Organizing a Fundraiser
Establishing Fundraising Goals
Just as a business creates a plan for the next five to ten years, an organizer must write out a fundraising plan to keep the project on track. This plan should cover the entirety of the fundraising drive with week-by-week donation goals, organizational challenges and assignments to staff members. Once a fundraising plan is ready the organizer should print copies for staff, volunteers and past donors to review. The plan's weekly and overall goals should be published on donation slips, Web pages and posters associated with the organization. In order to maintain transparency to prospective donors, the fundraising plan should contain a report outlining where every dollar will be spent including administrative and staff costs.
Soliciting Help for Fundraising
Your fundraiser will not go very far if you do not have volunteers to knock on doors, stuff envelopes and take calls. Fundraisers can use websites like Idealist.org to recruit local volunteers who are interested in helping worthy causes. Volunteer recruitment should be targeted to universities, bookstores and community centers where motivated people spend their time. In exchange for their time and hard work, fundraising organizations should offer snacks, tax receipts for charitable work and raffles for their volunteers.
Advertising Fundraising Events
A well-organized fundraiser uses traditional and new media forms of advertisement to bring in donors to fundraising events. Whether it is a concert or a speech by a celebrity, fundraising events should appeal to new and existing donors. Organizations have to continue advertising using door-to-door methods, cold calling and posters around town to attract community members who are not tech-savvy. Every nonprofit, church and school has to create a fundraising website to act as a landing spot for donors nationwide. The ideal website would feature a payment tool, a meter showing how much money was donated, a form for potential volunteers and information about the cause. Fundraisers have to include sponsor logos, links to entertainer websites and videos of past events to create a visually appealing website.
Acquire Space, Supplies and Equipment for Fundraising
Every fundraising organization must have organizing spaces, phone banks and plenty of donor forms to facilitate a smooth campaign. The donor forms should include spaces for credit card information, premium selections and contact information from the donating party. Organizations should solicit corporate sponsors in their communities to pay for banquet hall rentals, phone lines and printing costs. These sponsors are provided recognition on donor forms, Web pages and publications to show their commitment to community service. Fundraisers should also ask for donated phones, office spaces and equipment to reduce dependency on sponsors.
Continuing Fundraising Efforts on an Annual Basis
Schools, nonprofits and other fundraising organizations often run annual campaigns to raise money. The ongoing need for funds means that a charitable organization should not shut down its fundraising machinery after a successful campaign. These organizations should think about joining the Association of Fundraising Professionals to network with other fundraisers and learn new techniques in picking up donations. Volunteer supervisors and recruiters should remain active year round to find friends, neighbors and newcomers who can help with the next campaign. Fundraising teams should emphasize to donors in quarterly or annual reports that donations are accepted at anytime to avoid a lull in funds prior to the next fundraiser.
Tags: donor forms, fundraising plan, donors fundraising, fundraising events, fundraising organizations
