Posted on 08/05/2006Do you have a fundraising plan? A lesson groups needing to raise money should learn is to copy what works for successful businesses. What makes them successful? They certainly have a plan; a vision for what they are trying to accomplish and work toward achieving that goal. So, it is just as important that you develop a sound business plan for fundraising.
Plan Your Business With the End in Mind
A comprehensive fund raising plan starts with the end in mind. What are you raising money for and how much will you need? Once you know what results you need, choosing the proper path will be much easier. It is no wonder people wonder how to plan a fundraiser. Few people take the time to really develop a plan that achieves their desired end result. They stick with the same fundraiser they did last year just because a sales representative pushed it. Some people develop a comfort zone for a particular kind of fundraiser and use it year after year despite declining sales and interest.
Here is a list of questions to consider when preparing your fundraising business plan:
- What are we raising money for?
- How much money do we want to raise?
- Do we have the needed resources to spend on a fundraiser?
- How many people will participate?
- Do we have enough volunteers to help?
- Do we have any experience with fundraising or with the fundraising product we will be using?
- Are other groups holding fundraisers at the same time?
