Fundraising is all about resilience and self belief. We’ve set out some steps below for you to follow, in order to get the best chance of being successful. However there will be times when you will hear ‘no’, and get rejections, and it’s easy to take it personally. The best strategy is to pick yourself up and you go through the process again. If you keep doing that, you will be successful.
Be really clear about what it is you’re fundraising for by setting out your vision and precisely what you need the money for in a document. Many organisations will call this their case for support. A helpful starting point is asking yourself: what would happen if we weren’t here? When you answer that, you’ll be able to explain why you need the money.
A prospect pipeline is a list of all the people that you think might wish to support you. Look at your existing and previous supporters, and build your pipeline from there. Speak to your senior management team, your trustees, and people connected to your organisation because these people will know others who may wish to support your cause.
Don’t forget that this process is about people, and people giving to people. Your donors are the lifeblood of the organisation. They have a vested interest in making sure that you’re successful. They’ll want to know when things are going well. They’ll also want to know when things aren’t going so well. There might be ways in which they can help.
Crucially, don’t be afraid to keep asking. Once somebody has given to you, ask again. Many philanthropists will want to build a long-term relationship with you, to go with you on the same journey, and likely to want to give again, potentially over many years. So, don’t be afraid to keep saying thank you. No matter what you might read or hear there isn’t an optimum number of times you should express gratitude: say thank you every time you see that person, and mean it.
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