Fundraiser Preparation: Advance Planning, Part 1
| Summary: How to prepare for fundraising success by
planning ahead. Put together your fundraising goals and objectives, then
block out an annual schedule for your fundraisers to meet those goals. |
Set goals and objectives
Your non-profit organization needs to define its objectives. Goals need to be
set both for the year and for specific events. Those topics are covered
thoroughly in the Sections on Goal Setting and Record Keeping. So, we’ll focus
here on the need to decide on certain timelines.
Set your annual schedule
First, you need a master schedule for the year. Each fundraiser has to have the
right amount of lead time, sales period, delivery, and wrap-up. Mark off three
sets of six-week blocks on your calendar. These will be the slots for your major
fundraising campaigns.
Coordinate these six-week blocks with other schedules – holidays, schools,
competing events, etc. Leave some recovery time in between each major campaign
so that you’re not doing continuous fundraising. Two weeks is the bare minimum
between finishing with one fundraiser and scheduling the organizational planning
session for the next one.
The type of fundraiser you select will affect certain variables like prep time,
sales period, and waiting for delivery. Don’t vary from using the six-week block
of time approach just because you're considering doing an immediate delivery
sale or an event-based fundraiser. Instead of trying to squeeze another
fundraiser into the schedule, use the time wisely to maximize your results
instead.
Set fundraisers for specific time blocks
Once you’ve got the master schedule set, then focus on the individual six-week
blocks. Pick your three best fundraisers and match them with the slots, being
careful to optimize the fit. What do I mean by optimizing the fit?
Consider a school’s annual fundraiser schedule. If the group is well organized,
the first six-week block can actually begin before school starts. Planning,
fundraiser selection, even ordering sales materials can all be completed before
the first day. Of course, that requires planning for next year before the end of
the current year.
Start early
Why do you want the early start? First of all, parents are more enthusiastic
about volunteering and supporting your cause at the start of the new school year
than they are at any other time. You “optimize the fit” by scheduling your first
fundraiser to leverage that enthusiasm and support.
By planning ahead, you could
have a Classroom Computer Campaign making catalog sales during mid-September.
Besides leveraging the new school year commitment level, starting early also
gives a bit of a breather to your students, parents, and volunteers. That’s
important before you begin conducting your largest fundraiser of the year.
You
will also gain a better response for your big holiday fundraiser in the prime
mid-November timeframe. You can use the in-between gap before Halloween for a
simple one-weekend event like Pumpkin Patch Kids.
The same logic also applies to the third of the six-week blocks. Your Spring
fundraiser can be positioned easily around Spring break, going before or after
as your specific schedule for that year dictates.
Therefore, using an annual planning methodology gives you the best chance for
success by strategically positioning your selling times for maximum
participation.
Click here for Fundraiser Preparation: Advance Planning - Part 2
Click here for Fundraiser Preparation: Overview
Related Pages
Getting Started: Part 1 - The who, what,
when, where, why, and how of a successful fundraiser.
Planning A Fundraiser - How-to tips on planning a fundraiser - Getting the most out of any fundraising event plus tips on recruiting volunteers.
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.
Merchant Plan - How to put together a successful merchant plan for long-term success.
Publicity Tips - Simple methods to get your fundraisers well publicized - Publicity is the key to successful events.
Common Mistakes - Simple mistakes many nonprofit groups make and how to avoid them.
Maximize Your Results - Ten quick tips on improving your results - Easy profit boosters.
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