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ReachBack Contributor: Daphane Simmons, Executive Director of ReachBack and Micro-Entreprise Founder of Nvest Wise, LLC

Fundraising Strategies' Best Practices

🔑 Key fundraising strategies every organization should consider

💬 Key Fundraising Strategy - Best Practice #1

1. Diversify Funds

Diversifying Funds: A Smart Strategy for Sustainability

Diversifying your fundraising not only strengthens your financial foundation but also broadens your community of support and engagement.

Relying on a single fundraising method—like one annual event or a single major donor—can leave your organization vulnerable. A diversified funding strategy helps protect your mission from unexpected disruptions and builds long-term sustainability. By incorporating multiple revenue streams—such as grants, monthly giving, sponsorships, peer-to-peer campaigns, and earned income—your nonprofit can stay resilient even when one source underperforms.

💡 Diversify Funds

Peer-to-Peer

Supporters raise money on your behalf by sharing campaigns with their own networks, expanding your reach and impact.

Best Practice: Encourage supporters to share their personal stories and set clear fundraising goals to boost engagement and credibility.

Special Gifts

One-time, often larger donations given for a specific need, campaign, or moment of significance.

Best Practice: Best Practice: Align one-time gift opportunities with specific, urgent needs to inspire action and a sense of impact.

Monthly Giving

Recurring contributions that provide steady, predictable funding to sustain your programs year-round.

Best Practice: Make recurring donations easy to set up and show donors how their ongoing support sustains long-term impact.

Grants

Competitive funding from foundations, corporations, or government agencies that support specific initiatives or general operations.

Best Practice: Tailor each proposal to the funder's priorities and back it up with clear metrics and outcomes.

Major Gifts

One-time, often larger donations given for a specific need, campaign, or moment of significance.

Best Practice: Large donations made by individuals who believe deeply in your mission, typically after strong relationship-building.

Sponsorship

Support from businesses or brands in exchange for recognition or exposure during your events or campaigns.

Best Practice: Offer sponsors visibility and alignment with your mission in exchange for their financial or in-kind support..

Planned Giving

Donations arranged through wills, trusts, or estates—leaving a lasting legacy and long-term support.

Best Practice: Educate supporters about legacy gifts through wills, trusts, and bequests, emphasizing long-term mission impact.

Crowdfunding

One-time, often larger donations given for a specific need, campaign, or moment of significance.

Best Practice: Align one-time gift opportunities with specific, urgent needs to inspire action and a sense of impact.

💬 Key Fundraising Strategy - Best Practice #2

2. The Fundraising Process

Six key phases provide the foundation for effective fundraising:

Successful fundraising doesn’t happen by chance—it follows a structured, strategic process designed to maximize impact and build lasting relationships with supporters.

A step-by-step process helps organizations stay focused, build donor trust, and achieve sustainable fundraising results. Whether you're running a one-time campaign or establishing a long-term funding strategy, having a clear roadmap ensures you stay aligned with your goals, measure progress effectively, and adapt with confidence as your organization grows.

💡 Fundraising Process

(1) Preparation Phase

Lay the groundwork by assessing your organization’s readiness, crafting a compelling case for support, setting clear goals, and assembling a dedicated fundraising team.

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(2) Planning Phase

Develop a strategic approach by selecting the right campaign type, conducting prospect research, budgeting carefully, and building a realistic timeline.

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(3) Quiet/Silent Phase

Secure early momentum by reaching out to major donors and key supporters privately—often raising 50–70% of your goal before going public.

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(4) Public Phase

Launch your campaign to the wider audience using broad outreach strategies, including digital campaigns, events, and direct appeals.

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(5) Closing Phase

Push toward the finish line with final appeals, goal tracking, and closing activities—ensuring all contributions are counted and acknowledged.

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(6) Stewardship Phase

Thank your donors, report on the impact of their gifts, and nurture long-term relationships to support future fundraising efforts.

💬 Key Fundraising Strategy - Best Practice #3

3. Fundraising Calendar

Fundraising Calendar: An Annual Blueprint

A strong fundraising calendar isn’t just a schedule—it’s your blueprint for sustained momentum and relationship-building all year long.

A well-structured fundraising calendar is a vital tool for staying organized, consistent, and strategic throughout the year. It helps your team align activities with donor behavior, seasonal giving trends, and organizational goals—ensuring no opportunity is missed and your efforts stay on track. Use a shared digital calendar or project management tool (like Google Calendar, Asana, or Trello) so your team can access and update in real time.

💡 Fundraising Calendar Process

🎯 Set Annual Fundraising Goals

Begin by defining your overall revenue targets and identifying how much should be raised through each fundraising strategy (e.g., grants, events, peer-to-peer, etc.).

📍 Map Out Key Campaigns & Activities

List all your major fundraising efforts for the year—annual campaigns, giving days, events, grant deadlines, donor appeals, and stewardship activities.

🎁Align with Seasonal Giving Trends

Consider key giving periods such as:

Year-End Giving (October–December)

Spring Appeals (March–May)

Back-to-School or Fall Campaigns (August–September)

#GivingTuesday (Tuesday after Thanksgiving)

👥+📝 Assign Roles and Deadlines

For each fundraising activity, identify who’s responsible, key milestones, and specific deadlines for prep, launch, follow-up, and reporting.

💌 Incorporate Donor Stewardship

Plan regular donor touchpoints, such as thank-you emails, updates, and impact stories—at least quarterly—to build engagement between asks.

🔁 Review & Adjust Quarterly

Use quarterly check-ins to evaluate progress, make adjustments, and respond to new opportunities or challenges.

🗓️ Sample Fundraising Calendar

This sample 12-month fundraising calendar is designed to help organizations plan and execute effective fundraising strategies throughout the year. It includes a balance of campaign activity, donor stewardship, and preparation.

💬 Key Fundraising Strategy - Best Practice #4

4. Understand the Project Budget

Project budget: Builds donor trust

Understanding your project budget is essential to building donor trust, setting realistic goals, and demonstrating your organization’s capacity to deliver impact. A well-prepared budget is more than just numbers—it’s a storytelling tool that reflects your mission, priorities, and efficiency.

💡 Budget Process

*-Direct costs include personnel, materials, equipment, space rental, and travel directly tied to the project.

-Indirect costs include administrative overhead, technology support, and office utilities.

💬 Key Fundraising Strategy - Best Practice #5

4. Understand the Project Budget

Project budget: Builds donor trust

Calculate Social ROI

🧠 Explanation about Social ROI

What's Partial Social ROI?

In-kind goods/services only

Purpose: Communicating non-cash value in budgeting

What's Full Social ROI?

In-kind + volunteer time + community outcomes

Purpose: Communicating total social impact

Community outcomes (e.g. number of people helped, jobs created, educational impact)

🎯 Best Practices for Fundraising

✅ Accountable Fundraising Matters - Track. Report. Grow.

🚀 Why it's Best Practice and What It Means:

Successful fundraising isn't just about inspiring generosity—it's also about staying grounded in the numbers. Tracking revenue, expenses, and in-kind contributions ensures transparency, helps measure impact, and empowers better decision-making. By aligning fundraising activities with data, organizations can set realistic goals, demonstrate value to donors, and improve outcomes year over year.