How to Make an Effective Fundraising Plan

Name: How to Make an Effective Fundraising Plan
Rating: 4.5 (40 reviews)

Guide to create your nonprofit's development plan

Highest Rated

Created byLinda De Jesus Casiano

Last updated 7/2020

English

What you'll learn

Tools to identify and analyze your organization's fundraising needs.
Develop a fundraising plan strategically aligned with the organization's needs.
How to evaluate the effectiveness of the fundraising plan.

Course content

3 sections • 23 lectures • 2h 5m total length

What is the focus of the course? Clear expectations5:46
In this short video, I share a story that explains the focus of the course to provide clear expectations to students about what they will found in the course. See a short case study link at the resources section and a .pdf with the presentation.
Welcome and Course Overview3:59
Welcome and course overview-description.
Introduction4:59
A short introduction to what is a plan and its components.
The 5 Why10:09
The success of any fundraising department consists of a team that excels in its fundraising efforts and is not lost or confused among other organizations’ fundraising initiatives.
This lesson introduces the tool of “The five Whys?” With this analysis tool, you will be able to define in your own words the unique characteristics and needs of your organization. You will need this to distinguish between needs that are symptoms from needs that are the causes. With this tool, you will be able to focus your plan on addressing those causes to achieve results that address the root of your organization's fundraising problem/s.
What is Assessment?3:51
To create a quality plan effectively you need to have a structure. The first step in this structure consists of learning to create an assessment framed by the data collection of your organization’s needs. This includes: identifying your motivations, reviewing the sources of income, measuring the success and effectiveness of your fundraising initiatives, among other things.
Develop your Assessment7:21
The assessment identifies and organizes actions to have a clear perspective of your organization’s needs. In this lesson, you will learn how to develop an “audit”. The assessment will help you identify the fundraising relevant areas you will later use on your plan.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• Define the steps to carry out your assessment.
• What types of fundraising questions should you include in your assessment template?
• Examples of assessment fundraising questions.
Data Collection and Order6:28
In this lesson, we delve into the process of gathering information and ordering it. With an example using Microsoft Excel, you will see how you can collect the necessary information and how to organize it for future interpretation and use.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• How and where to collect the information?
• How and where to order the collected information?
Interpretation and Use4:57
In this lesson, we delve into the process of interpreting and using the information. With an example using Microsoft Excel, you will see how you can reach conclusions through the interpretation of the information you collect and how to use it in building the goals and objectives for your fundraising plan.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• How to interpret the information?
• How can you use the interpretations in your fundraising plan?
The Strengths Perspective3:56
In this lesson, you will learn about the strengths perspective and tools to explore your organization’s fundraising strengths. The purpose is for you to use those strengths to empower your fundraising team and boost your funding strategies. Your strengths will help you to face your fundraising challenges.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• What is the Strengths perspective?
• How to identify and use your strengths to face your fundraising challenges?
Assessment Summary9:53
In this lesson, you will review everything learned in the assessment section, and you will be exposed to a document in Microsoft Excel that groups together in a practical way what you have learned in this section.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• How to integrate and harmonize “the 5 Whys” tool and the assessment components to develop your fundraising plan?
Assessment Quiz

Goals3:59
In this lesson, you will learn what a goal is and how to write it based on the needs you have identified during the assessment process.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• What is a goal?
• How to build a goal?
SMART Objectives4:04
A wise fundraising team takes action based on efficiency. To do this, define specific objectives based on what are your organization’s needs and the resources it has will lead you to have a practical fundraising plan that uses human, economic, and technological resources intelligently. In this lesson, you will learn to write specific objectives using the SMART technique.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• How do goals and objectives harmonize?
• What questions should answer your objective?
• What is a SMART objective?
• How to write SMART objectives?
Courses of Action4:09
In this lesson, you will learn to develop your courses of action by answering the questions: How do I achieve this goal? Where will I put my human, economic, and technological resources? How will I manage my time? And what should I do first to achieve this?
LEARNING ASSETS:
• What actions will you take to achieve your goals and objectives?
• How to design the courses of action?
Implementation Strategies5:55
In this lesson, you will learn some strategies to get your fundraising plan executed.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• What can you do to facilitate that you and your team put the plan in motion
Fundraising Plan Summary2:37
In this lesson, you will review everything learned in this section, and you will be exposed to a document in Microsoft Excel that groups together in a practical way what you have learned in this section.
Planning Quiz
Fundraising Process "Competencies"3:28
In this lesson, you will learn the professional fundraising competencies and the framework within which you will apply those competencies. For this, I present you the guidebook with the competencies developed by "The Network for Social Work Management."
Competencies Assessment
Fundraising Process "Research"7:27
In this lesson, you will learn about the research component and how to target your fundraising efforts to those potential donors that align with your organization's Mission and Vision.
Fundraising Process "Identification and Relationships Development"7:51
In this lesson, you will learn about the identification and relationship development fundraising component and ideas about how to include them on your fundraising plan.
Fundraising Process "Request, Receive, and Manage"10:07
In this lesson, you will learn about the request, receive, and manage fundraising components. Also, you will learn how to include then in your fundraising plan.
Fundraising Process

The Evaluation Plan3:18
After planning and implementing your plan, it is necessary to determine what objectives were achieved and whether it met the needs your organization had at the beginning of your planned term. There are different evaluation models, and in this lesson, you will have broad exposure to one of them, the Discrepancy Evaluation Model to evaluate your fundraising plan.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• How do you evaluate your fundraising plan?
Discrepancy Evaluation Model7:44
This model seeks to compare performance against some standard. The model facilitates making decisions based on the differences between what is pre-established and what is executed by the fundraising team. In this lesson, you will learn what those components are, and you will have the opportunity to practice with an exercise.
LEARNING ASSETS:
• What are the components of the Discrepancy Evaluation Model?
• Why is this model useful?
Evaluation Plan Summary1:24
In this lesson, you will review everything learned in this section.
Evaluation Plan Quiz
Closing1:50
Congratulations!
In this lesson, you will review the general aspects you learned in this course.
Fundraising Plan Knowledge Review

Requirements

Microsoft Office, Google Docs or similar program to open the exercises and documents.
Adobe Acrobat Reader to open .pdf documents
The exercises are focused on non-profit organizations, so you should know your organization's the goals, mission, vision, values and priorities. Those students not linked to an organization should have one in mind for the purposes of the exercises.

Description

Welcome!

Many organizations are urgently seeking to raise funds to continue operations. Professionals in the nonprofit industry focus on going directly to request donations. However, to achieve effective fundraising strategies and a sustainable nonprofit organization/charity, planning and evaluating your fundraising strategies is critical.

I designed this course for nonprofit organizations that want to excel in their fundraising strategies and are willing to invest time planning their fundraising initiatives based on the analysis and understanding of their needs.

That is why, in this course, I focus on planning and evaluation. In this course, I explain the planning components so that you can effectively develop your organization’s fundraising plan when you finish.

The course is divided into three (3) sections:

Section 1: The Needs Assessment. It is focused on providing you with tools to identify your fundraising needs. It includes:

Three (3) exercises.
PDF with PowerPoint slides used in the video.
Assessment template.
Document in Microsoft Excel with illustrative examples.
Document in Microsoft Excel integrating everything taught in this section.

Section 2: The Plan Components. It is focused on the components necessary to develop the fundraising plan. It includes:

Five (5) exercises.
PDF with “slides” used in the video.
Plan template.
Document in Microsoft Excel integrating everything taught in this section and the previous one.

Section 3: Evaluating the Plan with the “Discrepancy Evaluation Model.” It is focused on “how to evaluate your fundraising plan” to determine if you effectively addressed the needs you identified and planned for.

One (1) exercise.
PDF with “slides” used in the video.
Evaluation Template.
Document in Microsoft Excel integrating everything taught in this section.

References and suggested books:

Rosa, R. (2006) Planificación y Evaluación de Programas
Burke, N. Works, E. (2012) The Complete Book of Grant Writing

Who this course is for:

Nonprofits Development staff, administrative staff, volunteers, board members, and those interested in raising funds for organizations with which they are committed.
Small or new nonprofit organizations; or those looking for strategic fundraising initiatives that increase their incoms.

How to Make an Effective Fundraising Plan

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction10 lectures • 1hr 1min

The Plan9 lectures • 50min

The Evaluation4 lectures • 14min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: