26 Fundraising Tips from A - Z (Part Two)

26 Fundraising Tips from A - Z (Part Two) - March 1996

It’s a simple message for each New Year. Stick to the basics and fundraising success will follow. It’s as easy as A, B, C.!

N  is for NEEDS; you should have a clear idea of the present and future needs within your area of service . . . and you should prioritise them before presenting them to potential donors.
is for OPPORTUNITIES; give donors more opportunities, reasons and seasons to support you and you will encourage multiple gifts.
P  is for PLEDGES; often the way to raise more money than you would with one-time gifts. Encourage pledged support over three to five years or monthly gifts to sustain your organization.
is for QUESTIONAIRE; one way to find out more about your donors. Ask them to help you find others like them . . . by telling you about themselves, their motivations, what credit cards they use, what publications they read and so on.
R  is for RECOGNITION; major donors and some corporate donors enjoy the public acknowledgement of their gifts. And some even want to honour a family member by putting their name on a building.
is for STEERING COMMITTEE; that very important group of volunteers that will help you prepare for your fund-raising campaign by developing the Case for Support and listing potential donors to the campaign.
T  is for THANKING; the most important task that is often the most neglected. Thank you letters should go out within 24 hours of receipt of the donation. Donors of larger amounts should also receive a telephone call or a personal visit.
U  is for URGENCY; if you can instil a note of genuine urgency into your fund-raising efforts . . . you will get more people donating and more quickly!
is for VOLUNTEERS; volunteers come in all shapes and sizes. Some will help you with the delivery of your programs and services; others will help with special events, sit on your Board, or give to your fund-raising efforts and influence others to give.
W is for WILLS; the very substantial gifts you can get from bequests.
is for XENOPHOBIA; or the fear of things foreign. Don’t be afraid to try something that worked in another country because your organisation is “different.” Fund-raising experience is exportable – across continents, countries and cultures.
Y  is for YEAR PLAN; before each new year begins, look at your budgets, list your fund-raising activities and estimate income before developing a plan to achieve your targets.
Z  is for ZERO; the amount of money you might well raise without a fund-raising plan. Z is also for ZEAL . . . defined as “hearty persistent endeavour” – a quality all successful fund-raisers need. Remember only about 50% of the people you expect to give will actually give – and 50% of those will give less that you hoped for. So the more people you ask and the more often you ask them, the more money you will raise.

A. B. C. Simple and easy as 1. 2. 3. Just remember your basics.
For more information about getting better results from your fund-raising efforts, please contact us today.