Introduction to fundraising planning
(focus on recruiting individual donors)
Small Charities Coalition
Monday 28th March 2011 – York
Panikos Efthimiou
Charities Training Manager - CAF
Potential sources of income
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Trusts/Foundations – capital and revenue
Statutory – government, local authorities
Companies – cash, sponsorship, in-kind, volunteering etc
Events – cash, sponsorship
Lottery – capital and revenue (can be restricted)
Trading – shops, products, services
Contracts - service level agreements etc
Extras – matched giving
Also - social investment, loan finance, bonds
 and INDIVIDUALS – a whole range of possibilities
(focus for today)
No clear case for support – no fundraising plan!
 Need – why is your charity needed?
 Mission - what do you do to meet the need?
 Communication - how do you say it?
 Profile - how well do people know you?
 Credibility - do you have a history of achievement?
 Selling - how well do you sell yourselves?
 Results - how do you demonstrate impact?
 Unique – what would happen if you didn’t exist?
A fundraising planning paper should include….
 overall plan – how to fund your need
 your current position – starting point, strengths and
weaknesses, any past fundraising experience
 future fundraising needs
 proposed new sources of income – what you have
relied on up until now and how you can diversify
 suggested methods to meet fundraising targets
 resources and actions required…
and then make a decision to get on with it!
Some difficult but necessary questions
 does your cause have a target supporter market?
 do you produce outcomes (results) that donors
(existing and new) can easily understand?
 can you afford to spend money to attract donors?
 are your trustees and other key figures committed to
fundraising in all its guises – have you asked them
for a donation?
Very small International Aid charity
 …started from scratch by two passionate individuals
volunteering during their Gap Year in Africa
 asked family and friends to become their first donors
and then spread the word
 managed to secure over 65 one-off donations…and
counting
 now converting these into regular gifts, mainly
standing orders or payroll giving
 will use their payroll donors to open doors into
companies
What is the difference you make?
“Money flows to those who demonstrate
impact, to those who don’t just show that
a need exists, but who also highlight how
they are helping to alleviate it”
Use the power of your service users/cause
 personal stories and comments are much more
effective than a corporate voice
 encourage supporters to engage with others by
showing what they’ve done, can do, want to do e.g.
stories in fundraising literature, on websites, short
presentations at events
Individual giving - options
 one off donations – (cash, cheque, credit and debit
cards, shares, legacies)
 regular giving
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standing orders
Direct Debit
covenants
payroll giving
credit and debit cards
Donor Development Pyramid
Legacy
Regular
Big Gifts
One-off Big
Gift
Committed Giving
Second Donation
One-off Donation
Volunteers
Contented
Clients
Board/Committee
Donors
Friends
Magazine
Inserts
Visitors
Press/Adverts
Methods of recruitment
 direct mail (paper and electronic)
 face to face – door to door, workplace, street, events
 telephone
 online
Fundraising online
 have a “donate, give now, help us, how to help,
get involved, take action….” button on your
pages – (test effectiveness of different options)
 make it easy – 2 clicks to giving page
 have an up to date news page about what your
organisation is doing
 ensure navigation is clear and simple
 encourage reader to get involved in other ways
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/supportourwork/donate/donate.htm
Make an ask that connects…
 make a blind person see for just £12
 £10 will help provide a counselling session
 £8 will provide textbooks for an offender
undertaking life skills training
 £20 can help us find a home for an unwanted
animal
…and yes you have asks too!
Donor nurturing
 thank donors quickly
 how you will communicate with donors?
 what information would they like to receive?
 how would they like to receive it?
 other ways to get involved e.g..
 volunteering
 events
 upgrades – when & how?
 why not raise awareness of leaving a legacy?
Looking after hard earned income
Just as an organisation
needs a fundraising
strategy, an organisation
also needs a financial
strategy, to ensure that it
manages its funds in the
most efficient manner
Grant making trusts and foundations
 about 9,000 in the UK
 what are they interested in funding?
 Areas of interest, geographical, one-offs or repeats, revenue or
capital etc
 how to apply – understand the process
 Deadlines! Trustee meetings, application format, additional
documents, be creative and DON’T use same application many
times!
Try and speak to them before submitting application – could save
time and effort!
Trusts and foundations – further help
 Directory of Social Change
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Guide (s) to Major Trusts
Directory of Grant-Making Trusts
Specialist Grants Directories
Local Trusts Guide
www.dsc.org.uk
020 7391 4800 (London)
0151 708 0117 (Liverpool)
 www.grantnet.com
 www.funderfinder.org.uk
 www.grantfinder.co.uk
Company giving
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Sponsorship
Advertising
Gifts in Kind
Grants from Charitable Trusts
Volunteers
Secondments
Cash
Matched giving
Company Giving – further help
 Directory of Social Change
 Major Companies Guide
 Guide to Company Giving
 www.dsc.org.uk
020 7391 4800 (London)
0151 708 0117 (Liverpool)
Also lots of information on individual company websites
– usually under CSR (corporate social responsibility)
and/or CCI (corporate community investment)
Other useful sites
 www.fundingcentral.org.uk
 www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/sfp (sustainable funding project)
 www.how2fundraise.org
 www.do-it.org.uk
 www.volunteering.org.uk
 www.fit4funding.org.uk
Other useful contacts
Institute of Fundraising
www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
020 7840 1000
Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs
www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities
0845 302 0203
CAF Charity Services
www.cafonline.org/charityadmin
01732 520 316
Speak to me
Panikos Efthimiou
07720 405702
[email protected]
www.cafonline.org
03000 123 000 – head office