What is a Fundraising Plan? 

I think of a Fundraising Plan as a road map. You start out at one place, decide on where you want to go, and then choose your route to your destination. A Fundraising Plan is how to get where you want to go.

 

Why do we need a Fundraising Plan?

Writing and executing a Fundraising Plan has four big benefits. 

1. It gets everyone on the same page. It keeps you out of crisis mode. No more Fundraisers of the month or last-minute fundraisers. With a plan, you know exactly when money will come in and how much to expect. There is no more cycle of we need money let’s do a fundraiser with little time to put together anything of quality.

2. It helps control workflow. When you intentionally plan out your fundraising strategies and activities, you can control when certain activities will happen. This means you can more evenly distribute your activities and manage your time.

3. It builds confidence in your program with your donors. When you can show you are financially stable and have a plan to stay that way, donors and funders have more confidence in your financial stability and longevity- making you a good investment.

4. You raise more money. Organizations that have Fundraising plans raise more money. They focus on the strategies and activities that work for them and stop doing those things that don’t. They can plan in advance which means they can budget and take advantage of cost savings opportunities, lessening their expenses.

This lesson walks you through how to create a fundraising plan with templates, worksheets, and spreadsheets so you can get it all done.