Ywca Annual Fundraising Plan:Steps and Sample Templates

ywca annual fundraising plan:steps and sample templates

There is no greater organizational fundraising strength than a board ready and willing to lead.

Eight essential elements of successful fundraising plans:

Fundraising goals are established each year.
Everyone in a leadership role helps to create and shape the plan and ensure its success.
Quantifiable objectives are set that support each goal.
Action plans are developed for each goal that includenotations of who is accountable for each objective’s success.
A year-long calendar is created.
Results and gift data are evaluated season to season.
The plan’s progress is monitored throughout the year and adjustments made as needed.
The complete plan is evaluated at least annually and evaluation results applied to the next cycle.

Table of Contents

Annual Fundraising Planning Steps3

Identify Sources of Funding to Pursue4

Implement Capacity Building Strategies5

Develop Action Plans, e.g.:6-10

Cooking Up the Future event6

Holiday Appeal7

Early Spring Budding Campaign8

Women Making A Difference Event9

Mothers’ Day Campaign10

Pledge Card Sample11

Center All Efforts and Presentation Materials on the YWCA Mission and Develop the Case for Support

The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

Outline the primary reasons for donors to support your organizations. Use data (sparingly) and real, meaningful stories to outline the benefits your organization brings to clients and the community. Reflect your case through the eyes of the donor. (For tips and tools, see the No Nonsense Guide to Writing Case Statements, included in the Capital Campaign section of the YWCA Resource Library and easily adaptable for annual fundraising).

Identify Sources of Funding to Pursue and Set Fundraising Goals for the Year, e.g.:

Increase annual fundraising revenue to ____ (dollar amount) by ____ (date)
Raise operating funds through the following major events and activities:

“Cooking Up the Future” - harvest-themed competitive event with the area’s leading chefs and a silent auction - early fall.
Holiday appeal to all donors – selected donors designated for in-person major gift solicitation.
Early Spring Budding Event: a social media/direct mail campaign to select donors
Women Making a Difference recognition, promotion and fundraising event. Couple with Mother’s Day themed social media/direct mail solicitation and selected donors designated for in-person major gift solicitation.
Year-long: product sales from “Persimmon Boutique,” with theme gifts for holidays and Valentine’s Day.

Diversify revenue from fundraising to include an increase of $____ (dollar amount) in donations from individual donors.
Retain 80% of current donors, Upgrade ___ current donors to 20% larger gifts, Generate ___ new donors
Diversify the donor base to obtain larger donors and multi-year donors resulting in $___ in revenue. Include planned giving and endowment giving goals/objectives
Consider a “Business Sponsor of the Month” campaign

Establish a culture of fundraising that fully engages board, staff, and volunteers

Develop and Implement Action and Tracking Plans-- Remember to:

Incorporate information from the analysis of the past cycle in goal setting, e.g.:

# of people personally solicited and results of the visits and # of donors renewed/gained

Develop gift charts (# of gifts to secure at each $ level).
Motivate increases by strategically wording the ‘ask,’ giving levels, and translation of what each level of contribution will accomplish.

Identify Sources of Funding to Pursue

Complete for the specific sources of funding to reach your revenue goal.

20__ actual / 20__ projected / Target 20__
Fundraising / Cooking Up the Future / Holiday Appeal / Early Spring Budding Campaign / Women Making A Diff. / Mothers’ Day Campaign / Cooking Up the Future / Holiday Appeal / Early Spring Budding Campaign / Women Making A Diff. / Mothers’ Day Campaign / Cooking Up the Future / Holiday Appeal / Early Spring Budding Campaign / Women Making A Diff. / Mothers’ Day Campaign
Foundations
Regular Individual donors
Major Gift Donors
Events-Net
Corporations/ businesses
Other
TOTAL
Earned Income / Qtr 1 / Qtr 2 / Qtr 3 / Qtr 4 / Qtr 1 / Qtr 2 / Qtr 3 / Qtr 4 / Qtr 1 / Qtr 2 / Qtr 3 / Qtr 4
Merchandise
Other products
TOTAL
TOTAL REVENUE

Implement Capacity Building Strategies

Strategy 1: Create a culture of fundraising.

Conduct board, staff and fundraising committee training—for content, see pp 9-11 in the YWCA Fundraising Guide, included in the Resource Library. Go to: Financial Vitality > Fundraising and Fund Development, Including Capital Campaign Planning

Secure agreements from all board members for solicitation assignments.
Prospect lists are generated from board members, volunteers and staff members.
Routine fundraising reports are presented at every board meeting.
The volunteer fundraising infrastructure is expanded by recruiting volunteers from clients, donors, and community partners.
A fundraising notebook is created for every solicitation volunteer with the case statement, fundraising letter/social media posting samples, materials relevant to their particular assignments, and a summary of the year’s plan and results of the previous year’s efforts
Every board member and volunteermakes at least one “stretch” contribution annually.

Strategy 2: Further develop fundraising infrastructure.

Establish an annual fundraising budget.
Develop fundraising materials including fact sheets and gift range charts.
Upgrade the computer technology, fundraising database and tracking system.
Ensure adequate staff (hours and capabilities) to support fundraising plans.
Strengthen the Fund Development Committee.
Establish fundraising policies and procedures.
Establish templates for cover letters, acknowledgement letters, and proposals.
Develop the website and social media channels to support fundraising.

Strategy 3: Increase visibility and “case for support” to the community.

Establish a “story bank” of success stories, testimonials and photos.
Conduct community presentations.
Systematically feed stories to the local media.
Consistently “tell the story” through the newsletter, website, presentations, events, house parties, and media stories.
Develop a PowerPoint presentation or video to support presentations; have the families tell the story

SAMPLE Action Planning Calendar 20__

Effort: Cooking Up the Future event

June / July / August / Sept / Oct / Nov / Dec / Jan / Feb / March / April / May
Full action plan and budget development / X
RE: Ticket Sales & Sponsorships:
-Develop prospect lists for sponsorships and ticket sales / X
Secure sponsorships. (Team of two for each prospect meeting) / X / X
-Train ticket sales team / X
-Secure silent auction items / X / X / X
-Sell tickets / X / X
-Prepare presentation materials and handouts for distribution at the event / X
-Other
-Other
-Other
-Set event date for next year / X
Task / Task Leader / Progress Report – Date and Period Covered:
Accomplished / In Process / Need for Change in /Addition to Planned Strategy: