Effective Fundraising

Key Terms:

  • SWOT Analysis: A tool for helping groups to decide their future direction. Everyone lists what they think are the group's internal Strengths & Weaknesses, and external Opportunities & Threats.

What Groups tell us:

  • "They say I'm a born fundraiser, but it all gets left to me, and I've had enough!"
  • "The last worker left, and all our funding history is in his head. I'm trying to piece it all together, but it's hard."
  • "Noreen can sell anything to anyone, but I'd rather write letters than ask people for things face-to-face, so we split the tasks."

What Funders tell us:

  • "If it all depends on one key person, isn't there a risk it will all fall apart? We want to know the group as a whole owns the fundraising decisions."
  • "We don't want applications written by outside professionals, we want them to come from the group itself, in their
    own words. That way, the passion comes through."

Are you ready for funding?

  • If you leave at all to one person, you're losing out on other people's skills and points of view, and that person may leave!
  • Many different skills are useful in fundraising, including:
    • Consulting people about their needs.
    • Budgeting skills.
    • Researching funding sources.
    • Writing application letters & filling in forms.
    • Talking to supporters (local councillors, churches- or anyone who might buy a raffle ticket or donate a prize!).
    • Keeping records.
  • One option is to hold a big consultation meeting (or several), to get as many views as possible about the priorities for the next year (or 2, or 3). You could use a tool like a SWOT analysis, or a 'wall' of ideas written on post-its. You would then need a smaller fundraising task group to take the ideas forward, with regular meetings to update each other.
    'Quick wins' (bids for small amounts to funders who let you know the results in a short timescale) are a good way to keep everyone motivated.

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Information on this page is supplied by Fit4Funding - The Charities Information Bureau. If you find any errors or out of date information please contact Fit4Funding by email.