Five Reasons Your Fundraising Plan Sets You Up for Success

Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs. Yum, these Girl Scouts cookies were more than just sweet treats. The sale of cookies to finance girl scout troop activities began with a plan in 1917, including sharing a cookie recipe to 2,000 Girl Scouts to bake and sell in their local community. Today, these delicious cookies are available online and on shelves at selected grocery stores. Careful planning provided these Girl Scouts guidance on when and where to sell cookies and what sales pitch to say to customers. It is worth your time sitting down for a few hours and writing your fundraising plan for the year.

Here are five reasons your fundraising plan sets you up for success,

1. It answers the Five Ws and How.

Your fundraising plan answers six simple questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How? It should also follow the SMART method: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. What kind of fundraising ideas will you be moving forward with? Who on your team will plan and execute each task? Where will you be hosting the campaign? When is a good time to ask for donations? Why does your organization need the money? How many donors do you plan to ask? These are sample questions we think about when putting together a fundraising plan. It also helps to prepare for possible scheduling conflicts and provides participants with a smooth, positive experience.  

2. It prepares a compelling case for support.

Fundraising is an act of persuasion. The most effective way to raise money is to tell a compelling story. The story you tell is usually something relatable and connects to the heart of your audience. Place the prospect as the hero of the story and share how their gift will make an impact. The story includes a brief background of the problem, why your organization needs support, and a creative solution or different ways in which your prospect could support your organization.

3. It uses your available resources effectively.

A fundraising event would not be successful without knowing what resources are available to you. Resources like money, staff time, volunteer support, board engagement, technology, and venue size. Do you know how many guests to invite to your event? Is the venue big enough to accommodate your group size? Will you need more than one volunteer to help with the check-in registration during peak time? Considering all resources available to you will help you use your resources wisely and move forward with fundraising ideas that are probable and manageable.

4. It provides a smooth timeline for your activities.

Creating a timeline will force the planning team to think critically through all strategies and logistics. Putting everything on the calendar also helps plan around busy holidays and inviting volunteers to help with the workload. Organizing a dinner for 300 guests requires more energy and time than coordinating a small board meeting. Some organizations shared a 12-month calendar or a detailed weekly planner with their staff (even better, used a project management software). When everyone is on the same page on when to direct energy and resources, it’s a win-win situation!

5. It helps keep your team together.

When you have a written plan, it helps you communicate your vision clearly to your team, and they will know when to come to your aid. Additionally, your team members might have some feedback or suggestions for the worst possible scenarios (e.g., raining day, technical difficulties, road closure). Your team would be focused and proactive in bringing in more gifts with a written plan instead of being reactive and hoping for the best.

Now you know the five reasons a written fundraising plan will set you for success. Your donors will appreciate having a well-coordinated experience instead of going through a poorly, unorganized one. If this is your first time putting together a fundraising plan or need help with your current ideas, we can help you! Set up a free initial consultation today!

⭐ Join our weekly newsletter where we share tons of exclusive tips, tools, grant opportunities, and resources to our subscribers. Subscribe on the Spark Group home page.