Summer is barely over, and the rush into Fall is already well underway.
You know the feeling. New hires, program events, reports due... it's as if a bell goes off the day after Labor Day and then it's full-speed ahead - at least until Thanksgiving.
For those of us for whom fundraising is but one responsibility (executive directors, board members, senior staff), it can be all too easy to relegate Fall fundraising to writing breathless notes on annual appeal letters in late-November.
But what a missed opportunity.
So here are some quick tips for those fundraising-is-but-one-part-of-my-job staff and board members, to help us kickstart Fall... and set us up for a terrific spring.
As with anything, the most important tool in fundraising is the plan.
Take a couple of hours one afternoon to plot out the Fall.
That way, when everything else is breaking loose, you'll have your prioritized to-do list right in front of you. You'll still have to implement, of course, but you won't have to take the time to think about what to do (the most common reason for losing focus when life gets too busy).
What should be in that plan?
Donor Stewardship - The payoff for most of your donors is the feeling that they are "seen" as providing support and feel part of the family. Make time each week to reach out to a donor or two from different constituencies (this includes board members!). Let them know how much they mean to you, and take time to listen: they will tell you loads.
Consistency - Commit to doing two fundraising tasks per week. Every week. Donor calls, prospect lunches, brief but warm cover notes sent with interesting news articles... make this a habit twice a week. No slacking!
Balanced Return - Include activities with both short and long-term payoff. Reaching out to the funders of the future, as well as nurturing prospects close-at-hand. Sometimes you need a 3, 5 or even 10-year timeline to get to a really big payoff. Begin to sow those seeds now.
Combined Strategies - Mix up requests for all sorts of
things (money, goods, expertise, time) along with pure donor stewardship - and always remember to ask "Who else might be interested in knowing about our work?"
Once you have your plan, it's a matter of follow-through - and while that's easier said than done, it's much simpler than trying to figure out, week by week, what should come next.
If your organization produces a Fall fundraising event, that's even more reason to think it through beforehand, before the press of the event turns your brain into mush.
Now Forgive Yourself
Because there will inevitably be weeks where, before you know it, it's late afternoon Friday and the two items on your list are but a dream. But don't lose hope.
Have a list of "catch-ups" - such as "good news" emails that are timeless that you can write at 6 pm on a Friday (and perhaps schedule to go out the following week) that keep the momentum going.
Slippage will happen. But have confidence: the half hour to two per week that you've spent consistently on fundraising throughout the Fall, will definitely pay off in the weeks and months to come.
You know the feeling. New hires, program events, reports due... it's as if a bell goes off the day after Labor Day and then it's full-speed ahead - at least until Thanksgiving.
Cause Effective client the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) works to improve the health and well-being of Asian Pacific American children and families in New York City.
