Does your organization have a current fundraising plan? Whether you’re just building your Development function or have a high-performing team in place, you need a plan to guide the organization and track your goals and metrics.

A fundraising plan isn’t just a list of activities. It lays out concrete goals that will be reached through a defined set of activities and tactics. It also says exactly who will carry out the work, and when. Finally, it specifies what the raised funds will be used for. We’ll go through each component in this article for a fundraising plan that spans one year.

Goals + Tactics + Who + When + Work Supported = Fundraising Plan

GOALS: In the year ahead, how many total dollars will you raise? (Pro tip: make sure it’s ambitious but achievable based on your past performance.) How many new donors will you welcome and how many existing donors will renew or continue their support?

TACTICS: How will you reach these goals? Specify fundraising events that you’ll hold, grant proposals you’ll send, major donors you’ll engage with personally, appeal letters, etc. The variety of tactics will likely be much smaller if you’re just starting out.

WHO: Who in your organization will be responsible for carrying out each tactic? This could be specific fundraising staff members, the executive director, specific board members, marketing colleagues, consultants, and more. It’s critical that each person understands their responsibilities and is held accountable for carrying out the work.

WHEN: In the fundraising plan, you will need to state exactly when each tactic will take place. In what month(s) will your appeals drop? What is your calendar of grant application deadlines? State when and how you will connect with individual donors and prospects one-on-one so that you have a concrete strategy throughout the year; otherwise, your cultivations and solicitations could be delayed, quarter after quarter.

WORK SUPPORTED: Each tactic should connect with an area of your nonprofit that needs support. Examples: an event that raises unrestricted money or a donor that’s passionate about a specific program.

This framework will give you a helpful start as you think about creating or refining a fundraising plan for your nonprofit organization.

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