Copyright (c) 2008 Justin Alan
What is Your Fundraising Goal?
Many organizations depend on fundraising to get the things they need. People fundraise to get a new swimming pool for their town, or to get special facilities for their school. Sometimes people fundraise to get money for people who need special health care or to help disabled or disadvantaged people. Fundraising is always for a good cause and helps people or organizations in their hour of need.
Once you take on the role of fundraiser, the first thing to do is set a specific goal. Whether it's a large goal or a small one, it needs to be phrased in a way that people can relate to before they will get involved. Naturally the fundraising is to raise money, but what is the money actually for? Does the school need 10 new computers? How would this change the lives of the children attending that school?
The children won't just learn how to play games on these computers, but they will learn skills that they will need all through their working lives. It will benefit them because they will be more employable if they are computer literate. They will learn to do things on their school computers that they would never learn just by having one at home.
Once people can see exactly how they - or their children - would benefit from these computers, they will get behind the project and offer help wherever possible. This goal will benefit teachers by making their work more interesting and easier. It will motivate the children to learn since most children love using a computer.
The next goal - or the sub-goal - will be to find out the amount of money that is needed to achieve our goal. To do this, we need to know how many computers are needed and what sort they will be. Will there be printers and scanners to go with them? Should they be networked? Who will install them and see that they are running properly? There may even need to be blinds installed to reduce the screen glare. The money raised will need to cover all costs, not just the purchase price of the computers. Each sub-goal should be itemized with an approximate cost.
Other questions that need to be addressed for your fundraising campaign are what specific activities you will use to will accomplish your goal, and when they will take place. A timeframe needs to be established, too. If there is no time frame, the fundraising could drag on until everyone is sick and tired of hearing about it. To have specific goal of raising a certain amount of money by a certain date gives people something to work towards and a sense of satisfaction when it is accomplished. Does Your Issue or Organization Look Worthy?
To fundraise successfully, your organization needs to look worthy. How many times have you heard people say they bought something they didn't really want simply because it was for a worthy cause? If your organization looks worthy, then people will support it; if it doesn't they won't. It's that simple.
To get your organization to look worthy in people's eyes, you need firstly to appeal to their emotions. This is done by the correct marketing campaign and by the right communication. You can see this by taking note of campaigns for breast cancer awareness and others that are similar.
Firstly, you need to believe in it yourself. If you are only half convinced in the worthiness of your organization, then that will most certainly show in your manner and your communication. Most people can spot lack of sincerity a mile away and if you are not sincere or convinced of worthiness, you won't be able to convince anyone else.
If you can get the support of someone who has the trust of your community and who also has a high profile, then that will help in the quest for a worthy 'look'. It may be a doctor, a businessman, the town mayor or a politician. It could be the dean of the local college or a well-respected figure with a wider, national profile such as a politician.
It need not be just an individual who will lend worthiness to your cause, but an organization. If you can claim that the local tennis club or Rotary or Lions Club supports you, then that will give you needed 'worthy' status as well.
If your organization does not look worthy, then prospective donors will not be likely to donate. You must be professional at all times by making sure the paperwork is up-to-date and available should any ask to see it. You need to have a person available to talk to anyone who should want information. If all they can get is an answering machine -though these have their place - then they will be put off.
If your fundraising is ongoing, then you need to publish an annual report and have it readily available. Donors need to know that their money is being used wisely, so communications with them is of prime importance. This doesn't mean that they want to be pestered on a daily basis, but they do need to know what their money was used for, and that you are really appreciative of their support. If they can be made to look good through their support, then you will have a happy donor who is willing to lend their status to your organization.
What Tools or Skills do You Have Available?
To complete a fundraiser successfully you need to have access to various tools and skills. Tools you will need could be a computer and the skills to use it. With a computer, you can send email to those who are supporting your cause and to those who are helping you with the job. This will save you a great deal of time and energy - can you imagine phoning 20 or so helpers to alert them to the next meeting? Sure, you can advertise it in the paper, but maybe they don't all subscribe to the paper.
Besides, with a computer, all the information is written down and readily available and it didn't cost you anything more than the time it took to prepare it. A phone is certainly handy for that personal touch and for setting up other appointments, so be sure you have access to one. If you also have an answering machine, you'll find it beneficial for taking those calls while you are out.
Communication skills are important in fundraising; if you don't have them, get hold of someone who does. Look for someone with a bubbly personality, a ready smile and the gift of the gab. Some people say all you need is the mouth, but you also need someone who is tactful and polite. If they are also well liked in the community, then you have a winning combination.
Logical thinking is also a skill much needed in fundraising activities. For a person to get the support of a business or organization they need to be able to verbalize the details in a logical manner. If they jump from the end to the beginning and then explain the middle, the person listening is likely to be confused and consider the proposal unprofessional. Their next step is a refusal!
Another skill that someone on your committee will need is the ability to keep meticulous records. You will need to keep minutes of meetings with a legible record of all the goals and decisions made. Whether this is done on a laptop or by hand in a notebook is up to the person doing it.
Bookkeeping skills are also essential. Since the goal is to raise money, there will naturally be money involved and you'll certainly need a record of who gave what. Even the smallest raffle needs to be carefully recorded so that everyone can see where the money came from and where it went. This will ensure that everything is open and above board. Financial records are a must.
...More to come tomorrow...
Finance 
