Let me share with you a common conversation I have had with prospective clients. After the initial pleasantries, the conversation goes something like this:
Client: We are really having trouble raising operating funds this year. Can you help?
Jane: How much money does your resource development plan call for you to raise?
Client: We don't have that kind of plan.
Jane: Well, then, tell me about the goals in your strategic plan.
Client: Oh, we're too busy to do that kind of plan.
Jane: How many individuals, corporations and foundations contribute annually?
Client: Hmm...I'm not sure but I know we need a lot more money.
If this conversation sounds familiar to you, it is time to start collecting data and creating three key plans that will guide you to achieving your fundraising goals. What are they?
Strategic Plan
Don't be intimidated by all the jargon surrounding strategic planning. There are many ways to create such a plan, depending on your financial and time resources. At a minimum, your board needs to be involved in the process, a planning committee does the detailed work, and someone has to write up the final plan for board approval. The basic items included in the plan are the organization's mission and vision, values statements, program and administrative goals, strategies and tactics for achieving the goals, resources needed to support the strategies, budget projections for the length of the plan, and an evaluation process. In addition, there is a work plan attached which defines the specific activities, parties responsible, and time frames for completion.
Marketing Plan
Once you have your strategic plan in place, it is time to create your marketing plan. Again, there can be much jargon attached to marketing, but you can create a simple plan to help you achieve your goals. First, identify the target markets for each goal and then create the messages for each market. Outline specific strategies to achieve the goals and match them with appropriate people and money to implement them. Make sure you define your time frame and create success indicators. Finally determine how you will monitor and evaluate your progress. The simpler the design of this plan, the easier it will be to monitor. One idea is to have a single page for each goal with appropriate markets, messages, strategies and resources and time line.
Development Plan
With your strategic and marketing plans in place, creating the Development Plan doesn't have to be difficult. You have already set your strategic direction and created a way to market your services. Now it's time to create a development plan based clearly on your nonprofit's mission. At a minimum, your plan should include the following elements: a statement of your fundraising purpose, strategic and financial goals, related policies, cultivation strategies, specific strategies for different market segments, people responsible for achieving goals and time frames for their achievement. And, of course, you will want to have a way to evaluate - at least quarterly- your progress on achieving these fundraising goals.
If your nonprofit is in an immediate financial crunch, it is unlikely that you will take the time to create these plans. However, you should at least have a discussion about the importance of planning. In my work, I have sometimes taken on clients to help them fundraise for short term crisis, but only if they agree to do the needed planning so that such a crisis is a rare occurrence, not an annual event.
© Jane B. Ford 2009
Author Bio:
Jane B. Ford, M.Ed. is a speaker, author, teacher, coach and consultant who guides individuals and nonprofits on the road to prosperity. She has worked with small to mid-sized nonprofits for three decades in the roles of executive director, trainer, fundraiser and management consultant. You can learn more about Jane at http://TheJoyPath.com and http://GetGrantsNow.net.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Planning-For-Success---Three-Key-Plans-All-Nonprofits-Need-to-Achieve-Their-Fundraising-Goals&id=3650947
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