Developing a Fundraising Strategy

What is a fundraising strategy?

A fundraising strategy is a plan that sets out the funding need for an organisation, project or event, alongside the identified actions, timescales and possible funding resources to meet this need.

Why develop a fundraising strategy?

It is commonly recognised that better planning helps to avoid wasted time and resources. The development of a fundraising strategy should enable the people in an organisation to ensure that:

• there is a shared understanding of the aims and priorities for the organisation
• the agreed priorities are a ‘good fit’ with what the organisation is set up to do
• the agreed priorities are complementary to other local activities and services and
• don’t duplicate those that are being undertaken by other organisations
• there is a shared strategy that sets out how those priorities are going to be realised

This is increasingly important at a time when there is uncertainty about funding; a well developed fundraising strategy will help to:

• provide clarity about the organisation’s aims / priorities
• ensure that the priorities are realistic and achievable
• ensure better targeting of funders
• ensure the highest possibility of funding success
• encourage a shared responsibility for fundraising

What happens with a fundraising strategy?

A completed fundraising strategy can be used as a stand-alone document for a once-off

project, or as an appendix to an existing strategic / business plan. A fundraising strategy is
not a substitute for a business plan. A completed fundraising strategy is the first step of the
process, the most effective strategy will be reviewed to take into account changes within
and outside the organisation and to assess and measure progress.
Some ways to integrate a fundraising strategy into an organisation might include:

• regularly review the strategy
• build strategy up‐dates into meetings
• identify key milestones for the plan to measure progress
• circulate the plan to new committee members

What resources are needed to develop a fundraising strategy?

• People - Commitee members/Staff
• Time (Dependent on the number of sections completed) – some sessions could be a replacement committee meeting and others might need longer to complete – try to plan a timetable for completion before the process begins
• Commitment to the process
• A nominated person/s to guide the group through the exercises or an external facilitator
• A nominated person/s to collate the section write ups and finalise the plan which will form the basis of the strategy
• Relevant documentation i.e. constitution, strategic / business plan
• The guide will only be as useful as the information which is put into it