Fundraising is a journey. Regardless of the bumps in the road, as a non-profit organization serving your community, it’s imperative that you reach your fundraising destination. Do you often feel lost, unsure how to navigate the course? If so, read on.
This article is brought to you by IDC Giving Group.
Fundraising is very similar to road navigation. It starts with preparation, goes through the process itself, and ends when you reach your destination. If your goal is to become a thriving organization, especially in difficult times, it is important to know how to navigate properly. Some of the work you can do yourself. On the road you may then use GPS software or applications like Waze to direct you to the best route, the fastest and most exact way to reach your destination. Here, too, you can use an external body, such as IDC Giving Group, to raise money through grants from philanthropic foundations. After all, just like on the highway, things can move very fast – accurate navigation is critical for you to reach the right target, and in the shortest time.
So how do you manage to navigate with confidence?
Step 1: Plan where you want to go – Before you take your first step, it’s important to set goals. Setting goals and priorities will help you determine the best way to reach them. By setting goals you can formulate a plan of “What to do”, “When to do it”, and “How to arrive at your destination.”
Step 2: Look at the maps before departure – Once you have your goals, you must first investigate all appropriate sources for funding. These include public sector funds, private philanthropists, and more. Your sources should fit your goals and provide appropriate donations and funds. Good research will help you find which institutions fit your agenda more than others. “Reading the map” will help you find the sources and institutions for which your organization is the best fit (and not just which is the best fit for your organization).
Step 3: Plan your route – You’ve set your goals and mapped the route to those goals. Now you need to develop a strategy that will help create a “narrative”, to guide you all the way to the destination. Of course, your narrative should include options for the “bottlenecks” you’ll encounter on the way. These options will provide you with alternative ways to proceed, and enable you to reach your target in new and surprising ways.
Step 4: Know exactly which stops you’ll have to pass along the way – Part of the journey narrative is mapping out all the stages you’ll have to go through: milestones, intermediary targets on the way to the final destination, and of course, a detailed schedule for hitting these points.
Step 5: Know exactly what you will need to take – It’s a long and winding road, and you’ll have to use many tools. Part of the route planning includes checking exactly what you will need to travel in the most accurate way: an internal person who is assigned to the project, an external party to help with fundraising, and networking with the right organizations. All of these will help you reach your destination.
Step 6: The road itself, please be patient – The submission process is complex and full of traffic jams and detours. But to get to the destination, the most important advice we can give is “Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” Even if it’s a large bottleneck, even if the road is blocked, do not give in – find an alternative way, find another contact, file an application in a different way. There are thousands of other methods to help you get to ‘yes’ and the required funding.
Step 7: Use the professionals – Just like when you use an app such as Waze or other GPS software, a professional individual or fundraising organization can help you create an exact route. Just like Waze, a professional is highly experienced, schooled in successes and failures, and knows the best ways at any given time. We at IDC Giving Group offer our services. Let us be your Waze in the world of fundraising.
Debra Kagan is the CEO of IDC Giving Group. She holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, Professional Certification in Non-Profit Management from the New York Institute of Finance and has managed hundreds of client cases and grant requests, successfully bringing millions of dollars to a wide array of nonprofits. As a member of the Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Debra and the IDC Giving Group team deliver high-quality, professional resource development services and strategies that allow your nonprofit to achieve new heights: no longer compelled to concentrate exclusively on the needs of today, but able to plan for tomorrow create an impact well into the future.
The consultants, writers, researchers, analysts and financial consultants at IDC Giving Group have a range of professional and personal experience. They represent a broad spectrum of academic disciplines and offer resources accrued from relationships with a variety of organizations and foundations. With proven efficiency and a comprehensive understanding of the grant-writing process, IDC Giving Group is prepared to lead you towards success. For more information, call 1-866-744-4995 or email info@idcgivinggroup.com today!
