e-Newsletter: Connect to Solutions

Fundraising: Plan to Succeed

by Larry Becker, CFRE, CNE Associate

Has the economic recovery “trickled down” to your organization yet?  Have your fundraising activities lived up to your organization’s expectations? If they have fallen short, the answer may lie in the following questions.

• Do you have a fundraising plan that includes your top prospects – individuals, corporations, and foundations?
  
• Is your relationship with these prospects long-standing, new, or not yet developed?What is your strategy for expanding your donor base over the next year? The next three years?
  
• When you receive that gift, how do you record it?
  
• How do you say thank you to your donors and how often? 
  
• How do you keep in touch with your donors throughout the year?
  
• Have you identified how you will get new donors?

How did you do answering these questions? Were your answers clear and concise, or uncertain and wishy-washy?

Over the years, we’ve found that nonprofits with successful fundraising programs can answer these questions and a multitude of others that address fundraising planning, relationship management, and infrastructure development.

Research indicates that donors are now looking at not only the mission of the organization they wish to support, but also at the business practices. Donors want to be sure that their investment in that mission is going to achieve the desired result. In other words, they are evaluating their return on investment (ROI).

But having the human resources to support a vibrant fund development strategy is also difficult for many nonprofits. Small to medium-sized nonprofits may not have the budget to retain a full or even part-time fundraiser. Or the person on staff is good at their job, but may not have the experience or skills in the area that the organization needs now. And executive directors do not always have the time or training to “do it all.” 

Retaining consulting services for fundraising activities, rather than using employees, or to augment current employee skill sets, can be a very cost effective strategy to achieve your organizational objectives and realize the maximum ROI.

Several of the most effective ways to utilize fundraising consultants are in:

• Assessing an organization’s fundraising capacity and effectiveness, determining strengths, and highlighting the critical areas where strategic improvement can best help the organization
   
• Focusing on one or two of the most important objectives. It could be board involvement in the fundraising process, developing a fundraising plan, designing an annual or major gift campaign, or strategic planning
  
• Delivering a wider spectrum of skills than can be obtained by hiring one person, or focusing on a skill set needed at that point in time, allowing the best use of resources
  
• Providing flexibility – services can be adjusted to meet the budget and project scope

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) has received many calls requesting fundraising help. In response, CNE has developed a web-based fundraising assessment that can help a nonprofit organization identify its strengths and challenges related to fundraising. One those critical parameters are known, the organization can develop a plan, or work with CNE to help create a fund development strategy to meet the organization’s mission and improve its sustainability.

Call Jeff Vengrow at the Center for Nonprofit Excellence at (330) 328-5717 for more information on the fundraising assessment, and how CNE’s services can help to meet your organization’s specific fundraising needs within your budget.