1. “Casting vision is like rocket fuel.”* If you can articulate a clear vision (and truly believe in the mission), you will captivate your audience.
* This is one of many timeless lessons I learned from Dr. Tom Barrett and Mr. Tim Downs – The Communication Guys. Their courses are a gift to humanity – worth every penny and much more.
2. Your case for support. When crafting your executive summaries and letters of inquiry, consider the following questions: a) What unmet social need are you addressing? b) What, exactly, will you do with the money? c) What sort of change can be expected in the lives of the people you serve? d) How will this future look and feel?
3. Storytelling. This Daniel Pink video will prove how important stories are in the selling process.
4. Colors are the mother tongue of the unconscious (C.G. Jung). Branding and fundraising go hand in hand. Managing people's perceptions of your brand is central to any resource development operation.
5. Active listening.
6. Natural-fit partners. Concentrating on foundations and donors already active in your space is a good idea.
7. Networking that actually works. Jordan Harbinger is my networking guru.
8. Build trust. Most donors and foundations take their investments seriously. They might first provide "seed funding”, see how it feels to work with you, and slowly increase their contributions. After a few rounds of providing them with the goods (the goods can be different things to different donors), you have their trust. That is when discussions about major gifts and planned giving can begin.
9. A calendar. Some donors want to hear from you once a year; others may want to interact 4-5 times yearly (e.g., a newsletter, an invitation to an event, the funding request, a field visit, and the report). Once you have numerous funders and prospects, you should schedule all of the interactions in advance to ensure you aren't missing any application or reporting deadlines.
10. Budgets. Budgets reflect the bottom line and are essential to any detailed proposal. Try to make your budgets as clear, transparent, and straightforward as possible – showing anticipated income sources, expenditures, and overhead.
11. Vivid stories and photos. Authentic personal stories from participants and lively photos of the activities are powerful ways to make your case.
12. The numbers. Client databases routinely maintained can be helpful in the fundraising process. Donors want to know how many people their funds will help and where.
13. Impact measurement and evaluation. There is an entire movement around effective altruism these days and for good reasons. Some organizations can utilize funds more effectively than others. It is also true that some things profoundly influence people's lives but can't be measured (I learned this from Ida Kalerova. The documentary film about Ida's work will prove my point).
14. Know your stuff. Nonprofit organizations implement work on behalf of funders for the benefit of clients and communities. These stakeholders want to know that you have a deep understanding of the field and constantly learn so you can improve your service to society.
15. Reporting. Most foundations will want to know what you achieved with their funding. It's a good idea to have the information available at all times (detailed financial reports, budgets, client data, impact measurement, etc.).
16. Small donations. Small donations are a powerful income stream if managed correctly with online campaigns, newsletters, and proper automation of the giving process. A large community of donors can also create network effects and make your brand more desirable.
17. CRM. Small organizations might want to skip this part and work with spreadsheets and contact profiles. CRMs can be effective for larger organizations that can adequately integrate such systems.
18. Big picture plan. Many organizations will accumulate a surplus from undesignated funding, which can be used as matching funds. These funds will allow for program expansion, capital projects, and increasing the organization's administrative capacity. By presenting a clear and detailed vision for organizational advancement, nonprofits can attract large foundations and donors who seek financially sustainable partnerships.
19. Magic ingredients: "The one easy way to become worth 50 percent more than you are now, at least, is to hone your communication skills – both written and verbal. If you can't communicate, it's like winking at a girl in the dark; nothing happens. You can have all the brainpower in the world, but you have to be able to transmit it." (Warren Buffet).