Fundraiser Preparation: Advance Planning, Part 2
| Summary: Fundraiser preparation - Describes how to
do planning and preparation in advance for your fundraisers. How to block
out fundraising timelines and recruit more volunteers for all your activities. |
Advance planning for a specific fundraiser
Once you’ve got your six-week blocks positioned properly within your annual
calendar, its time to focus on the specific timelines for each of the three
major fundraisers you’ve selected. Each timeline will set aside various amounts
of time for the following components:
- Planning
- Preparation
- Execution
- Delivery
- Wrap-up
Planning
The planning is primarily completed in an outline form. Each fundraiser is a
subset of the annual plan. For each fundraiser, your organizational assignments
must be made, decisions reached, and an action plan finalized. Make sure this is
done first because failing to plan means planning to fail. Call this planning
phase week one of the six-week block.
Preparation
Preparation starts immediately after the first planning meeting. Sales materials
are ordered, publicity commences, volunteers are slotted, merchant supporters
are contacted, and specific written documentation is completed. Once all of
these are completed, you are ready to begin raising funds. Call this part of
week one along with a portion of week two in the six-week block.
Execution
The execution phase is the actual fundraising window. Your sales support
packages (brochures, catalogs, order forms) are handed off to your sales team
and the active part of the program is underway. Call this half of week two of
the block and continuing through the end of week four.
Tip: Always begin on a Thursday. This gives your sellers (and their parents) a
day to review the offering and to complete their prospect list. If your time
window is 17 days, it also gives you three weekends to conduct sales instead of
the standard two-week sales period. That’s the prime selling time; i.e. when
most supporters are easily accessible.
Delivery
For most catalog sales, the delivery window takes up weeks four and five. All
the orders have been batched to the supplier and your group awaits delivery.
Results are tallied and when the product arrives, it is sorted for distribution.
As mentioned earlier, the actual time windows will shift depending on the type
of fundraiser selected, hence the need for specific plans for each fundraiser.
Wrap-up
The last week of the six-week block is usually devoted to the necessary
follow-up and record keeping tasks. Just because you’re “finished,” don’t skimp
on these areas. This is when you thank your supporters and analyze your results.
When you have all the facts, communicate your level of success to everyone and
thank them for their help.
Don’t forget to prepare your recommendations for
future improvements. Remember to announce the results!
Planning saves time
In actuality, planning saves time and money in the long run. You schedule
effectively to work around holidays and other down times: thus preserving them
as actual breaks. This advance scheduling allows your group usage of the best
selling periods and maximizes your results.
Burnout is no longer an issue because you’re working smarter by not doing
continuous fundraising. Both your supporters and your sellers will thank you for
not asking them to do a fundraiser every month. Instead, you’re asking your
sellers to work smarter and maximize the revenue obtained from each supporter.
Variations
Obviously, there are variations in these timelines. Specific fundraisers have
flexible windows to perform the functions that vary between different types of
campaigns. For example, a fundraiser with immediate delivery wraps up quickly
because there are no deliveries to make. An event-based fundraiser will
similarly have a two-week period for preparation and interest creation with only
a short wrap-up afterwards.
Click here for Fundraiser Preparation: Business Focus
Click Here for Fundraiser Preparation: Advance
Planning, Part 1
Click Here for Fundraiser Preparation
Related Pages
Getting Started: Part 1 - The who, what,
when, where, why, and how of a successful fundraiser.
Donor Recognition - How to use donor
recognition to increase your capital campaign results.
Selecting the Right Fundraiser:
Part 1 - Good advice to use on picking the right fundraiser for your group.
Successful Fundraisers - Boost results
with organization, quality incentives, and sales preparation.
Organize School Fundraiser - Quick
tips on organizing your school efforts by planning ahead.
Tried and True - These
old standbys always produce good results for any-size group.
Sample Fundraising Letter - Sample school event donation
letter where you can insert your specific information.
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