Sample Fundraising Development Plan Template
Fundraising can feel complicated and overwhelming. Many nonprofit organizations are swimming in fundraising ideas but are not sure where actually to begin. Should you research grants and apply for them or focus on producing an event? Should you do an email blast to supporters or put your energy into major donor-matching gifts?
No organization or fundraiser has the capacity to do everything they want to do. So it helps to 1) narrow, 2) prioritize, 3) delegate, and 4) set deadlines. The best way to do this is by creating a fundraising plan. Every organization needs a development plan: a simple way to break down WHO will raise money in WHAT ways by WHEN. Sample development plans for nonprofits exist everywhere on the internet, but don’t let all the bells and whistles scare you. This one is simple and it works.
A fundraising plan is a simple written document for how you will achieve your organization’s annual fundraising goals. Organizations that create and follow their fundraising plans tend to raise more money than those with no plan.
Development plans do not need to be complicated or long. Your fundraising plan can be as short as 1-2 pages. As your organization gets larger or more advanced in its approach, your plan will shift and adapt. But to get started, do not be intimidated.
This is the plan we used at a national bullying prevention startup and it helped us grow, year over year.
You can adapt this nonprofit fundraising development plan template to your current organization or any future nonprofit. This plan breaks out some major fundraising streams and how you can raise more from each category. A development plan is a foundational tool that all serious fundraisers use.
Grab this template which I use myself to make the overwhelming work much more manageable.
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A fundraising plan is a powerful way to simplify your fundraising and make it all clear with a written document.
The most powerful tool any organization has to achieve its goals is a written plan. Once you map out the exact ways you will raise money and lay out WHO will do WHAT task, by WHEN, it all becomes so much easier. This template plan, that I have used myself, is a great way to give you a shortcut, without cutting corners.