Successful Fundraising
The Five Ways to Make Your Fundraising Succeed
1. Create a clear, concise, and compelling case for support
“It [the case statement] truly answers the question of why you are conducting the campaign. But more than that, it is a public statement that must stand alone without explanation.” (Ted D. Bayley, The Complete Fundraising Guide to Successful Campaigns)
• Is your case realistic and achievable?
2. Fundraise in ways that support and exceed your goals
“49% of survey respondents said that they could have given more to charitable causes…and that they were holding their philanthropy back. There seemed to be opportunity to raise more money from every category of donors surveyed including the most generous givers…of which 40% said they held their philanthropy back last year.” (Cygnus Applied Research, Inc.)
• How will you be able to cultivate donors to not only give, but give what they are holding back?
3. Understand that individual giving is the key to solid revenue
“Individual giving constitutes approximately 73% of all revenue for charities worldwide.” (Giving USA Foundation)
• How much of your budget is supported by individual giving?
4. Identify the right donors
“To remain viable in this environment, non-profit organizations have become dependent on data to help them identify and target prospects most likely to donate to their cause.” (V12 Group)
• How do you KNOW who would give to your organization?
5. Create volunteer leadership
“… more than one-third of those who volunteer one year do not donate their time the next year—at any non-profit. That adds up to an estimated $38 billion in lost labor. To remedy this situation, nonprofit leaders must develop a more strategic approach to managing this overlooked and undervalued talent pool.” (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
• How does your organization grow and retain your volunteers?