Successful fundraising at the organizational level rests on constructing solicitation strategies and techniques that reflect the capabilities and wants of current and prospective donor groups.
These strategies and techniques hinge on the development of an understanding of current and prospective donors, including individuals, businesses, corporations, foundations, and government agencies.
To develop such an understanding, collecting and analyzing data is necessary to determine the best fit for particular projects and fundraising campaigns. Some attributes of potential donors into which research should be conducted include demographics, past giving behaviors, existent relationships, and philanthropic interests.
Based on this research, which includes a variety of methods, project and campaign prospects can (and should) be ranked according to linkage to the organization, financial means (if known), and philanthropic interests (if known). These rankings can be codified into a list that serves as the basis for an action plan that lays out the activities that will make up the fundraising and development component of the project and/or campaign.
Activities could include events, one-to-one interactions, grant writing, corporate solicitation, digital (e-blasts and social media), and traditional PR. The proposed mix of fundraising and development activities will rest to a large degree on assumptions made from the research and the nature of the project or campaign for which funds must be raised.
