It is often asked how to start a fundraising project. Funding is required to manage resources and facilities that are required to run and manage the NGO. Most organizations know what they need funds for but do not know from where the funds will come. Whether it is a first fundraising project or a new initiative in an established fundraising program, they all start in the same way – you start asking those closest to your organization for support.
Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of raising fund, money or resources for the organization through voluntary contributions. Fundraising may refer to requesting contributions from individuals, charitable organizations, or businessmen. Having emerged from the concept of street or door-to-door donations, fundraising in modern times have evolved a lot, like online-fundraising, crowdfunding, etc.
Fundraising can be puzzling at first, but getting the basics concepts can help one become a better fundraiser. People aren’t born great after all, they work their ways through. Keeping the principles in mind and practicing how to raise money can lead one to be a great fundraiser. Practice makes one great.
How we can Guide and Consult you for Writing a Profitable Fundraising Plan
Non Profit Charity Organization can be start and run initially with own fund and resources of the members. Such organizations just work under the main committee with help of the volunteers. Due to low-funding they face many issues and use to look after for sponsors and benefactors. This isn’t the right way to operate the social business so fundraising plan is necessary. During the good times of well-funded account, one has to think a step further and be prepared. Such are the times when fundraising plans prove helpful. For fundraising your NGO needs consultancy and we provide it.
To run and manage NGO, having a well-outlined fundraising plan is a must. A well-outlined plan allows you to look through your operations and let you work efficiently. Planning dates, sectioning mail, categorizing events, being clear about strategies and plans where to make efforts, become much easier.
We are finely prepare the well-planned fundraising scheme for your NGO for the longer run.
Who and When?
Now that you have decided to write a plan, the question arises whom should one approach to writing a fundraising plan. Even another query might pop here. When should you start writing a fundraising plan?
How about starting with a plan already in hand? But it’s never too late to start, is it? Start writing the plan now. Start this moment. Operating without a fundraising plan is like taking your work down the drain. One may plan according to one’s need, starting with weekly or monthly plans than working all the way to annual plan or 2-year or 5-year plan.
Now, answering the other question of whom to approach? One can consult with us. We provide consultation to your organization. With the help of our professional consultants who are specializes in writing fundraising schemes you can get the solution.
We prepare the Anatomy of Fundraising Plan
Having set your mind on points we write your plan. The next step is to plan the points of the scheme. What should be included and what not we provide consultancy for that and prepare you the complete Plan.
Followings are the certain parts of the Fundraising Plan Process:
- The Aim
One should never start a story without having an end in mind. Same applies here. Starting to plan your scheme without an aim in your head is not a good way to start. Overall funding goal and yearly funding goals need to be decided at this stage. Along with the goals of how much fund does the organization have? And how much is needed to work smoothly through the events? - The Objectives
What are your objective of the funds collected for? How much fund is required? How will be the collected funds spend? Such expenditure points should be made clear within the objective. - The Fundraising Tactics
Once clear about why and how much fund to raise, next comes ‘How?’ We can guide and plan that how will you reach the desired fund amount, what tricks and tactics can be use this year and the following year. The tactics one is using should add up to the final desired amount.
Some common tactics are:
- Individual Giving – Asking major donors to make gifts to your organization.
- Major Donor Groups – May include board giving, a finance or development committee, etc.
- Events – Both large and small.
- Direct Mail
- Online and E-Giving
- Grants – Funding Agencies and Government
- Corporate Social Responsibility Programs
- Contact with Donor Groups
- Annual Giving and Multi-Year Giving Campaign
When we prepare the tactics for fundraising that can be creative, mix and match ideas to raise a good amount of fund. Your NGO can reach the target amount with a minimal number of volunteers and staffs implementing ideas rightly prepared for you.
- Individual Giving – Asking major donors to make gifts to your organization.
- The Timeline of Fundraising Plan
We plan all the details regarding the budget and the the mission and has eyes set on a great group of benefactors with fundraising tactics. We know that what about the validity of the plan. To get things done rightly, a timeline of the scheme is to be set. Yearly timelines are good. Like holding an event in the starting months of the year, work for the next few and a campaign with the year-end. It’s good to have an eye on the big picture but alongside getting smaller goals done. For example, making updates about the tiny details regarding the upcoming event, when will decisions for venue and entertainment are made, when will invites go public, etc.
Including a timeline in the scheme helps you plan the scheme efficiently. We can provide invaluable guidance on your activities as the year progresses during our Consultancy.
Steps to a Fundraising Event
Fundraising events are a popular form of fundraising. Being great money makers for social organizations, they can be time-consuming and costly at the same time. The success of the event depends on careful planning. There are some factors that can turn a normal event into an extraordinary one.
Here are 10 major components that might make your event a bestseller:
1. Purpose
Before you contact us for Fundraising Consultancy you have to decide the purpose of the event at the very first. You have to decide that is it just a fundraising event or is it with some other goals too? Many organizations hold an event with multiple goals in mind, like gaining popularity, reach out to new network and fundraising of course. Having a clear purpose of the event helps you plan it purposely targeting the right crowd. Be can better guide to you for this if you take consultancy service.
2. Fundraising Goals
The goal that you plan to achieve at the event should be discussed organization staff, and with us as the key fundraisers. If this mainly is a fundraising event then the major aim of the event will be to achieve the set amount of fund.
3. Budget
Every fundraising event plan needs to have an outlined budget plan. The budget plan should include all the expenses required to hold the event. From staff, invitations and entertainment to utilities, securities, and catering, everything should be on the budget list. Your budget should take account of your fundraising goal so that net amount goes on the positive side. And don’t forget to leave some extra fund for unexpected costs. During the Event planning we can discuss and decide it according to the available applicability options.
4. Leadership
As part of your fundraising efforts, your event will most probably have a ‘host committee’ and one or more ‘host committee chairpersons’. These are the people for adding a generous amount of funds to the account and encouraging others to do so. The host committee generally includes wealthy benefactors, businessmen, local leaders or celebrities. The host committee and chairpersons are not responsible for actually running the event, but are integral to ensuring that you reach your fundraising goals.
5. Target Audience
The target audience for your event will depend on the main purpose of the event. A simple fundraiser event will have a target audience of wealthy benefactors and businessmen. A social event aiming at a particular topic will have audience accordingly like parents or youth etc. but at the end of the day, it’s your event you have the power to invite whoever you wish to.
6. Set-up
This is our job to plan the event set-up in advance. Particulars relating to the event should be well checked like, venue, caterers, security and all, along with the schedule of the entire event.
7. Marketing
For fundraising event marketing the way right through the targeted audience is the key to a successful event. We guide that how you can convince the supporters, that your organization and the event is worth their time and money. A little publicity before the event can be helpful to win the heart and money of your supporters. Some ideas of ‘spreading the word wide’ includes: sending special invitations, direct mail, using your non-profit’s fundraising network and event host committee.
8. Sales
Once your event is marketed, there should be a process in place for he actual ticket sales or to accept donation for the event. You must decide how the event will function. Whether there will be different levels of contribution for the event (such as a flat ticket charge, an extra charge to be invited to a V.I.P. reception in addition to the event, etc.). The way of selling tickets can be decided accordingly as per the event type and event budget plan and also have to decide that who will sell them and the delivery and shipping of tickets. And who will take care of organizing the incoming information?
9. Practice
It is necessary for everyone working to know the event and be ahead of their time. They should be conscious of their responsibilities in order to let the event run smoothly. Having a few practice runs can be very helpful for the staff and the volunteers. It might take the tension off the head on the event day.
10. Thanks Giving
Keep your donors happy with a nice thanks giving gesture, as soon as possible. You can go to ask them for another donation sometime down the road. One of the most common complaints from contributors to charitable fundraising events is, “They never even said ‘Thank-you.'”, same from the volunteers. Make sure that the organization takes the time to send Thank-you notes to everyone who is involved in your event, including contributors, volunteers, staff and vendors, as it matters most.
Fundraising Strategy
For a visual aid in the fundraising strategy, picture a dart board. At the center is your board of directors. In separate concentric circles moving away from the center are staff and volunteers, vendors, community businesses and individuals, and finally foundations.
Not all organizations will have all the circles and some may even have more. New nonprofits may start with fundraising from family and friends of those who started the organization. Whoever they are, always start with those who are closest. That is the point. They are the most likely donors and they are critical to building additional support. The more you move away from those closest to your organization, the more time and convincing each fundraising prospect will take.
If you approach someone who is unfamiliar with your organization, one of the first questions they will ask is what other sources of funding do you have? They will look to see if those with a stake in the organization have come forward with support.
Vendors of an organization, those with whom you do business, should be asked to participate in a fundraising project. Some have policies against giving to organizations with whom they do business but you will never get less than zero which is worth the ask since you probably are already getting nothing. Sometimes you will be surprised to find that contacting a donor may lead to a gift from a larger organization.
Now that your entire organization and those with a direct connection have been solicited for support, hopefully you have garnered a high level of participation. Reaching out into the community for fundraising, the ability to show that you have done all you can from your own people will add great credibility in seeking sources of funding from the outside.
Local business and community leaders have the next closest stake in your work and should be contacted next. So you can be close to the small donors nearby your working area. You can show then how you are performing for social task and how you their initial contribution may lead to achieve big goal and target you have decided to work with the mission.
How to Approach to Funding Donors
Finally, funding donors should be approached with grant proposals or concept note. Start with local business group donors or local authorities first before moving on to big donor resources to get big projects. How you have to follow your own way of approaching foundations for clients and you should develop your own through trial an error if you take our Consultancy service for funding then we can guide and consult you well. Pay attention to guidelines and deadlines, provide what is requested, make personal contact whenever possible, look for relationships that can tip a funding decision in your favor and write with conviction from your heart. Some people may not agree with my strategy initially, but when we’ll prepare the plan and provide to you to implement it professionally then you can find out that it works for you and believe substance, commitment and conviction outweigh a professionally polished proposal.
No matter the fundraising project, we believe it is smart to always be prepared to prove that you have done all you can with the local resources you have before seeking additional support from afar. As you work your way through each circle, don’t forget to ask those who make gifts to also become fundraisers by recommending others who may offer support and even making contacts to open doors for you.
Consultancy Service matters most for Fundraising
If you take Fundraising Consulting Services then we can prepare framework for you and provide to you along with the guidance that how to implement it initially and how to move ahead in further and next step. Though it is not easy to get funds and grant easily but it is one of the main necessity to move ahead with your group and team of change makers with them you have formed as an NGO to achieve your goals.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE AND APPLICABLE FOR FUNDRAISING
If your NGO is eligible for public recognition, you may avail of our consultancy services. A proven track record, experience in social welfare work, and maintaining an active status are the basic criteria for eligibility to receive fundraising consultancy, in addition to other applicability and eligibility criteria required for funding applications. Without a well-recognized NGO or any active status, expecting to secure funds is unrealistic, and we do not offer consultancy services under such conditions. If the profile of your NGO is unable to convincingly satisfy potential individual donors, firms, supporters, companies, and other donation management entities at the initial level, then attempting to collect funds through direct contact, direct communication, or door-to-door outreach is not result-oriented. Regrettably, if you do not meet these basic criteria, contacting with us would only waste your valuable time. We abstain from such cases because our consultancy services are governed by strict ethical parameters. We only provide consultancy to those who are recognized as viable recipients of funding and whom donors consider as active NGOs.
YOU MUST BE CAPABLE ENOUGH TO BEAR THE EXPENDITURE
You must be fundamentally eligible based on your work, you recognize your work and financially capable enough of paying consultancy fees, as well as covering the expenses for setting up infrastructure, staff salaries, office expenses, and other necessary expenditures. Initially, establishing infrastructure, managing office operations, and handling staff salaries and transportation costs require a substantial amount of resources. While NGOs are registered for donations, but it is not feasible to run and manage an NGO solely on donations or freely without incurring any expenditures initially.