Fundraising Tips from Marlo
Following Imagine Canada’s publication of the must-read article “8 shifts in the grantmaking landscape that fundraisers need to know about” in October, 2022, our team at Social Impact Consulting felt it was important to reach out to organizations who may not have a development strategy already in place. Where do you start? What if you don’t have anyone specifically dedicated to fundraising on your team? How do you find the prospects? What are the main elements of a fundraising campaign?
Fundraising is all about friend-raising. We believe that good fundraising is done when authentic, transparent, mission-driven connections are made with people. When that happens, the money comes in.
Reaching individuals
This is the “low-hanging fruit.” Non-profits and charities use tools such as CanadaHelps and Zeffy to receive and process donations. December is the biggest giving month, so if you haven’t thought of creating a year-end campaign, maybe this is the year to do it!
Create a fundraising committee that includes a few board members and a few members from your community who have time and networks to offer
Set a goal with the committee that feels manageable. Divide up the work and create an action plan.
Encourage all board members to come up with a list of 10-20 people who they feel they could ask for a donation, based on their contacts’ interest in and connection to your mission.
Create a case for support - a simple one page document that describes why you need the money and what it will be used for.
Update your website landing page and donation page with your fundraising goal and ask info
Launch the campaign with some splashy posts on your social media and an email blast to your networks
Put an emphasis on the benefits and importance of becoming a monthly donor and build that into your donations platforms as an option
Thank donors immediately upon receiving gifts. This is built into the donation platforms, but it is nice to send an actual email or hand-written card from your desk as well. Larger donors should receive an email from the Director or Board President, and an invitation to come for a tour.
Post campaign updates regularly on social media
Add donors to your newsletter, and keep them posted about your services and the impacts of their donations. Invite them to your events and AGM.
Don’t forget to always add “other ways of giving” to your campaign materials, such as by securities, planned gifts, insurance policies, gifts in kind and volunteer hours
Reaching foundations & corporations
There are thousands of private and family foundations and corporations across Canada, some of whom would donate to you…if they only knew about you! We recommend purchasing tool such as Grant Connect, which will give you access to vital information to prepare your appeals. If you have a limited budget, reach out to our team as we have our own lists that we can offer upon starting a project with us.
Build out your pipeline and prospect list, that includes key details such as who the foundation or corporation has given to in the past and at what amounts, their current giving priorities and methods of reaching them
Create a “two pager” case for support that describes your mission, your current services, what funds you need and why and what the anticipated impacts will be.
Get feedback on the case for support from the Board and ask them to sign off
If time and resources permit, do some “door opening” first by sending out an email or calling foundations to do a soft pitch of your organization and project first. This can give you a valuable opportunity to get feedback before submitting your application.
Send out packages to foundations and at the same time, request / offer a meeting (probably via zoom as that will be more efficient for them)
Follow up with them via email or phone within a month of sending the application
Thank before you bank! When you receive confirmation of funding, thank them in a way that is personalized and meaningful
Invite all interesting foundation and corporations to your special events and AGMs
If you are interested in building your first development strategy, or levelling up, reach out to our team! The Emploi Québec “Formation de la main d’oeuvre grant” can cover up to 85% of our fees to have our team come in and teach you how to run these types of campaigns.
Happy fundraising!
