Questions to ask yourself about raising money from the general public
If individuals from the general public, your community or your users don't give you donations there may be a fundamental problem in how you fundraise. Do they actually know you need money?
Of all the people that are affected by your work, that use your services, who receive your information, or live in your community - what proportion of them give to your organisation? If you are a relatively small organisation the proportion of people who give is probably very small. Many groups may receive no money at all from individuals and depend only on funding from grant-giving organisations.
To be truly sustainable organisations have to generate income from a range of sources. More community and voluntary groups , therefore, will have to look at how they raise money from the general public through individual and social fundraising techniques. Organisations will have to consider how to receive donations from from both spontaneous and committed givers. For many this will require a change of fundraising culture in the organisation.
This short article suggests how you could consider your approach to raising money from individuals.
Questions to ask yourselves about fundraising from individuals:
Why would someone give you a donation? Consider how your organisation and your activities could be marketed for fundraising appeals
What can people give to? Do you show people a range of areas they can support?
Who would give you a donation? Identify the people most likely to support your organisation and cause. This may be:
- people who live in your community
- people who have used your organisation in the past, use it currently or may think they will need it in the future
- family and friends of people who you have helped in the past or who you are currently helping
- people who will also benefit if your organisation achieves its aims and objectives
- people who share your aims and objectives
- people who will take part in your fundraising activities
How do you ask for a donation? Review the ways in which your organisation currently asks for donations
How can people give you a donation? Review the ways in which people can choose to give to your organisation
How do you communicate with people about fundraising? Set up a database to record your contact with people who have donated to you or who may do so in the future
How do you account for donations from the general public? Consider how you provide feedback to people on how you have used (or will use) their money
Ask! Finally make sure you actually do ask people for money
People can support voluntary and community organisations with donations in a diverse range of ways. There is more guidance on fundraising from the community on NICVA's www.grant-tracker.org website including advice on a large range of fundraising methods and techniques.
You can also speak to NICVA's Fundraising Advice Team on 028 9087 7777 or email us with your queries. Contact neil.irwin@nicva.org or james.laverty@nicva.org.
Neil Irwin | 29 October 2009 - 9:59am |
