4+ keys to great year-round fundraising campaigns
- Digital communications & marketing
- Fundraising ideas
- Nonprofits
- Guided Fundraising
All nonprofit organizations, no matter the size of their budget or staff, should spend some time crafting a fundraising plan for the upcoming year. Planning ahead will allow your nonprofit to assess your goals, establish metrics, and determine how you’ll secure the funding you need.
Here are some templates, tips, and resources to help you get your plan ready and boost this year’s fundraising:
Fundraising plans have multiple moving parts, including your existing resources, planned activities, major donor prospects, budget, and calendar. To help you keep these elements organized, try following our fundraising plan crash course and template.
To give your plan direction, start by asking questions about what your nonprofit wants to accomplish this upcoming year. Answer questions like:
Use your past fundraising data to set goals that are challenging but achievable. These goals should inspire your team to work hard to meet them, while also reassuring them that they can be met with enough determination and careful planning.
Your fundraising plan likely includes a few growth-related goals, which means acquiring new donors. While each donor gives for their own unique reasons, there are a few strategies that can increase your chances of success with any prospective supporter.
Explore our resource on top donor acquisition strategies like:
Keep in mind that the best strategy will depend on your target audience. For example, if you’re looking to attract more donors in your local community, in-person events are likely to be a big hit, whereas leveraging multiple communication channels can help you get in touch with new supporters online.
What makes a major gift program successful? All nonprofits, regardless of size, can earn major gifts with the right best practices, such as:
As part of your fundraising plan, determine your most likely major giving prospects, as well as how many major donors you’ll need to hit your fundraising goals.
Annual reports give supporters an overview of your nonprofit’s yearly accomplishments, finances, and other updates. A well put together report presents your nonprofit as a professional organization doing meaningful work. This means your report can even inspire increased giving.
To put this year’s report together, check out these resources:
Consider the role your annual report will play in your fundraising plan. Along with being an opportunity to showcase some of your top accomplishments, an annual report is your chance to show supporters your commitment to transparency, demonstrate your impact, and thank donors for all the help they’ve given you throughout the year.
Capital campaigns are a major undertaking, and a successful one can dramatically increase your nonprofit’s ability to fulfill your purpose.
If you’re planning a capital campaign this year, try following these tips:
You likely won’t plan a capital campaign every year, but when you do, be ready to devote a significant amount of your fundraising planning time to it. After all, these campaigns will span months and have the potential to earn major fundraising for your nonprofit.
Your fundraising plan will shape your nonprofit’s direction for the year. Start planning early, and leverage every resource at your disposal to nail down details, account for challenges, and set your nonprofit up for success.
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