The Essentials of Fundraising
by
Kelly Hurt
With all the other “hats” that principals, Board
members, and others at your school wear, it’s easy to forget that
fundraising is one of the most important jobs they can do. Fundraising enables
your school to obtain those additional dollars needed for books, supplies,
extra-curricular activities, tutoring and countless other items and programs
that federal dollars don’t always cover.
There's a lot of “fun”
in fundraising!
Even though we all know how important
it is, few words will empty a room faster than “fundraising!”
However, when done correctly, there is a lot of “fun”
in fundraising – and it can be very rewarding for both you and
your donor. Most of the professionals I work with truly enjoy fundraising
and have made a career out of it because they enjoy seeing the look
on donors’ faces when they see how their gift truly impacted
the life of someone in need.
Below is a list of the Essentials of Fundraising, put
together by Marc
Smiley Organizational Development. If you follow these essentials,
you’ll find your fundraising will be enjoyable and will yield
great results!
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People don't give money away; people
invest in their "community." Showing people how your
organization can bring change to the community (to which the donor belongs)
is a critical step to convincing her that she should "invest"
her dollars. The strategic plan may be an important tool to show that your
organization is a good investment.
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The most important fundraising
resource for an organization is a strong base of donors. In the
early years, this base will not bring in a tremendous amount of money. Over
time, however, a strong base will be critical to efforts to develop major
donors, corporate and foundation contacts, and planned gifts. A broad donor
base is also critical to other important aspects of the organization's programming.
An organization that speaks for thousands carries more clout and influence
than a group that represents dozens.
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Success in fundraising comes to
those who ASK. It's simple, it's obvious, but it's true.
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The total amount of money raised
may be less important than amount of unrestricted money raised. Restricted
dollars will be important to drive the programs they fund. But unrestricted
funds give the organization the ability to pay for the "unsexy"
things that are critical to overall program effectiveness. They also give
the organization flexibility to respond to issues that are consistent to
the mission instead of chasing funds that may not be germane. This is another
reason why individual donors are such a valuable resource.
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People give to people who have
given. The more personal the solicitation, the greater the success.
The more connected the solicitor is to the prospect, the better the chances
of the gift. If a person asking for money has not given herself, the prospect
will be less likely to give.
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Fundraising stability depends directly
on the diversity of funding sources. An organization that depends
on a government contract for 75% of its funding is subject to a massive
fall if the funding should be eliminated. An organization that has no more
than 20% of its funding from any single source ensures that individual decisions
will not globally affect the organization's success.
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When considering making a donation,
timing may be more important than any other factor.
Discretionary income is one of the most significant elements in deciding
whether to give or not. For most folks, how much money a person has to give
varies on a monthly, rather than yearly, basis.
