Top tips devised by the Relief India Trust for fundraising campaign success

Introduction:

Fundraising campaigns are the most critical practical exercise for all the NGOs. Fundraising is an ongoing process which never ever stops for an NGO. According to ReliefIndia Trust all the projects of the NGOs are dependent on the success of their fundraising campaigns. Ideally the NGOs should always have sufficient funds before they can go and start a particular project. If the funds are not sufficient, then the NGOs should rather wait for the funds and then start. Starting a project with insufficient funds will bring any social welfare project to a halt anytime sooner or later. Further, depending on the nature of the project, the NGOs this way may lose all the resources and money that they invested in the partially implemented projects. If the NGOs are struggling with their funds, then rather than going with the implementation of their projects, they should speed up their fundraising campaigns and should invest their available resources on such campaigns. Planning is pivotal for fundraising campaigns and the NGOs must make sure that they have the right staff that knows the dynamics of such campaigns and can also approach the right potential donors in an effective and professional manner.

 Top tips devised by the Relief India Trust for fundraising campaign success:

The following is a list of the most useful tips for fundraising campaign success of the NGOs as devised by the Relief India Trust through their experience:

·         Get to know your donor – You must have full information about the donor that you are approaching for fundraising no matter if he is an individual or a business group donor. It is because when you come face to face with the potential donor with your proposal, then the discussion may lead to a few things where you might have to discuss about the activities of the donor. 

·         Introduce your NGO – You must start by introducing your NGO when you come face to face with your potential donor. Your introduction should include your past projects, achievements and the things that you are looking to do in the future for which you are seeking funds.

·         Manage your time – The potential donors who are busy professionals do not have too much time to allocate for having a meeting with the NGOs personnel. You will usually be given a slot of 10 minutes and you have to utilize this time effectively by saying all you have to say.

·         Keep it simple – You must keep things simple and try to be to the point. Don’t make your potential donors to play the guessing game. They should get your point of view straight away without the need of cross questioning. 

·         Create urgency – In your meeting with your donor, try to create some sort of urgency that could push the potential donor in a way to release funds quickly. It is because there are chances that the donor can change his mind if some other NGO comes up with a much impressive project.