Fundraising Step by Step
Published on Jul 13, 2018
It's inevitable - at some point in your nonprofit career, you will need to ask for money. Whether it is a fundraising letter, a grant proposal, or a major gift ask, they have this in common: tell them a compelling story that meets their needs. To do that, we'll walk through how to figure out what you're asking for and how to best communicate it; how to research a funder; how to communicate with a potential donor; how to put together the proposal; and donor pet peeves.
MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Context of fundraising
Relationship building
Defining your project
Defining your audience
How to ask
Donor pet peeves
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$410 Billion in 2017
It's important to diversify your funding
Context of Fundraising
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Donor Pyramid
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House of Philanthopy
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Fundraising is not just about money
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Regardless of what kind of funder, you have to develop a relationship
Defining your project
- Why is it important to your organization?
- How will it contribute to your mission?
- How will people’s lives be affected?
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Wants v. Needs
Photo by Dương Trần Quốc
It's not about what you need, it's about what the funder wants
What do big funders like?
- Restricted
- Early phase
- Limited term
- Clear impact
Telling your story
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Who you are
What you do
Why it matters
How you can help
Your audience
Photo by Felix Mooneeram
VALS
Values and Lifestyles Segmentation
Principle
Status
Action
Principle
- Strict code
- Information
- Should
- What IS good
Status
- Role conscious
- Ambitious
- What would people think?
- What LOOKS good
Action
- Emotion driven
- Quicker decisions
- Fun
- What FEELS good
Important to know motivations even for institutional donors
Research
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Things to find out
- Open or Invitation Only?
- Deadlines
- Application process
- Funding range (sometimes)
- Area of focus 1. Programmatic 2. Geographic
- Contact information
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Sources for information
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Contact them and ask, unless they say not to
Asking
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Connector
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Expert
Closer
Who's on their team?
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Decision Maker
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Buying Influencer
Photo by Heidi Sandstrom.
Coach
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Gatekeeper
Who on your team can help you navigate their team?
Preparing Your Proposal
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Boilerplate Material
- Mission, Vision, Values
- Board and staff lists
- Audit and 990
- 501(c)3 letter
- Operational budget
- Corporate standing
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Creating the Proposal
Photo by Joanna Kosinska
Tips
- Start early
- Letter of intent or full?
- Make sure the right people are involved
- Follow directions
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Just because it's a proposal doesn't mean you should skip the story
“Introduce your hero, get him up a tree, throw rocks at him, then get him out of the tree.”
Robert McKee, Screenwriting Guru
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How to annoy a donor
- One size fits all proposal
- Unprofessional
- Forget to say thank you
- Be late
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In conclusion
- It's not just about grants
- Development is like dating
- Know what you're selling
- Tell your story
- Understand your audience
- Build your team
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