is your fundraising specialist's strengths and weaknesses?
What are the fundraising training needs for the team leader, volunteers or board members?

If you don't have a fundraising specialist, here are some tips:

Hire a new person, either a volunteer or paid staff member, to be your fundraising specialist.
Hire an outside fundraising consultant to help with ideas, planning or community contacts.
Relieve a current employee from some duties to devote several hours a day exclusively on fundraising.

Step 2: Develop or Update Your Mission & Vision Statements

Using 25 words or less, define your image of the organization.
How is the organization positioned in relation to others offering similar services?
Why is the organization a community asset?

Step 3: Develop Organization Informational Material

Brochure about your organization’s mission and service
Fact Sheets and FAQ’s about your organization
Direct mail letters
Special event invitations
Print & website newsletter
Press releases
Donor recognition program
Grant & Corporate Sponsorship
Video or Audio PSA’s about your organization
Slide show presentation about your organization
Case studies about your organization’s success stories

Step 4: Network with the community

List your organization's key constituents, audiences, VIP, movers & shakers, key community leaders, media contacts and more. These should include current and potential donors, volunteers, funders, clients, vendors, and local government officials. These people are key in helping you to organize, promote, implement or provide funding in future fundraising events.

Strive to keep all of those “key players” involved in your fundraising events. They will be your life-line should you ever come to face with a crisis.

Step 5: Evaluate Your Programs & Services

Clearly describe your current programs and services and what differentiates your company.

What is the geographic range of service programs?
What is the objective of each program?
Do you analyze the effectiveness of each program?
Do you have measured data to show how successful each program is?
Are all your programs compatible with your mission? If not, decide whether to drop those programs or expand your mission so it includes them.
How does your organization specialize at doing what it does?
What makes your organization a forerunner in your cause?
Examples: unique training process, specialized counseling skills, publishing capabilities, etc.
What special networks, contacts, associations and relationships does your organization have in place for promoting your products and services to your future and current clients?
What new programs or services would you like to add?
Are they compatible with your mission?
Is there a need for them?
Are they wanted?
Have you researched this?

Step 6: Make Your Organization More Visible

Key questions:

What percentage of the community you serve knows about your organization?
What percentage of that community really understands your mission?
Is the media aware of your organization, its events, mission etc.?
Have you created a media list for the geographic regions that you serve? Are you aware of local reporters beats and preferred method of contact?
Do you write and send press releases out to your community newspapers, news stations and other industry outlets?
Do you invite members of the local media to attend your events?

Tips:

A. Create a short slogan that describes your organization. Examples: "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." "Every child a wanted child." "Service above self." Your slogan should define your organization's character and differentiate you from others. Be sure to always include your organization’s name with this slogan so it correlates the message with your organization.

B. Put together a list of media representatives from high-visibility publications and local news outlets. Send those journalists and reporters press releases whenever you have news, an event, position statement or something of interest to share. Establish relationships with them so that they think of you as an expert they can call on for information.

C. Each of your funding needs has a story behind it; don’t be afraid to share them: background information, human-interest anecdotes, accomplishments, hopes and dreams about the future. Use your press releases and marketing material to express those stories.

D. Communicate directly with your key audiences (media, donors, funders, investors, VIPs etc.) . Be sure you have the names, addresses, phone numbers and email address in a contact database. To keep them in the “know”, send them a monthly newsletter, news alerts or press releases.

Step 7: Start Raising Funds

Brainstorm with your fundraising specialist to create a calendar of tentative events your organization could coordinate. Choose one and begin to get the event under way. Learn from that event and build a structured outline of future strategies, goals and avoidances to keep in mind when planning other events.

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