How to Plan Your Fundraiser
Your fundraising plan is a road map of how you are going to execute your fundraiser, and will document how your campaign will get from point A to point B. Writing your plan down is a step guaranteed to improve the efficiency of the campaign. Your fundraising plan should cover the basics, so that everyone on the team knows the who, what, where, when, and why of how the campaign is going to run. Whether your fundraising goal is to build a new sports field or buy books for the school library or fund the local band, you need to be organized so that nothing is forgotten. A written plan is a living document. It may need to be changed but having a framework will make running your campaign much easier. Your plan will get everyone on the same page—no surprises, assumptions, or misunderstandings.
5 Steps to Writing Your Fundraising Plan
The following are the basics for planning your fundraising campaign. Keep in mind, these are merely tools and suggestions that can help you run your campaign with more ease and efficiency. These five steps are sure to help you launch a well-organized campaign to achieve your fundraising goals.
1. Goal
Why are you having a fundraiser and what do you hope to achieve? Consider the following:
- The purpose of your fundraiser
- How much money you need to raise
- How you are going to raise it (i.e. Determine number of units each participant should aim to sell to meet the group’s fundraising goals)
- The start and end dates of your fundraising campaign
2. Tasks
What is your action plan? What specific activities need to be done to run your campaign? They may include the following:
- Calling In-Dey-Go – Have order forms sent out
- Scheduling social media
- Making telephone calls and sending emails
- Fundraising events such as an online estore to complement brochure sales
- Meetings and/or email correspondence scheduling
- Determining who can help on delivery day (usually 2–3 volunteers)
3. Calendar
The calendar is a timeline of each activity and when it needs to be done. This can be written on an actual calendar, list, or chart—whatever is most useful for the team. Determine the following:
- Deadlines for each task
- Length of each task
- Lead times for printed materials (i.e. When to order from In-Dey-Go)
- Event dates
4. Assignments
Determine who is responsible for executing each step in your plan.
- Identify assignments by each person’s name, not just role, so everyone is clear on exactly who is responsible for each task.
- Who are the team leaders and go-to people for questions or if problems arise?
- Who are the back-ups in case a team leader cannot be reached?
5. You’re Not Done Yet! Summarize
When your fundraising campaign is over, there is still one step left to do—prepare a written summary of your fundraising results. Document what was supposed to happen compared to what actually happened. Include the following:
- What worked
- What didn’t work
- How much money was raised compared to your goal
- Unexpected problems or opportunities that occurred that impacted your campaign results
Once all five steps are completed, next year’s fundraising committee will appreciate your professionalism and use your plan to launch their own campaign! We are here to help from start to finish. Give us a call if you have any questions—we answer the phone!
Want more fundraising support? Get started on your Indeygo fundraiser today!
For a limited time, Indeygo is offering an exclusive offer for fundraising coordinators looking to run a successful holiday campaign.
At no additional cost, you will receive:
- One ebook including tips, tricks, and tools to help support your fundraising efforts
- Social media and email templates for increased sales
- One webinar with a question and answer period
- Digital and print copies of all support documents
For more information or to register, please email info@indeygo.com.
