The Practical Fundraising Handbook First 3 Chapters by Direct Digital

The ractical p

Fundraising

Handbook for school and club volunteers

+ 101s i n g

ai f u ndr s ide a

Mandy weidmann

About the Author Mandy Weidmann is in a unique position to write The Practical Fundraising Handbook for school and club volunteers. She is the fundraising coordinator at her childrens’ school – so she understands fully the everyday challenges and triumphs in working with other volunteers to raise funds for a good cause. She is a small business owner – she knows a good idea when she sees one, and how to bring out its best advantages. She also knows how important it is to have a great plan in place. She is a qualified lawyer – she is good with detail, negotiation and solutions. She is the publisher of the Fundraising Directory – she is at the forefront of Australia’s fundraising activities, latest ideas and hottest trends! She is a media commentator – she knows how to answer the big questions about fundraising. She is a mother of four children - she knows all about trying to manage chaos! Mandy loves to hear ideas and stories from volunteers in the community. You can: • reach her on Facebook at facebook.com/fundraisingdirectory • subscribe to her tips and newsletters at fundraisingdirectory.com.au • send her email at mandy@fundraisingdirectory.com.au

Copyright ÂŠ Mandy Weidmann 2013 The author asserts her moral rights in this work throughout the world without waiver. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Published by Mandy Weidmann PO Box 1516 Coorparoo DC Queensland Australia 4151 Email: mandy@fundraisingdirectory.com.au Website: www.fundraisingdirectory.com.au ISBN 978-0-646-59414-9 Categories: 1. Fundraising 2. Clubs and societies for special causes 3. Charity organisations and practices 4. Volunteerism 5. Philanthropy Edited by: Heather Grant Printed by: Digital Print Australia Cover & Book Designed by: Vanessa Cook Illustrated by: Mathu Martin

The ractical p

Fundraising

Handbook for school and club volunteers

First Edition

by Mandy weidmann

This book is dedicated with love to the memory of Helen Creswick, the original â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Queen of Fundraisingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Contents Introduction �� 11

Part 1: Strategic Planning �� 13 1. The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM �� 15 Key message �� 18 Target �� 18 Outcome drivers �� 19 Supporter base �� 19 Action �� 20 Resources �� 21 2. A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy �� 25 Pre-meeting tasks �� 26 Survey �� 26 Gather information �� 28 Spending and investment history �� 29 Fundraising history �� 29 Fundraising research �� 29 Organise meeting logistics �� 30 Strategy Meeting �� 31 Establishing purpose �� 32 Establishing goals �� 33 Establishing a target �� 36 Creating a statement of attainment �� 39 Template: Example survey of community �� 42 Template: Strategy meeting agenda �� 43 3. Mapping a Fundraising Calendar �� 45 Fundraising plans with benefits �� 46 Three essential starters �� 47 Your fundraising history �� 47 Available resources �� 48 Your fundraising tools �� 50

The practical Fundraising Handbook

Brainstorm fundraising ideas �� 53 Top 10 practicalities �� 54 1. Reference your goals �� 54 2. Work targets backwards �� 54 3. Put a figure next to each activity �� 55 4. Go for tried and true (most of the time!) �� 55 5. Mix it! �� 55 6. Select a supplier �� 56 7. It’s not always about the money �� 56 8. Always leverage �� 56 9. Check timing �� 57 10. The best laid plans �� 58

Part 2: Action �� 63 4. Running a Fundraising Drive �� 65 The must-do’s of fundraising drives �� 67 1. Run your fundraising drive like a business �� 67 Budget for profit �� 67 Cash flow �� 67 Return on Investment (ROI) �� 67 Leftover stock �� 68 Sell-out �� 68 Creeping costs �� 68 Commitment �� 68 Accountability �� 68 Track to goals �� 69 2. Plan �� 69 Timeframes �� 69 Paperwork / logistics �� 69 Volunteers �� 69 3. Insurance and risk management �� 70 4. Incentives �� 71 5. Keep on top of the admin �� 74 Fundraising drives’ shifting gears �� 75 Pre-launch �� 76 Launch �� 77

Contents

Midpoint momentum shake-ups �� 78 Driving it home �� 79 Distribution �� 80 Wrap-up �� 82 Template: Example Fundraising Drive Newsletter Content �� 83 5. Fetes and Outdoor Events �� 85 Set a goal �� 87 Make a date �� 87 Dream themes �� 89 Appoint a fete committee �� 90 Fete Convenor (Chief Event Organiser – CEO) �� 90 Fete Secretary �� 91 Fete Treasurer �� 92 Meeting for the first time �� 93 The Fete file: A fete convenor’s bible �� 95 Your pre-fete check list �� 96 1. Location �� 96 2. Entertainment �� 98 3. Insurance and risk management �� 102 4. Utilities �� 103 5. Hire a generator �� 104 6. Equipment hire �� 104 7. Money matters �� 105 8. Stalls �� 107 9. First Aid �� 108 10. Publicity �� 108 11. Photography �� 110 12. Fete Program �� 110 13. Sponsors �� 111 14. Volunteers �� 114 The day before the fete �� 115 It’s show time! �� 116 Clean-up and wrap-up �� 117 6. Special Events �� 119 What is a special event? �� 120

The practical Fundraising Handbook

Successful fundraising special events’ key criteria �� 120 Choosing the most appropriate fundraiser for your special event �� 122 Trivia nights �� 123 Casino night �� 125 Gala dinners �� 127 Sit-down comedy dinner �� 128 Planning your special event �� 128 Key points needing attention �� 130 Theming �� 130 Invitations �� 130 Master of ceremonies �� 130 Cashing in on your night out �� 131 Thanking sponsors �� 133 Will there be a next time? �� 134 7. Sponsorships, Grants and Strategic Partnerships �� 137 Sponsorship �� 138 Who to ask �� 139 1. Corporates �� 139 2. Local businesses �� 140 3. Politicians �� 141 What to ask for �� 142 Cash �� 142 Prize donations �� 142 In-kind support �� 143 The benefits of being a sponsor �� 143 A pro’s guide to proposing �� 145 Community partnerships �� 147 Grants �� 148 Types of Grants �� 149 1. Government grants �� 149 2. Corporate grants �� 149 3. Philanthropic grants �� 150 Your grant application �� 151 What your grant application will need �� 151 NEVER take grants for granted �� 152 Template: Example of Fete Sponsorship Proposal �� 153

Contents

8. Communication: spreading the word, getting it heard �� 159 The who, what and why of communication �� 160 Internal audiences �� 161 External audiences �� 161 Purpose of messages �� 162 Getting your message out there �� 164 Publicity officer �� 164 Your communications plan �� 165 Channels of communication �� 166 good old-fashioned face-to-face talking! �� 166 group assemblies or gatherings. �� 166 group newsletters – electronic or printed. �� 167 eBlasts. �� 168 website. �� 168 social media. �� 169 go viral. �� 169 community newsletters. �� 169 local community newspapers. �� 169 local radio stations (AM and FM) �� 169 online ‘what’s on’ columns. �� 169 the “big media”. �� 169 Top tips for writing a media release �� 170 Timing �� 171 Significance �� 171 Proximity �� 171 Prominence �� 172 Human interest �� 172 Template: Example 1: Media Release �� 174 Template: Example 2: Media Release �� 175 Template: Example Event Communications Plan �� 176

Part 3: Resources �� 179 9. People: Leadership and Volunteers �� 181 Leadership �� 183 The ‘political power-player’ �� 184 Guidelines for receiving the gift of time �� 186

The practical Fundraising Handbook

1. 2. 3.

Establish your need �� 187 Agree on standards of behaviour and create an .......................... inclusive culture. �� 188 Break it down and recruit �� 192 Include a form seeking member/parent/carer details �� 193 Create a highly-visible volunteer sign-up board �� 194 Don’t forget the newbies! �� 194 Get busy and get personal �� 195 Be an early bird �� 196 Embrace micro-tasking �� 196 Virtual volunteering �� 197 4. Value your volunteers �� 198 Patience and understanding �� 198 Stay in touch �� 198 Do what you say you are going to do �� 199 The Volunteers’ Appreciation Society �� 199 5. Avoid ‘fundraising fatigue’ �� 201 Succession planning �� 202 Template: Example of ‘Just One Thing’ Letter �� 203 10. Knowledge: Skills and Handover �� 205 Skilling up �� 207 Handling the handover �� 208 Finding wisdom in the wind-down �� 209 Going for goal �� 210 What could we have done better? �� 211 Seeking opinions �� 213 Putting it all on paper �� 214 Now you’ve written it, what do you do? �� 214 Let’s do it all again �� 215 Template: Handover Report Template �� 216 11. The Completed Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM �� 219 101 Fundraising Ideas �� 223 Acknowledgments............................................................................. 256

Introduction

To begin with, THANK YOU: YOU ARE A LEGEND! Volunteering for a community organisation attracts a special type of person, and you must be one of them if you are reading this book. I know you aren’t in it for the thanks, but you still deserve to hear it. The Practical Fundraising Handbook is the result of years of my own involvement in grassroots fundraising as well as the collective wisdom of a virtual community created through the Fundraising Directory readership and its Facebook page. Nothing has been held back in these pages — all the lessons learned (for better and worse), the tips, stories and experiences that make fundraising a positive, rewarding and more straightforward experience are here. When you volunteer for your organisation, you sacrifice your own time and opportunities so you want to make certain that you get more ‘bang for your buck’. Success breeds success, increasing the engagement of supporters, sponsors and volunteers,which in turn improves future fundraising endeavours. It is a cycle that any community group can move towards, starting with some of the simple strategies contained in this book. Dealing with thousands of fundraising volunteers over the years, I have identified five ‘secrets’ common to the most successful fundraisers:

Introduction

1. They create a strategic plan. 2. They always communicate expectations. 3. They create an inclusive culture. 4. They have effective leadership. 5. They retain and pass on knowledge. The Practical Fundraising Handbook addresses these five elements as well as so much more. When it comes to planning, I have developed a new framework, the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM. This framework clearly sets out all of the elements needed for successful school and club fundraising. You don’t need to have the resources of tertiary-trained fundraisers. Your cause does not need to be a household name. You do not need to have a big budget. It does not need to be your full-time job. Rather, my Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM is designed for everyday volunteers who are looking for some structure to bring them improved fundraising success. Yes, there might be words in this book like ‘outcome drivers’, ‘strategic partnerships’ and ‘succession planning’. I make no apology for talking about ‘strategic plans’ and ‘marketing plans’ and ‘handover notes’ (in fact, I harp on about the latter a lot!) because these are all so critical to success. Fundraising is not easy, but it can be easier – if done right. And when ‘done right’, there’s a much higher probability of seeing your goals realised. At the same time, you will be putting a bit more FUN back into fundraising. I hope you find what you need in this book to raise more money and have more fun! Happy Fundraising! Mandy Weidmann

Part 1:

Strategic Planning

Part

Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination. Fitzhugh Dodson, child-rearing expert

Few people have time — or energy — to waste, so make certain your fundraising doesn’t.

Part 1: Strategic Planning

Chapter 1 takes you through the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM to clarify the process needed to create an effective strategic plan. Chapter 2 takes you step-by-step through the strategy creating process, including templates to make the whole process easier. Chapter 3 shows you how to break your target down into individual fundraising activities, and set a workable fundraising calendar.

The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM

Chapter

In the corporate world, strategic planning is an organisation’s way of defining its strategy or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue that strategy. For some unfathomable reason, strategic planning is rarely a priority in community-based fundraising. Perhaps the idea just smacks of big business too much: perhaps committees see it as a waste of time when they have so much to do and so little time to do it in. Perhaps volunteers feel they do not have the necessary skills. I’m here to tell you, it can be done! I am so convinced about the difference strategic planning makes to fundraising outcomes, I have developed an intuitive planning tool to make it more straightforward: the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM. Before revealing the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM, let me summarise why - ultimately - this is worth your time: • Setting goals and priorities provides a focus that will bring out the best in your volunteers and supporters. • It assists in the selection of fundraising options and strategies.

Part 1: Strategic Planning

• Having clarity around your message and purpose improves outcomes for the recruitment and engagement of volunteers and supporters, leading to improved fundraising revenue. Now let me introduce you to the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM. Maps get you to destinations. My Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM is no different. Every block represents a logical next step in your ‘big picture’ planning. It’s a visual reminder of: • why you are doing what you are doing – your purpose and goals • how you are going to achieve it • who is going to help you get there • what actions you will need to achieve your goal • what specific resources need to be made available.

Chapter 1: The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM

Key Message

Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM

Goals

why

$XXX,000

how

Supporter Base

Costs

Existing Supporters

New Supporters

who

Action

Revenue

Fundraising Activity

Communications Plan

what to do

Resources

Outcome Drivers

Target

Purpose

People

Knowledge

ÂŠ Mandy Weidmann, Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM

what eed we n

Part 1: Strategic Planning

As we work though this book, each of the map’s building blocks will become clear but let me take a moment to explain it in a nutshell.

Key message Organisations have a purpose. To borrow again from the corporate world, it might also be called a ‘mission statement’. It answers the question: ‘why do we exist?’ In its purest form, it is one memorable sentence — concise, active and positive — that answers the ‘why’ of your group’s being. In having a clear understanding of why your group does what it does, you are able to establish goals — physical outcomes you wish to achieve through your fundraising efforts that reflect your purpose. Your goals are the tangible investments that will be made possible through your fundraising. Together, the purpose and goals form the key message. Your key message serves as the cornerstone of communicating your need to your immediate community — whether that’s the families that make up a school or a sports club or the members of a historical association or church congregation — as well as the wider community. The key message offers a glimpse to the story behind your organisation: and it needs to be referred back to throughout the planning process. Everything your group does must uphold your key message, particularly your fundraising activities.

Target Knowing what you want (and why) is one thing. Knowing what it will take to achieve is another. You might have a whole lot of small goals or one super-sized objective. Either way, you need to know the dollar value, all up. That becomes your target.

Chapter 1: The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM

Chapter 2 takes you through the process of establishing your key message and target.

Outcome drivers You have a target. How will you reach it? When a company looks at how it can improve its bottom-line (being profit), it considers its incomings and outgoings. Community fundraising groups need to do that too. Examine your spending and investment history. Look at ways you can increase revenue (for example, hiring out your hall to another group on the days that it is unused or making different fundraising choices) and reduce costs (such as paying for a canteen coordinator only and using volunteers as serving staff). These are what I refer to as outcome drivers.

Supporter base To use the corporate analogy again, a company looking at improving its bottom-line will look at its customer base: who it is reaching and who it should be reaching. The same goes for community fundraising. Your group needs a clear understanding of its supporter base and a plan to engage and leverage existing supporters while looking for ways to source new supporters. Think outside the box with this one. If your existing supporters feel they are being ‘hit up’ too often, think laterally about who else can become engaged with your community. For example, you could: • move your auctions to an online system so the broader public has an opportunity to bid • put your spell-a-thon online. Now Grandma in Scotland can become a sponsor

Part 1: Strategic Planning

• get involved with local businesses through loyalty programs • pursue grants. While this book concentrates on the three core elements of ‘strategic planning, action and resources’, outcome drivers and your supporter base are important elements to keep in the back of your mind throughout your entire planning and execution process.

Action Identifying your supporter base — or market — helps inform the next building block. Action is all about ‘what will we do?’ In this phase, your group executes its fundraising activities, aligned to your purpose, and with your goals and the ultimate target in mind. There are so many different fundraising options to consider. Just look at the 101 ideas at the end of this book: they are off the top of my head! But no one fundraiser suits all. Your supporter base is a critical influence, as is your key message. For example, a custom-labelled wine drive would not be appropriate for a support group for families affected by alcohol dependence. In chapter 3, I explain how to map out a fundraising calendar that meets your goals, and is timed to maximise support. But what good is a fundraising calendar if no-one knows what’s happening? That’s where communication comes in. Again, I’m not just talking ad hoc ‘happened to mention it’ communication: I’m talking planned. A marketing plan is as critical to your Action phase as running your fundraising activities. It relates back to another of the five fundamental elements of successful fundraising I mentioned at the outset — the importance of communicating expectations.

Chapter 1: The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM

With messages bombarding our lives every which way every day, your key message needs to rise above the white noise and gain the attention of volunteers and supporters from the get-go. Planned communication involves a dialogue with your community so that everybody knows your key message — what you are about (purpose) and where you are heading (goal). This is where goal setting sessions will really pay off!! A marketing plan ensures communication is planned, strategic and clear: not haphazard, reactive or last-minute. Well-executed, your supporter base will be left in no doubt of the value and benefit that your organisation provides. If the community understands and identifies with your goal, your ‘ask’ — or fundraising request — will have a context and a more positive reception. If you are going to have a very active fundraising year, let everyone know in advance (and explain why) so that they are prepared — and that means making allowances in their budgets as well as their schedules. Chapter 8 is all about communication, including how to develop a marketing or communication strategy.

Resources Last, but certainly not least, comes the identification of your resources. In plain terms, what (or who) is needed to realise your target. You need to have the capacity to deliver or your goal will remain a pipe dream. You need people and knowledge. Let me explain briefly. People refers to your workforce. There’s the inner sanctum or your committee (a president, convenor or chair, secretary and treasurer making up the core); specific critical leadership roles for individual activities (such as fete coordinator); key positions that tie all activities together (like the publicity officer or a volunteer coordinator) plus the many hands who make light work, your volunteer army.

Part 1: Strategic Planning

Recruiting and retaining volunteers is possibly the most common challenge faced in grassroots fundraising. Various strategies can be implemented but I cannot emphasise enough the importance of developing a culture of inclusion — the third of my five ‘secrets’ to successful fundraising. An inclusive culture is one in which everybody feels accepted without negativity; where newcomers feel ‘safe’ and welcome; where all members feel confident to contribute ideas and energy in a positive environment and are encouraged to participate. Leadership is another ‘secret’ I have observed in successful committees. A leader sets the tone for the committee. This may seem like a lot of pressure but it’s not as hard as it sounds. The best leaders I have witnessed within community organisations are those that recognise the value of an inclusive culture. They are not leaders that ‘do it all’ themselves. In fact, the less they ‘do’, the better, leaving the space for everybody else to make a valuable contribution. All this and more in chapter 9. Knowledge is the other resource factor that must be considered. It is my final ‘secret’ to successful fundraising and one that is too often overlooked. The first part is about your volunteers having the appropriate skills for the task in front of them. Most often, your volunteers will rise to the task with the skills they bring to the table, but consider the value that skills training can add to them personally and to your organisation. There are plenty of free/ low cost options for training which we cover in chapter 10. The second (and most important!) part is handover. Imagine a multinational company allowing its staff to leave without any handover or system in place to train their replacement. It’s incomprehensible!

Chapter 1: The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM

Yet it happens time and again with fundraising committees. When it comes to the revolving door of volunteers, some may stay for many years while others drift in and out. Without a system of record keeping, valuable knowledge is likely to be lost, trapped in the minds of volunteers past. Knowledge loss wastes valuable time and impedes the ‘evolution’ of fundraising outcomes. Without the tools to evolve and improve over time, fundraising becomes a guessing game and strategic growth is impossible. Yet simple systems can be established to capture this knowledge and ensure that every experience becomes a learning opportunity. All is revealed in chapter 10. So, that, in a nutshell is the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM. Believe me, taking the time to plan in this methodical way will put an end to haphazard, ineffective, half-baked activities involving the same people who inevitably run out of time — and puff! This book is divided into three main parts. Part 1 - Strategic Planning goes through the strategic planning part of the map. Part 2 - Action helps you map your activity. This is where I share the how to’s and lessons learnt from years of grassroots fundraising. Part 3 - Resources is all about volunteers and knowledge, including the all-important handover notes. I then share my 101 top fundraising ideas!

A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

Chapter

In real life, strategy is actually very straightforward. You pick a general direction and implement like hell. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric

In this chapter you will learn: • practical steps to prepare for your strategy session • how to conduct a strategy meeting • simple ways to define a goal that’s SMART • how to document your goals and strategic plan • ways to inspire your committee so that you all work together towards a unified goal. We have established that your group sets itself up for success by developing a sound fundraising strategy.

Part 1: Strategic Planning

Your strategy will allow your group to take a long-term view, plan, prioritise and resource your fundraising and, ultimately, increase and diversify your fundraising income. A strategy doesn’t just ‘happen’, however. Just as you would be unlikely to turn up at an important work meeting unprepared, some homework is needed before holding a strategy session. Time spent now in the pre-meeting stage will enable your committee to make informed decisions.

Pre-meeting tasks Your team has agreed that it is best to prepare a plan for the coming year. It is time to ‘get your ducks lined up’ to assist the planning process. Survey A survey is a great first step in putting your strategic plan together. It means you don’t have to do all the thinking on your own, plus you engage with your community. Even if the response is limited, you have at least offered your community the opportunity to have their say. You may also be surprised at the innovative, creative and ‘out of the box’ suggestions that emerge. A well-constructed survey will gather information in three key areas: • ideas and feedback on goals and spending priorities • ideas and feedback on fundraising • available resources, including those all-important volunteers.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

TIP About surveys A survey can be a totally blank canvas. Or it can list specific ideas about which you are seeking feedback. If you have priorities in mind already, then ask respondents to place them in order of importance.

Surveys can be carried out in three formats: • Paper. If you have a small group and are not confident with the latest technology then the tried and tested paper survey can be a good option • Email. No great technical know-how is needed for this — although you do need email addresses. Email out a list of questions to your committee and members of the broader community. You can follow-up with a quick email reminder to encourage maximum response • Online. For larger groups or those keen to embrace new methods, I recommend going online. A number of free survey websites make it easy to distribute questions, collect responses and collate information. For example, surveymonkey.com offers a free basic plan allowing 10 questions and 100 responses per survey. Higher throughput attracts a fee. Survey websites generally allow you to load in your questions, nominate the type of answer required (e.g. descriptive, multiple choice, true/ false) and then distribute the link to potential respondents. The link is usually emailed. It can also be put on a website or blog as well as social media sites.

Part 1: Strategic Planning

It is worthwhile seeking input from staff, coaches and teachers too. This may mean inviting them to answer your general survey or preparing a specific survey for them. If you are a parent body within a school, your spending priorities must be made in consultation with the school. You may invite the principal or other key staff members to attend your strategic planning session. Likewise volunteer fundraisers for a sporting club will be guided on investment needs by the club itself. A simple survey is included at the end of this chapter.

TIP If you haven’t yet collected email addresses within your community, circulate the survey and ask for respondents’ email addresses to keep them informed of progress. This forms a starting point for your email database.

Gather information In addition to the ideas you glean from your community, you need to be armed with information about the past as well as future options. Hunt out: • spending and investment history • fundraising history • fundraising research.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

Spending and investment history I highly recommend auditing investments and expenses over the previous couple of years. This exercise helps to reflect on the appropriateness of the expenditure, a process that can offer guidance for future spending and goal setting. Gathering this information about past investments also helps when it comes time to prepare your communication plan: your supporters need reminding of the value your group has provided over the years.

Fundraising history You need to find out as precisely as possible the profit information of all previous activities. This may prove difficult if past treasurers rounded every profit into one lump sum. Search for: • handover notes recording a profit figure • invoices • meeting minutes which refer to profits • notes taken from discussions with previous organisers • anything else you think will be relevant! Identify activities that did well and put a question mark next to the ones that didn’t. Consider ways that each can improve or evolve.

Fundraising research Hopefully your survey asked for some fundraising ideas. In the lead-up to your strategy meeting, have a quick brainstorm and request information packs from suppliers. In Australia, the Fundraising Directory website (fundraisingdirectory.com.au) makes this easy. Information can be requested from various suppliers from this one site.

Part 1: Strategic Planning

Organise meeting logistics

Time and place The process of developing your strategy takes time. It could take half a day to do thoroughly in one go. This is not something you want to rush (forget about it being on a weeknight, starting at 8pm!). If one big session is daunting, break the planning into two separate meetings: the first to define your key message (purpose and goals) followed by a session that creates the action plan. Whether done in one hit or over two sessions, your planning requires an atmosphere that is business-like yet congenial, in a location that allows undisturbed focus in a relaxed manner (coffee, tea or wine may help!). This is an opportunity for team-building, to form trust and encourage an open sharing of ideas.

Assemble stakeholders Developing your overarching strategy, including its absolute foundations — your key message — is best done with the entire fundraising team in one room together. This has dual advantages: • Diverse perspectives and experiences are brought into, and aired in, one session. • Participants who are engaged in the goal-setting process from the outset have an investment in seeing the end result achieved. Having said that, don’t think of this as ‘secret squirrel business’. In fact, I would encourage you to seek involvement from some of the ‘big brains’ in your community. By that, I mean community members with business acumen and experience who can deliver fresh insights, challenge thoughts and help you set some solid goals but who might not have the time to regularly contribute to your organisation.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

Circulate agenda Agendas are essential. Without, meetings are like rudderless boats, capable of drifting off course. An example agenda is included at the end of this chapter. I recommend circulating the agenda as early as possible to all involved in your planning session. This allows participants to give some considered thought to the items to be discussed. Keep agenda items simple and add anything that will specifically require a resolution.

Strategy Meeting What is our purpose? What are our goals?

Key Message

The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM begins with the establishment of your key message â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a combination of your purpose (or mission statement) and goals (the tangible investments that will result from your fundraising efforts). I suggest a couple of hours is time well-spent on getting this right.

Purpose

Goals

ÂŠ Mandy Weidmann, Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM

This workshop will bed those goals down and do so much more. Goal-setting within a strategic plan is the first step towards moving a fundraising committee from hoping, wishing and dreaming about an amount of money that needs to be raised towards achieving that objective via a well-structured, clear and tangible strategy.

Part 1: Strategic Planning

Establishing purpose Strictly speaking, defining your group’s purpose — or mission statement — is not absolutely necessary in order to define tangible goals. Indeed some may see this is a self-indulgent waste of time. But I strongly recommend investing in the process for these reasons: • It is very important to know in simple terms what your organisation stands for, allowing you to communicate it effectively to your community and supporters. • Discussing your group’s mission engages the team. I’ve been surprised by the level of debate it can stimulate. • Narrowing your mission can provide a clear focus for future activity. Conversely, a broader purpose adds scope for variety. • A mission statement simplifies the process of defining your goals. For example, if a school parent group has a mission to ‘support the academic, sporting and cultural learning of the children in our school’, this would exclude raising funds for charities outside the school. However if the statement included ‘teaching children about social responsibility’, the scope widens and raising funds for outside charities would clearly support this outcome. Once your purpose is decided upon, keep it top of mind, reiterating it on your strategic plan and linking your fundraising communication back to it, time and time again.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

TIP It took us a little while to put together our mission statement. There was a lot of input and a bit of arguing but by the end of it, we had a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;missionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to adhere to and we were all singing from the same hymn sheet. It also helps to remind ourselves why we work so hard! Deborah, ACT

Establishing goals Experienced fundraisers in your group will undoubtedly have their own expectations and opinions on what goals are achievable and realistic for the group. These perspectives and experiences are useful, but they can also be limiting. Certain opinionated and hardened volunteers can inadvertently diminish the energy and expectations of the rest of the committee. Using the SMART goals model tests and validates preconceived ideas. Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Tangible Let me walk you through these elements step-by-step:

Part 1: Strategic Planning

Specific Goals need to be straightforward, outlining exactly what it is you want to happen. The more specific, the greater your team’s focus on what needs to be done to achieve the goal. To get specific, ask: • What is it you want to do? Are you raising funds for a new after-school program? Help students to travel interstate for sport? Improve the library? Why is it important to do this? In answering this question, you create the story used to ‘sell’ your goal to supporters and sponsors in the wider community. It also helps rally the ‘true believers’ to your cause. • How are we going to do it? This will become apparent as your strategic plan evolves.

Measurable If you don’t set the bar, how will you know if you achieve it? With a measurable end goal, your fundraising team has something to aim for, against which progress can be tracked. The end result can celebrated once reached.

Attainable Goals that are too hard, too big or too difficult to understand can destroy your chances of success before you even begin. Volunteers, for example, must understand their part in achieving the group’s goals. If the bar is set too high — or too low — you risk a pack of demotivated helpers. A team needs stretching, slightly. Too much, and members will soon feel hopeless and helpless; that their efforts are for naught.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

TIP Our P&C has a target to air condition the whole school and it is broken down into stages. This is very important as we can monitor and publicise which level we are up to. Kara, Qld

Realistic After your group has decided that a goal is ‘attainable’, you then have to agree if it is ‘do-able’. Does your committee have the time, resources, skills and knowledge to achieve the goal? Don’t dismiss a goal as ‘unrealistic’ just because some capabilities are lacking within the team. Rather, note the gaps and raise these as discussion elements during the strategic planning phase.

Timely What is the timeframe within which you want this goal achieved? Some goals will be long-term, such as rebuilding a scouting den. Others will be more immediate: within the next month, term or semester. Clear deadlines give everyone a target to work towards. The difference between fundraising with or without a SMART goal is rather like weight loss. One person may say ‘I need to lose weight’. Another says ‘I want to lose 5 kilos over the next four months’. That person has a goal that is much more specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely than a good intention.

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Establishing a target Whole books theorise about goals and targets. Let me just touch on three principles I believe are most relevant to fundraising groups: 1. The Big Picture. Any business will do better when its focus is on a specific end result. Whether you believe in the ‘secret’ or other theories about visualisation, having a clear goal mindset does provide everyone involved with something to aim for and keeps everyone moving in the same direction. 2. Your volunteers will benefit. Specific goals will motivate the ‘troops’. Your foot soldier fundraisers will be more motivated when they know what part they are playing in achieving the end goal. This kind of motivation will stretch to whatever target you have and, in turn, will increase the overall level of energy within the volunteer team. The simple act of having a goal-setting process is beneficial in itself. When supporters have confidence in your plan and the capacity to carry it out, they are more likely to support your fundraising and go that extra mile to ensure its success. 3. Your ‘ask’ becomes easier. When you have a specific goal and it is relevant to the supporters, your ‘ask’ moves from the realm of general charitable support into the dimension of real benefit. Potential sponsors can prioritise your need in the ‘cluttered world of needs’ as well as in the scheme of their own demands. In bedding down your group’s goals, or ‘wish list’, also consider these factors: • Review previous expenditure/ investment. Now is the time for a critical discussion. Were past investments worthwhile and value for money? How could you reduce costs? What are your group’s achievements? When the plan is distributed, the community needs to be able to readily

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

understand your current plans in the context of past benefit. It’s an opportunity to ‘sell’ your benefit and needs. • Question your focus areas. For example: a. capital (e.g. playground, air-conditioning, electronic whiteboards) b. academic (e.g. computers, subscriptions to tutoring soft ware) c. environmental (e.g. educational programs, community garden) d. cultural (supporting clubs) e. social (e.g. guest speakers, funding support for disadvantaged families, community awards) f. sporting (e.g. equipment, financial assistance for travel), identifying these will help prioritise. • Priorities. Many spending priorities will be evident from the outset. Others will emerge from your discussions and survey process. Brainstorming can help clarify these. Encourage all participants to bring along their own ideas and throw them into the mix. This process can take most of your goal-setting time. Theory aside, when establishing your target, I recommend incorporating smaller goals that will serve to motivate and keep momentum in the group. You may also need to consider whether to take a long-term view or meet needs as they arise. This will influence your targets: whether you invest in ‘capital works’ or a ‘future fund’ account; what percentage of raised funds will be allocated to this account; indeed, whether you establish a separate capital investment policy. If so, the annual amount to be set aside will need to be included on your goals list.

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Remember to set aside provision for ad hoc requests. You will then need to set out these goals and the dollar amounts required. These add up to your target figure.

TIP Think about ‘selling’ the message, the message being the value you provide to your community. Your goals need to be things that your support network can ‘get’. The more your goals relate to your community, the greater the potential for buy-in. Think laterally about how you can benefit families or members in low-cost or no-cost ways such as establishing community awards or funding low-cost projects that engage children, be it a photography club (fund the cameras and recruit a parent volunteer to run a 10 week program) or a Lego® club (with a spare room and donated unused Lego®, a weekly lunchtime can be dedicated to Lego® building).

TIP We have not set specific goals previously, which have resulted in a scattergun, haphazard approach. Specific goals mean focus, but it’s hard to change entrenched attitudes. Sue, Qld

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

Creating a statement of attainment You now know what your group’s goals are. Depending on the complexity of your goals and target, you could phrase the goals in such a way as to excite and unify supporters and sponsors by: • phrasing the goal statement in the current tense. Phrasing it in the future tense separates you from the goal • being precise. If your goal is to raise $25,000 for a specific purpose, declare it. If it’s simply to improve on last year’s efforts, still put a measure around it • sharing your goal statement. You can never say it too often! The more times it’s heard and read, the more real and believable it becomes. This ensures it is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

TIP Case study: $4 billion reasons to set goals Amercia’s Ivy League university Yale finished the largest fundraising campaign in its 300+ year history in 2011, when it raised almost $4 billion amid some of the toughest economic times that the world has seen. The $3.88 billion helped to fund planned expansions of the world-renowned university’s facilities. The core elements underlying the campaign’s success were Yale’s ability to: • develop a clear fundraising target (a goal) • understand the need of their community and alumni

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• craft a fundraising message that told donors how they could help the university change the world by making contributions. I know that $4 billion may be more than your school or community needs! However, the lessons from Yale’s astounding fundraising campaign can be adopted universally.

At this stage, your workshop discussions will have enabled you to fill out the following sections of your Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM. Here is an example:

Key Message

Purpose Our P&C is passionate about supporting an excellent wellrounded experience for the students at Unicorn State School

Goals • Air-condition music block $14K • 3 electronic whiteboards plus software $16K • 25 iPads $12.5 K • Library racks $6K • Support athletes, district level and above $3K • Playground for Yr 3-4 campus $35K

Target

• Provision for ad hoc expenses $2K

$92,300

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

TIP Having goals has given us a defined purpose. Our group knows exactly what we are doing and lets us share a little victory whenever we reach a milestone. Mary, WA

Being mindful of the key messages will help your committee frame its thinking as you move into the next major phase of your strategic plan — the actions — and how you will best communicate your intentions to those who need to know.

TIP While you’re in planning mode… An optional extra at this point is the development of a culture statement, defining a set of agreed behaviours. Smaller groups may consider this overkill. However, if you are making the time and effort to hold a strategy meeting, this is the time to address it. Why? A culture statement contributes to the building of an ‘inclusive culture’. This is one of the five areas that I identified at the outset as being critical to successful fundraising. Here is an example: The Unicorn P&C is committed to creating a culture that is: • inclusive

• transparent

• respectful

• welcoming.

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Example survey of community

Survey to the X community The <GROUP NAME> committee would appreciate all families returning this completed form by <DATE>. We would value your input into our strategic plan that we will be preparing shortly, and would also like to get an idea of your capacity to support our activities this year. Name: Children: Grade/s: Phone: Email: I am interested in being part of a committee. I am interested in assisting a committee but not taking responsibility. I can help out for short periods from time to time where a need arises. I can’t help during work hours but I’m happy to do some support work from home. I can’t commit now but please keep me up to date with opportunities to help out. I run a business or work for a business that might be interested in supporting our <school/ group>. 1. Goals What do you think our <GROUP NAME> should be spending money on this year and into the future?

2. Fundraising Ideas What type of fundraising activities would you support this year?

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy

Strategy meeting agenda

Strategy Meeting Agenda Group Name Strategy Workshop <place> <date: time>

1. Apologies 2. What is our purpose? 3. What is our culture? (optional) 4. Goal Setting a. Review of previous expenditure/ investment (optional) b. What are our focus areas? c. Brainstorming session for goals and spending priorities d. How can we have an impact in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;non-financialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; areas? e. Set out priorities and required dollar amount of investments 5. Fundraising Plan a. Discuss fundraising history b. Brainstorm fundraising ideas c. Timing d. Set out fundraising plan with target amounts and allocate co-ordinators for each activity e. Make a commitment to a handover process 6. How do we get the plan out there?

Mapping a Fundraising Calendar

Chapter

Don’t judge each day by the harvest but by the seed that you plant. Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist

In this chapter you will learn: • why it pays to have a 12-month fundraising plan • how to evaluate your resources to determine your fundraising capacity • how to choose the right fundraiser • how to formulate the timing of your activities and events • what to look for in selecting a fundraising supplier. The truth is that most community groups don’t have a ‘fundraising plan’. Rather, fundraising is a series of haphazard activities that are often a repeat of what was done in previous years. They are almost always organised at the last minute by the same people who volunteered

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last year and typically there’s no target amount to be raised. How often I have heard fundraisers say “We’ll do our best and see what happens”. Great sentiment but it’s not going to get the results your group deserves. And if you’ve persevered this far, you’ll understand why.

Fundraising plans with benefits To truly do your ‘best’, you need to formulate a plan (simple is fine) that sets out a course of action to achieve your goals. It is worth a modest investment of time that will pull all your fundraising together. Previous chapters have established that plans build confidence. When your supporters have confidence, they will have a greater involvement in your goals and your fundraising will be more successful. In establishing a strategic plan, you take a big picture view of your fundraising needs and the path required to achieve them. Mapping out an action plan enables you to: • readily identify the resources needed (this includes volunteer numbers) • avoid potential clashes or overlap that could otherwise burden your supporters and diminish your results.

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar

Three essential starters There are a few important elements to take into account when mapping out your fundraising plan. Ideally, it should take account of: • your fundraising history (if it is available) • available resources • fundraising ‘tools’ you can draw on. But first, identify whether any of your goals can actually be achieved through lobbying, grant applications, in-kind donations (see chapter 7) – or in-house (such as a working bee). In other words, what can be removed from your fundraising scope?

Your fundraising history Forward planning is best done with hindsight. Get your hands on as much historical information as possible. If handover notes are available, you have a huge advantage. But don’t panic if not. Play detective and hunt down information from: • previous fundraising coordinators • suppliers of previous fundraising activities undertaken by your group • previous meetings’ minutes or financial reports. Bear in mind, results are not all about profit. Consider also: • effort required • return on investment • potential for improvement • community-building elements.

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Throw out any fundraisers you would not repeat, and leave the rest in play for later discussion and possible inclusion in your plan. If your group is absolutely new to fundraising, you will need to rely a lot more on guesswork this time but your record keeping will provide excellent groundwork for future efforts. You can also seek some good ballpark information: • Ask suppliers for rough estimates for a group of your type and size. • Seek the advice of similar groups and find out what works for them.

TIP Bec from Brisbane set up a Flyball club, a sport that involves dogs. It was set up from scratch and nobody from the organisation had been involved in running a club before. Bec met with other Flyball clubs and was surprised how helpful and forthcoming they were. While the other club members would be competitors in tournaments, they willingly provided advice about sponsorship, fundraising and club management. “In general, I have found that people are happy to help, particularly people who volunteer – it’s like they are built out of kindness,” Bec said.

Available resources The resources you have available include: • your volunteers – in terms of both time and skill • potential community support and strategic partnerships

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar

• assets that can be leveraged. There are a number of ways to determine the resources at your disposal. The simplest way is to include questions relating to skills, resources and connections in the newsletter or online survey that you use in preparation for your first goal-setting meeting (in the previous chapter). Alternatively, include the question as a standard inclusion in any new membership enrolment forms. Ask if members’ employers support volunteering. Many big businesses allow staff to take a predetermined amount of time off during the year to do unpaid community work. These schemes are gaining in popularity and can be used to your advantage.

TIP We get paid volunteering days each year through work so being able to get people to volunteer when they don’t lose financially helps. Kelly, WA

Word of mouth is always helpful, especially when it comes to potential strategic connections within your community. Get your committee to brainstorm this area in a planning session. Assets that can be leveraged, such as the community hall or the school grounds, are easy to identify. Think how to maximise use of these resources. For example: • A school hall can be rented out to other groups for additional income, provided you have permission and a volunteer to coordinate.

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• If you have an abundance of volunteers, go crazy with larger events. • Get a grant application prepared over two days by a highlyskilled volunteer as part of their employer’s volunteer scheme. • Ask a printing or graphic design contact within your community to update your branding and collateral.

Your fundraising tools Not-for-profit organisations use many methods of fundraising, from substantial philanthropic bequests to the humble pie drive. Degrees are available in the study of philanthropic fundraising and, while there is much to be learned from this field about becoming more professional and strategic, this book focuses on those methods that are commonly used by grassroots volunteer-based organisations. But which options are right for your group? From my years of experience, I’ve learnt there is no one right way to set up a fundraising plan: nor does one fundraising activity apply universally. While there are no quick fixes, certain fundraisers can raise money fairly quickly. Treat every activity as a learning opportunity. Once you have experienced a full cycle of fundraising, you will be much better positioned for a successful fundraising year going forward.

TIP When I started fundraising for the scouts group, I started with ideas from my son’s school but found they didn’t work in this environment. So I needed fresh and new ideas. Alli, Scouts SA

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar

The best approach is to start with a mix of fundraising options and to ‘try and test’ over time until you have a suite of ‘proven’ fundraisers. With proper record keeping, you will learn what works for your group. Fundraising tools to consider are: • services. Think facilities that generate money such as canteen, uniform shop, book shop and after school hours care. Sometimes, a sub-committee or a member of the executive oversees these facilities. Could the profitability of these services be improved? • membership fees. The primary revenue for many clubs, particularly sporting organisations, does the fee charged adequately cover the lion’s share of your expenses? • grants. Often put in the ‘too-hard’ basket, grants are waiting to be applied for. If you do not have a volunteer to cover this position, keep recruiting until you do! For more information see chapter 7. • donations. Donations, or voluntary contributions, are an important part of any fundraising campaign. ALWAYS ASK. If you don’t ask, you don’t know what support is out there. If you send a donation request out each year, be certain to include a ‘tick box’ option for those who would like to donate but may not be in a position to do so at that particular time. You can then send out a separate request at a later date. • fetes and festivals. These events are wonderful community builders. They also require a lot of planning and an army of volunteers over an extended period. Done well, they have the potential to bring in a great deal of money. Fetes and festivals are so integral to grassroots fundraising, I’ve dedicated an entire chapter to the subject (see chapter 5).

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• special events. Fundraising events such as charity balls or trivia nights are also wonderful community builders. Take a look at what’s involved in chapter 6. • direct sales fundraising. A direct sales fundraiser involves selling stock that is on hand. A classic example is the old-fashioned chocolate drive. You buy the stock to sell and you make profits from the sale. This sort of fundraiser can make money quickly. Another community fundraising winner, see chapter 4 for the low-down. • order form fundraising. This form of selling has the benefit of not risking profit: you only order what is sold. But it has its own challenges, requiring meticulous administration and the round-up capacity of a sheep dog to get those orders in on time. It’s also dealt with in chapter 4. • a-thons. A-thons involve an activity that challenges participants to collect sponsorship for their efforts. Popular a-thons include walk-a-thons, spell-a-thons and fun runs but why limit your thinking to these? Any activity that can be measured and sponsored can become an a-thon. A-thons are increasingly run online. • raffles. Raffles are the fundraising staple of many groups. They range from a major draw for a substantial prize, such as a car, to a themed raffle held once a year (such as Father’s Day or Christmas) or smaller raffles run in tandem with a fete or trivia night. • online fundraising. This is an evolving form of fundraising worth investigating. Some online stores offer a code that provides a group with a percentage of sales.

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar

• loyalty programs. The benefit of loyalty programs is that they ‘sit in the background’, requiring little administration, occasional publicity and some coordination for the collection and redemption process. Many large retailers offer loyalty schemes and they can add up to a nice side bonus. Major grocery stores often run campaigns where coupons or dockets are collected over a set period of time and redeemed for prizes. Other retailers have a system of collecting points, lids or labels, which turn into cash or prizes.

Brainstorm fundraising ideas This is the fun part! Be creative. Working in a group is the best way to ‘go crazy’ and think outside the square. The #1 rule of brainstorming is NO IDEA IS STUPID! Not every idea will be realistic or achievable but everybody needs to feel safe to voice their thoughts. Otherwise you risk missing out on an absolute gem of an idea. You already will have loads of ideas from your pre-planning research (including the online Fundraising Directory: fundraisingdirectory.com. au and the 101 ideas included in this book). Now is the time to put it all out there! Amid all the excitement, make sure discussion includes voluntary contributions, grants and other non-traditional forms of fundraising as well as cost-savings: a penny saved is a penny earned. And look at your target market. Are you hitting up the same people over and over? Can you engage support from outside your immediate community?

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Top 10 practicalities 1. Reference your goals You have spent time beautifully documenting your goals. This is where they come into play! Having a concrete dollar amount that needs to be raised will really inform your fundraising plans. You now have a fundraising target for the year. 2. Work targets backwards Successful business and sales professionals will tell you that targets are effective in driving results. Setting targets does not mean putting undue pressure on your committee and volunteers, even if you have decided to go bolder and bigger this year. Quite the reverse is true! All that is needed is a plan to generate the revenue required. You might not reach it, but you will do better than if it did not exist in the first place.

TIP We were all out to impress and make this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fete the best and most profitable in our schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. We all knew what we had to do and when. It was so successful and we are all looking forward to making it even better next year. Julie, NSW

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar

3. Put a figure next to each activity If past results are available, let these guide your targets. Otherwise, a supplier might be able to give an indication of what could be expected by an organisation of your size. Factor in expenses. Don’t be afraid to push targets out, based on previous results. 4. Go for tried and true (most of the time!) The best starting point is what you know. But there’s a fine line between ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ and ‘variety is the spice of life’. While it is often easier for a committee to run the same schedule of fundraisers over and over again, you need to put sentimentality aside. Is the ‘golden oldie’ a ‘signature’ event or fundraiser, could it do with a makeover or a rest altogether? If support has dwindled and there’s a noticeable loss of interest and enthusiasm — even among your core supporters — it is definitely time to spice up life. Don’t wait to hear ‘Oh no, not that again’! Mind you, the saying ‘don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater’ applies to fundraising too. Make a commitment to try one new thing each year. That way, your fundraising stays fresh and you end up with a very solid base of ‘tried and true’ fundraisers that work for you. 5. Mix it! Do you go for a big bang or multiple fundraisers? From my experience, one major fundraiser per term works best for a school. Smaller fundraisers, such as disco nights and free dress days, can be dotted around the major fundraisers. A sporting club might look at two major fundraisers in their season: one event and a raffle or order-form fundraiser.

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6. Select a supplier Researching supplier options is an important part of planning. If you are in Australia, the Fundraising Directory website (fundraisingdirectory. com.au) provides an extensive list of potential suppliers. When requesting information, provide suppliers with the following information: • type and size of your organisation • possible timing of the fundraiser • guidance regarding suggested quantities (if applicable). Once the fundraising calendar is set, advise the chosen suppliers: they can help you manage timeframes. 7. It’s not always about the money When setting your fundraising calendar, try to find a balance between activities undertaken purely for profit and ‘community-building’ activities. For example, a welcome barbecue may not be a fundraising exercise but it is a community builder, opening doors to new members who, feeling welcomed, may be predisposed to joining your group’s volunteer army. Similarly, a trivia night may be about community building first; fundraising second. 8. Always leverage Never put all your fundraising eggs in one basket. Rather, look for opportunities to leverage your activities to maximise profits. Running silent auctions at gala nights and raffles at events are obvious choices but with a little bit of creativity, you can do so much more: • Provide order forms for custom-labelled wine available for tasting or consumption at an event.

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar

• Take photos of the artwork at art shows (with permission, of course!) and run an order-form based fundraiser such as calendars, mugs or t-shirts. • ‘Name the teddy bear’ competitions are easy and always a hit with children. • Find a cookery writer willing to give signed copies of his/ her book in return for a fundraising cooking demo. 9. Check timing In real estate, location is everything. In fundraising, the same might be said for timing! It is so important to know what other fundraising groups within your area are doing.

TIP Our daughter’s Open Day always coincides with the local boys’ school walkathon – and we’re not the only parents with children at both schools. Trying to support both means we’re frazzled and clockwatching on a Sunday and the kids are being rushed from one place to another. No one really enjoys their event. Sandra, Qld

Mapping out your plan on an annual calendar will help you to identify the optimum timing for your fundraising activities. It will help you see where there is overlap, and where things can be nudged a little to avoid volunteer and supporter burn-out. For events in particular, check that there are no sport finals or other major events happening in your area, on that day.

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Product drives (chapter 4) are meant to be short and snappy â&#x20AC;&#x201D; two to three weeks of frenetic marketing, allowing an extra week for latercomers. Do not schedule your fundraising drive to finish on the last week of term! 10. The best laid plans No matter how well prepared and calculated your plans, something out of your control may interfere. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why you need contingency plans and risk assessments. Read more about risk assessments in chapter 4. Likewise there are times when opportunities come from left field. For example, a snap election is called. Could your committee cope with an Election Day sausage sizzle or cake bake? By having your fundraising plan set out, you know if you have the capacity. Share these plans with your committee and other aligned groups, such as sub-committees, so they can be aware of your plans and avoid conflict.

Applying our knowledge Congratulations! Having made it this far, you are ready to fill in the blanks for your fundraising calendar! Take a look at the following example that I use for my school, which enables us to see how everything fits together.

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Term 1

Term 2

Term 3

Term 4

Fundraising

• Election BBQ • Spell-a-thon • Bi-annual • Book Packs • Mother’s Day Chocolate + Voluntary Stall Drive Contribution • Father’s • Christmas Day Stall card packs

Social

• Welcome • School • School • School BBQ - prep Dance musical Dance families • Gala • Trivia Night

Volunteering Opportunities

Business Donations/ Sponsorship

• Mother’s Day • Father’s Day • Book Packs Stall – help Stall – on day co-ordinator plus help on day • Trivia Night – Prizes • Spell-a-thon – Prizes

• School musical sponsorship

Ongoing Partnerships

Local shopping centre, local greengrocer, sports shoe store, milk caps, shopping docket fundraiser, school banking

Grants/ Sponsorships

Find grants/ sponsorship co-ordinator

Services

Tuckshop, Uniform Shop, Book Shop

We then turn our calendar into an action list that can be inserted into the ‘Fundraising Activity’ section of our Grassroots Fundraising Strategy MapTM.

Part 1: Strategic Planning

Annual Fundraising Plan When

What

Who

Target profit

Term 1

Trivia Night

Anice Person

$3,800

Term 2

Spellathon

Another Niceperson

$25,000

Term 2

Election BBQ

Legen Dery

$2,000

Term 2

Mother’s Day Stall

Cham Pion

$3,000

Term 2

School Dance

Wonder Woman

$2,000

Term 3

Chocolate Drive

Anice Person

$17,500

Term 3

Father’s Day Stall

Cham Pion

$2,000

Term 4

Book Packs

Fabu Lous/ Outstan Ding

$20,000

Term 4

Voluntary contribution

Fabu Lous/ Outstan Ding

$15,000

Term 4

School Dance

Wonder Woman

$2,000

TOTAL

$92,300.00

Actual Profit

Plan in hand, it’s now time to do two things: • Commit to a handover. Proper handover is one of the secrets to successful fundraising and you have shown your intent to get serious by reading this far. A whole chapter on handover, with easy-to-use templates awaits (chapter 10).

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar

• Circulate your plan. It’s not a state secret! You may decide to set up a formal consultation session with your community and volunteers to take note of any input. Alternatively, you may load a draft copy onto your website and invite people to comment. Communication is king as far as I am concerned. I believe the more people know, the more they will want to be involved. The more people involved, the more successful your fundraising will be. Communication strategies are detailed in chapter 8.

TIP Our group sets a fundraising plan and then invites the school community to attend a special session at our P&C meeting where we explain our plan and ask for feedback. We then finalise it and make it available on the website. Rebecca, Qld

Remember, you don’t need a Masters’ degree to make your fundraising strategy work. You just need the right tools, the right advice, some help and the passion to make it happen.

To purchase the entire book, please visit fundraisingdirectory.com.au/handbook