06 Dec 5 Reasons why you need a Fundraising Plan
Are you one of those people who loves flowery stationary with inspirational quotes on every page? Or perhaps you’re more of an excel spreadsheet kind of person: you’re passionate about pivot tables and auto sums.
Whether you’re a pen and paper person, or a computer addict, you’ve got to be able to map out a plan for success for your fundraising shop.
5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A FUNDRAISING PLAN
- It helps everyone understand how they can contribute—board, staff, and volunteers.
- It helps you see where you’re going.
- It helps you break down a big goal into smaller milestones.
- It’s the first step to building the right path to success.
- It’s the first step to success!
When clients struggle with writing plans to support their goals, I ask them “What do you want the plan to look like?”
Bottom line: The plan must make sense to YOU. If you like flowery paper, then write up your plan with pen and paper. If a multi-sheet excel spreadsheet is great for you, then go ahead and type away.
Failing to plan is planning to fail. ← Tweet this
Truth.
Here’s what a fundraising plan looks like:
- A big piece of paper on the wall with the next 6 months on it. The paper includes all your key activities that bring in revenue and your goals for each activity. Don’t forget to include the preparation time for these activities in your calendar.
- An excel spreadsheet of your cashflow from fundraising for the next 1 year by quarter.
- Your organization’s budget, as it relates to fundraising revenue.
Great fundraising plans have words and numbers in them. Make sure yours has both. ← Tweet this
Your Turn—ready, set, go!
Take a blank piece of paper. What 3 mountains do you need to move to reach your fundraising goal? Write them down.
Look at the list. What must happen for you to move those mountains? What do you need to do, or do differently to achieve success? If you need a little help, I’m here at [email protected]. Get in touch so we can unstick your plan, for fundraising success.
Need some help building your plan for success?
Check out my Fundraising Fundamentals Certificate program. It’s an 8 week course that is full of fundraising basics – sponsorship, event based fundraising, asking, board engagement, grantsmanship – that will help you build the right fundraising plan for your shop. If you’re ready for your best fundraising year ever, join me!