| A Fundraising Road Trip: Planning & Achieving Your Goals
By Sandra
Sims
Do you ever daydream about
going on a great vacation? It’s
fun to think of all of the
great sights and things to
do once you get to the destination. But
usually there’s lots
of planning involved, such
as planning around schedules,
getting tickets and placing
reservations. It can
be quite an ordeal. But
once you’re on your dream
vacation, boy is it worth it.
Oddly enough, creating fundraising
goals is itself a little like
going on a trip.
Here’s how…
The Destination: Long
Term & Yearly Goals
What’s the first thing
you do when you decide to go
on a trip? Yes, that’s
right – choose the destination. Is
it Disneyworld or New York
City? Will you camp at
the local state park or Yellowstone? Starting
a fundraising program without
a predefined goal is like getting
in your car at the beginning
of a vacation and saying, “I
don’t know where we’re
going, but I hope we get there!” (Doesn’t
make much sense, does it?)
Your yearly goal is the final
destination that your group
should be striving for all
year long. Whether your
organization follows the calendar
year, school year, fiscal year,
or whatever the case may be,
you still need to set this
long term destination goal.
Budgetary requirements generally
guide the financial goals that
are needed for your organization. What
are the total expenses for
the year, and how much of those
expenses need to be covered
by fundraising efforts? Write
down this “big target” number
that needs to be reached by
the end of the year.
The Roadmap: Project
Goals
Now that you’ve decided
on a fundraising destination,
the next step is to break down
that number into smaller, more
manageable goals.
Imagine your organization’s
individual fundraisers such
as events, raffles, or candy
sales as the highways you will
take to get to your final destination. Therefore,
each individual campaign or
event has its own fundraising
goals. The combined goal
amount should equal or be greater
than the yearly goal.
Having too many fundraisers
that appeal to the same audience
can become burdensome and reduces
the effectiveness of your efforts. By
forecasting the amount of funds
needed, you’ll be able
to plan the right amount of
individual fundraisers.
The Pit-Stops: Fine
Tuning Your Fundraising Goals
During the course of the year,
periodically review your fundraising
goals. Have your fundraisers
met their individual targets? If
not, the “pit-stops” are
times when you can do some
fine tuning to your list of
goals and objectives.
Consider ways that you can
earn more on the remaining
fundraisers planned for the
year.
· Increase
attendance at fundraising event
by adding something unusual,
like a door prize drawing,
a contest or a “celebrity” appearance
(for kids events they could
be costumed characters)
· Place
calls or send letters to get
more prizes donated for your
raffle or auction
· Add
an additional source of revenue
to already planned fundraisers.
For example, sell candy at
your school carnival
· Add
an easy fundraiser that doesn’t
require much time from volunteers
such as a cell phone recycling
fundraiser or online
magazine sales.
Reaching Your Destination
Your group has worked hard
to raise funds for your cause. Be
sure to celebrate along the
way, thanking donors and volunteers. Each
year evaluate what programs
worked best, how you can improve
upon them, and ways that you
can become more efficient in
planning the fundraising programs.
Sandra
Sims has been fundraising for
various charities for over
10 years and is dedicated to
helping non profits raise more
for their causes. Visit her Step
By Step Fundraising website
to get your free copy of the
special report.
|
