Get your fundraising plan started with these 6 tips!

​Planning doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. It does, however, require some serious thought, especially when it comes to planning your next fundraising structure. If you can answer the following questions, you’re in the path of having your best fundraising year ever!
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1. How much money does your nonprofit organization need?

It’s critical to set up a specific goal for your fundraising plan. There's no such thing as “we just want to raise more money,.” After all, how much is ‘more money’? The smartest way to come up with the amount your organization needs to raise is first to understand the goals you’d like to achieve with the donation and then figure out how much that will cost. That specific amount will be your fundraising goal! 
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2. Where will the donation come from?

Will it be from different individuals? Or perhaps a few foundations? Events? Firstly, you’ll need a mix of various revenue sources to ensure your organization’s financial health.  That’s why you’ll need to determine where and from whom the money will come from BEFORE setting up your goal and diversify the sources as much as you can. For example, if all your revenue comes from one grant and something happens to that one revenue stream, you’ll find yourself struggling. 
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3. Who to ask?

The golden rule here is: be specific. Creating lists of current and potential donors to ask works enormously. By the way, this works best if you’re using a good donor tracking software. It’s unrealistic to expect the entire community to support your organization’s cause. The right approach is to target current donors, lost donors, and warm leads. 
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4. When to ask?

A calendar that includes grant/events deadlines, appeals, etc. will give you a complete overview. You can start with the hard deadlines and then add event and requests, newsletters, etc. This will help you quickly visualize what’s happening and when. An important tip: be sure to space out your ‘Donation Requests’ and include some personalized touches to ensure you aren’t always showing up in the mailbox/inbox with your hand out, asking for money.
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5. How to ask?

This is crucial, and you really need to think through the amount you’ll ask your donors in advance. An excellent way to start is by making a list of what you need: How much will it cost you to achieve your goal? What equipment will you be needing? The more clearly you know what you need, the easier the ‘Request’ is, mainly when it represents something tangible. 
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 6. How to follow up on a gift?

In order to decide how to follow up on your donors, firstly, you’ll need to define a way of thanking them after they contribute to your cause and, consequently, engage them into a relationship with your organization. You’ll want to have this all planned out in advance so it can happen shortly after they give. Another action that needs to take place right after a donation is the sending of the donation receipt. Keep in mind that thanking donors is critical to your fundraising success. 

Once you have the answers to these six questions, you’ll have the foundation for your fundraising campaign. You can use this guide for all campaigns you might create, knowing that you’ll be ready for a successful year.