Fundraising Help

Fundraising Is A Team Effort
By Sandra Sims

Poet John Donne wrote the famous phrase “no man is an island” and when it comes to fundraising, no fundraiser is an island either. It takes a team of dedicated people to pull off a fundraiser for a non profit organization. Whether it’s a gala event or a small bake sale, when everyone works together the project will be a greater success.

1. Leadership
Leaders will help set a positive direction for the group through their attitude, decisiveness and actions. Leaders often research fundraising ideas and strategies, and find the best ones to present to the group for consideration. They lead the discussion of the planning sessions and gently steer the group away from potential problems and toward ways that the group can maximize its effectiveness.

2. Set Goals as a Team
Everyone on the team should have a clear idea of what results are to be anticipated from the fundraising project and what volunteers will be expected to do. What is the monetary goal of the fundraiser? What are the important dates for getting everything done? Make sure everyone is aware of these important facts.

3. Define Responsibilities
Creating committees with sub committee chair persons helps define responsibilities and spread out the work load of planning the fundraiser. Each sub committee chair knows what he or she is in charge of and then can make appropriate progress in that area. For example, a dinner fundraiser would have sub committees for decorations, food, ticket sales, etc.

4. Communicate Effectively
Planning out meeting dates for the entire fundraising campaign in advance will help the team to communicate regularly and make progress. As you get closer to the event, additional meetings may be necessary.

It’s helpful for leaders to understand which method of communication works for individual members and for the group as a whole, whether it is by telephone, e-mail, in person meetings or a combination.

5. Be Flexible
While you may try your best to plan everything out in advance for the fundraiser, changes are inevitable. Some volunteers may need to drop out for personal reasons, or you may find that the fundraising plan needs to be revised. When team members, especially leaders, are open and flexible your group can adapt to the changes and regroup in time to still make the fundraiser a success.

Positive Teamwork Brings Results
By organizing and running the fundraising program with a group of people, supporters can combine talents and resources to raise more money. When your fundraising drive is over, each person who participated can feel a sense of accomplishment that their contributions, no matter how small, made a difference.

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.