Let's get organized.

Welcome 2023! As fundraisers everywhere are preparing for the new year, don't forget to take some time to reflect on your 2022 successes, your organization’s growth, and the changes in your supporters. Creating a healthy and smooth fundraising plan is the bread and butter to a financially successful nonprofit. ​

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By Evin Bask, COO & Head of Development 

Your top supporters want to hear how their current gift is making an impact. They want to know the current needs of the work you are doing. They want to know how they can continue to support. 

In short, let’s make sure our supporters are getting more than a donation receipt. This is where an annual plan can come into place. 

Not sure where to start? A template can help you outline the basics and then you can edit to fit your needs. This template includes a calendar with:
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• Impact touchpoints: when will your donor hear about the impact of their support?
  • A touchpoint could be an in person meeting, a piece of mail, a call, or even an email
• Ask schedule: when will your donors be asked to support or give? 
• Cultivation updates: when will your donors hear updates from you, get invites to new events, or learn about the success of completed projects?
• Fundraising events and galas: when are your big, scheduled campaign? 
  • Don’t forget Idaho Gives and Giving Tuesday!
• Grants: when are application and report deadlines?
• Updated materials: when do you need to update your donation page, annual report, database, printed materials, website, or more?

If you are a smaller nonprofit, this plan might seem overwhelming. Here are a few things you can consider to minimize the stress and maximize the impact. 
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• Share in the fun: are there any board members that can take the lead on some of these tasks, or even be the lead communicator to specific donors?
• Segment your donors: which donors need a personal, face-to-face meeting? 
  • As busy fundraisers, we do not have the time to meet one-on-one with ALL our donors (though, how nice would that be!). Segmenting your donors allows you to save your time and resources for the most involved supporters and then you can provide more automated touchpoints with your other donors.
• Automate: what can be prepared in advance and how can you utilize technology? 
  • Be sure to take advantage of automated emails, this is a great way to keep a large amount of donors updated and excited about your mission and accomplishes. A quick message of appreciate or sharing a story of someone you have impacted can help the donor feel like a team member of your mission. 

If you are looking for more fundraising guidance, be sure to register for the Idaho Nonprofit Center Fundraising for Beginners: Development 101 course! In this course we will dive deeper into the annual plan, segmenting donors, and more.