Fundraising Preparation - Part 2
| Summary: Being prepared will make your fundraiser go smoothly. Fundraising preparation means putting everything in writing including your fundraiser goals, staffing plan, sales plan, merchant plan and delivery plan. |
Put it in writing
The more details about your fundraising efforts that are in writing, the fewer
instructions you’ll have to verbalize to your volunteers. Why waste time every
fundraiser spelling out to all the newbies exactly what needs to be done?
There is a better way to go about this. It’s called being organized. If you're
prepared and organized, everything goes smoothly, even when there are unforeseen
disruptions. When you're not organized, everything is chaotic and requires way
more personnel to get everything accomplished on time.
Here’s a list of documents to be assembled over time:
- Goals – annual goals and specific goals for this fundraiser
- Task Descriptions – job details, amount of work, hours, timing
- Staff Plan – key positions defined
- Sales Plan – have it written out along with sales scripts
- Merchant Plan – ongoing development of business supporters
- Delivery Plan – staffing requirements, special needs, contact info
Publicity
To be successful, you need to do advance promotion and publicity. Use
newsletters, flyers, posters, radio announcements, etc to get the word out into your community. If
you don’t take the time to create awareness of your offering, then the community
response to your fundraising effort will be lower by far.
Completed planning
Once you’re organized, everything on this final planning checklist should be
complete:
- Goals set
- Positions defined
- Assignments made
- Roster of contacts/alternate contacts – phone, e-mail
- Org chart completed
- Responsibilities defined by individual
- Correct # of volunteers for each step
- Flyers designed and approved
- Posters drawn
- Timeline reviewed and verified
- Logistics arranged
- List of all materials needed
- Announcement dates set
The master schedule and project plan should also be completed, specifying the
following:
- Start date
- Deadlines
- Ordering window
- Drop-off points established
- Delivery plans reviewed
- Incentive awards defined
- Appreciation ceremony set, if applicable
- Wrap-up meeting set
- Record keeping completion date
Click here for Fundraising Basics - Part 3
Click here for Fundraising Basics - Part 1
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 Letter - Sample school event donation
letter where you can insert your specific information.
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