You\u2019ve heard the old saying, and it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n
Fail to plan and plan to fail.<\/p>\n
So why do so few people plan?<\/p>\n
Planning doesn\u2019t have to be hard or take a lot of time, but it does require some serious thought.<\/p>\n
Remember that having a well-thought-out plan will move you from being reactive to being proactive, which will lessen your stress and make you more productive. And don\u2019t we all want that?<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re one of the thousands of people who know you need a plan but don\u2019t have one, start by following these 7 steps. They\u2019ll get you on the road to success.<\/p>\n
How much do you need to raise? \u201cAs much as we can\u201d or \u201cA lot\u201d are not good goals.<\/p>\n
Look at the programs you\u2019re running or want to run. What will that cost? Include all direct and indirect expenses. And add it all up. THAT\u2019S the amount you need to raise.<\/p>\n
Also think about the number of donors you want to renew (also called retention) and the number of new donors you need to bring on board (donor acquisition). If you don\u2019t pay attention to your donor numbers, you\u2019ll find them shrinking away to nothing.<\/p>\n
Set concrete goals for each of these key fundraising elements, then make sure the strategies you choose support these goals too, and not just the total dollars you need to raise.<\/p>\n
Take a look at your numbers from the last year. Look at what you raised and what you spent to raise it. Then ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n
Once you have some data, you can make decisions about which activities to repeat and which ones to stop. Hint: don\u2019t keep doing something just because you always have.<\/em><\/p>\n The only reason you should skip this step is if your nonprofit is so new you haven\u2019t done anything yet.<\/p>\n Before you choose strategies, get clear about what you have to work with in terms of organizational assets and personal strengths.<\/p>\n Organizational assets are things that will make fundraising easier, like great name recognition, a tour-able facility, or a mission with wide-spread appeal. Once you identify these, decide on the best ways to leverage them.<\/p>\n For example, if your facility lends itself well to a tour, make sure you\u2019re having an Open House or an event at your place so people can see first-hand the work your nonprofit does.<\/p>\n Your fundraising plan should also play to your personal strengths. For example, if you\u2019re a great speaker, you definitely need to be giving presentations at local civic clubs and churches and making an appearance on TV. If you\u2019re a good writer, you definitely should be blogging and doing written appeals for donations.<\/p>\n Make a list of what you have to work with and keep it handy as you consider possible fundraising strategies for the coming year.<\/p>\n As you\u2019re thinking about your upcoming year, pick the strategies that will give you a good return on your investment of time, money, and energy. Not sure what to choose? Use the 1-10-1000 Rule.<\/p>\n Do 1 special event and do it really well.<\/strong><\/p>\n Make it a Signature Event that everyone in town associates with your organization. Make it a FUN event<\/a> that people talk about for days afterward. And make sure it makes you plenty of money so it\u2019s worth the effort.<\/p>\n In fact, shoot for an ROI of about 4 to 1 (make $4 for every $1 you spend). Most events don\u2019t come anywhere close to that! When yours does, you\u2019ll feel really good about hosting it every year and you\u2019ll know it\u2019s generating the dollars you need to support your nonprofit\u2019s work.<\/p>\n Get 10 grants.<\/strong><\/p>\n Actually, get all the grant money you can. Most nonprofits can find about 10 good strong grant opportunities over the course of the year. If you don\u2019t have that many, you may want to do a little research to see what else is out there for you.<\/p>\n Find 1,000 individual donors.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, that\u2019s one thousand donors. Don\u2019t freak \u2013 you can do this. That many donors will give you a SOLID base of support.<\/p>\n Start by figuring out the number of active donors you have right now (I define active as having given sometime in the last 15 months). Then, work on adding 100. When you get those, go find another hundred. By taking it in smaller bites, you\u2019ll successfully reach your goal in no time.<\/p>\n And where do you find new donors? Start with those already invested in your organization \u2013 ask your volunteers to give. Ask those giving in-kind to you to make a financial gift. Ask people who benefit from your programs to give. Then ask them to ask their friends to give. Work your way out to others who are likely to care.<\/p>\n Create an “Ideal Donor Profile” of the person who is MOST likely to give, then brainstorm ways that you can find them easily and in large numbers. This exercise is extremely valuable and will help you focus your donor acquisition efforts in the right place.<\/p>\n As you plan for each individual fundraising strategy you choose, get clear about:<\/p>\n When you plan out this level of detail for each strategy, you\u2019ll increase your chances of success exponentially!<\/p>\n You can use this event checklist<\/a> to guide your answers to these important questions.<\/p>\n As you answer these questions, write down your answers. Grab my \u201c1 Page Quick and Simple Fundraising Plan\u201d<\/a> and start filling in the blanks. It\u2019ll get you started, which is half the battle. And remember, if it\u2019s not in writing, it\u2019s not real.<\/p>\n Mark your calendar to revisit this plan the first of every month to see how you\u2019re doing. Monitoring your progress is key to success. After all, you can\u2019t manage what you don\u2019t measure.<\/p>\n One of the keys to successfully raising the money you need is to get help. You can\u2019t do this on your own.<\/p>\n The first people you should turn to are your Board members. Unfortunately, many nonprofits have Board members that are afraid of fundraising, so you have to work with what you\u2019ve got until you can develop your Board into a fundraising Board (it\u2019s really possible!).<\/p>\n So, here\u2019s what you can do. Share your plan with your Board Chair or other leaders. Ask them where they\u2019d like to participate to support your efforts. Then share the plan with the entire Board, with your Chair or other leaders sharing where they\u2019ll be helping.<\/p>\n You should get an idea of where everyone is willing to help and that will strengthen your relationship with your Board and give you confidence moving forward with your plan.<\/p>\n If you have Board members who are unresponsive or don\u2019t seem to want to help, let it go for now. Don\u2019t chase them and don\u2019t try to force them to agree to something, because even if they do, they probably won\u2019t follow through. Just know that you\u2019ve got Board engagement issues to address.<\/p>\n Once your plan is created, keep it handy. You need to review it at least once a month to make sure you\u2019re on track. Make adjustments as you need to, but don\u2019t toss it if something goes sideways or if something unexpected happens.<\/p>\n Remember, this is the plan you\u2019ve put time and thought into, and it\u2019s the plan that will move you forward in big steps toward funding your dreams.<\/p>\n Sandy Rees, founder and chief of Get Fully Funded<\/a>, contributed this article on written fundraising plans. Sandy is a\u00a0prolific writer who’s appeared in\u00a0past issues of Fundraising Success Magazine, at\u00a0www.ezinearticles.com<\/a>, where she’s a Platinum Author, on the Get Fully Funded blog<\/a>, or as a guest blogger on dozens of sites on the net.<\/p>\nStep 3. Assess your strengths.<\/h2>\n
Step 4. Choose profitable strategies.<\/h2>\n
Step 5. Flesh out the details.<\/h2>\n
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Step 6. Put the plan in writing.<\/h2>\n
Step 7. Get your Board on board.<\/h2>\n
Bonus! Step 8. Monitor the plan.<\/h2>\n
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