Let’s look again at the SMART goals from the previous section and add fundraising strategies and channels for each goal.
Increase the donor base by 20% in the next financial year.
- Fundraising strategy: Launch a social media awareness campaign to attract new donors (online), using a compelling story of need and the impact the donor’s gift can make.
- Thank new donors (via email). Add the names of new donors to the email list (online) and keep sending emails to them in the future.
Encourage 30% of current donors to increase their gift amount by 15% this year.
- Fundraising strategy: Send out two letters (offline) and a series of six emails (online) over six months period sharing success stories, talking about seizing new mission opportunities and inviting donors to give more than previously.
- Thank donors who upgrade their giving (online and offline).
Convert 50% of one-time donors into recurring donors within the next 9 months.
- Fundraising strategy: Introduce a monthly giving initiative with special mission updates and benefits for new regular donors. Use a letter, follow up phone calls and text messages to encourage past one-time donors to become regular donors (offline).
Use emails, social media messages and set up pages on your website (online) to promote monthly giving to online audiences.
- Thank donors who upgrade their giving (online and offline).
- Continue to send them promised updates about the impact their gift is making (online and offline)
Partner with 10 local churches for community-based fundraising events within the year.
- Fundraising strategy: Build relationships with local church leaders (offline) by talking to them in person or on the phone. Or by sending emails to them (online). Propose collaborative mission events to serve the community and/or fun events that enable the congregation to support your mission cause.
- Highlight and promote the activities with churches in your newsletter (offline) and via social media channels (online) to thank these churches and inspire others to follow their example.
Secure funding from 5 new foundations in the next 12 months.
- Fundraising strategy: Research foundations whose funding priorities align with your charity’s mission (online). Meet foundations representatives (offline). Prepare tailored grant proposals, and schedule meetings to discuss potential partnerships.
- Follow up, report, and thank foundations (online or offline).
To make these things happen you need to assign specific roles and responsibilities to team members or volunteers.
As you put your plan together you can clearly define who is responsible for each aspect of the fundraising plan.
This includes who will be involved in planning the activity, executing it, monitoring its success, and communicating the results to others.