Why Plan?

You work a small- to mid-sized charity. You're the sole fundraiser or you have a small team. You're wearing multiple hats and fundraising is just one of them or fundraising is your only focus. 

Whatever the case may be – what we know is this:  

It’s your job to meet your fundraising target each year.  

And how do you do that?  

You plan.  

And by plan, we mean plan your fundraising plan.  

Let’s face it.  

>>Some of us wing it and can meet that target at the end of the year but it’s pure luck.  

>>Some of us put it in a budget and we kind of have an idea of how it’s going to play out.  

But the only way to dedicate your efforts to meeting that year end goal is:  

Plan. It. Out.  

And how do you start?  

You start by thinking about these questions:

• What fundraising initiatives are you currently using that are working
• What fundraising initiatives are you currently using that aren’t working and may need to be dropped or adjusted?  
• Is there something you would like to incorporate for this coming year (like major gifts)?  
• And if you are looking to bring on additional staff, what revenue do you need to bring in over and above your target that will cover the salary
• What about the budget? What’s the revenue split between each initiative? What will each cost to run?  

 There's much more to planning but this is a good place to start.    

 The team at The Fundraising Lab

P.S. If you feel stuck and need help developing your fundraising plan, check this out.