Fundraiser Fundamentals

You need a mission statement that can briefly summarize your goals and needs for your fundraiser. Try to keep it to a single sentence if that is possible. Make 100% sure that your people within the group know and understand this mission statement. If they can't explain it, then how are they going to help raise money from the public?

You must use every single avenue to get your message out there. This includes, but is not limited to road signage, posters in store and business windows, writing press releases, getting newspaper coverage, public service radio announcements...which are free, email campaigns, letter campaigns, flyers at convenience store counters and other places where people can see them and take one.

Do not assume that you have ever done enough. Do not make any assumptions, including the thought that people will know what you are doing the fund raising for. You must give adequate information and you must have clear goals that people can understand.

Therefore, you need to create awareness, both within your group and in the eye of the public. Your needs should be well documented in all your communications. If you have a website, the link to it should be on every email and every single printed item that you distribute. People should know exactly what you do with the money you raise and exactly how you go about raising money each and every year. A successful campaign is one in which people say, "I remember you from last year, let me go get my checkbook."

People need to believe in what you are doing, they need to be involved emotionally in your purpose and they need to feel that what you are doing in your efforts is worthy of the cause. Keep everything as simple as possible. People don't like to feel like they are being preached to or that things are too hard to understand or make sense of. Try to keep all things that are written and said about your project as simple as possible.

Practice with the people working in your group. Role play with them and do this often. The best fund raisers are the ones who firmly believe in what they are doing and can be passionate about it. They also need to know how to answer questions and give good rebuttals to people who are trying to turn them away without really listening to the message. To be successful, you will train your people and continue to train them each and every day. Having training sessions just before a fund raising event is a great idea. This helps get them in the right frame of mind to face the negativity that they will definitely encounter while 'out in the field'. Good solid training also helps the rebuttals seem natural and fluid. Getting your people involved and fully invested in the cause is going to make all the difference in the world when it comes to their ability to get donations from people that they talk to each and every day.