As a grant writer and fundraiser, I spend a lot of time coaching nonprofit leaders and program staff on the fund development process. More often than not, I am confronted by individuals who believe that simply because they are "doing good" prospective donors and grantmakers should willing give to support their work. But since there are countless individuals and nonprofits doing good, "doing good" is not enough to make donors want to give to any cause. This is particularly true among grantmakers who constantly receive requests from individuals and nonprofits who do good.
To make your donation request standout among the countless do-gooders submitting grant proposals or soliciting major donors, keep these tips in mind:
- Cultivate a relationship with the prospective donor. People give people money. If the prospective donor doesn't know you (your organization), your chances of you securing a donation are greatly reduced -- particularly if you are competing with causes with they know well.
- Use data to prove a need exists. Your personal opinion is not enough to demonstrate a need. For example, just because you think there are "a lot" of pregnant teenagers doesn't make it so. Seek out third party data sources to support your hypothesis. You may find that there is teen pregnancy epidemic among a particular group in or in particular geographic area. You may also find that teen pregnancy isn't an major issue after all. Use the data to develop an effective and efficient program by targeting it to meet the actual need.
- Establish clearly defined goals and measurable objectives. Activity alone does not equate to impact or success. You should know in advance what success looks like. Develop monitoring and data gathering systems to be used for ongoing and post-grant performance evaluation.
Are you thinking of starting a nonprofit? Is your nonprofit seeking new funding? Do you have questions or need some general advice? If you answered yes to any of these questions, schedule a FREE 30 minute consultation by clicking this link and completing the form at the bottom of our
Contact Us page.
As a grant writer and fundraiser, I spend a lot of time coaching nonprofit leaders and program staff on the fund development process. More often than not, I am confronted by individuals who believe that simply because they are "doing good" prospective donors and grantmakers should willing give to support their work. But since there are countless individuals and nonprofits doing good, "doing good" is not enough to make donors want to give to any cause. This is particularly true among grantmakers who constantly receive requests from individuals and nonprofits who do good.
No comments:
Post a Comment