Certified Fund-Raising Executive in building non-profits
Program Titles
- Fundraising Without Fear
- Why Corporate Philanthropy is Important
- Tips For Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) To Write Your Fundraising Appeal
- How Do you Know if a Nonprofit Deserves Your Support?
- Relationship Fundraising Vs. Favors for Fundraising
- When Times are Tough, and as Economic Uncertainty Looms, Nonprofits Face New Challenges, but Keep Fundraising! This is NOT the Time to Stop!
- The Importance of Communication in Fundraising
- Should your non-profit host events…. or not? That is the question!
- Fundraising Basics and Creating a Culture of Philanthropy: Practical Tips to Build a Team for Leaders, Board and Staff
- Fundraising: A Practical Guide for New Non-Profit Board Members
Sally A. Ruecking, a Certified Fund Raising Executive, CFRE, is a visionary nonprofit leader and fundraiser who creates powerful relationships to support organizations that inspire and motivate giving in your community.
Fundraising Basics and Creating a Culture of Philanthropy: Practical Tips
Whether you are the Executive Director/CEO, staff member, Board Chair, or board member of a nonprofit organization, you must be a team focused on the organization’s financial health to advance your mission.
Everyone on your team should support fundraising initiatives. Creating a “culture of philanthropy” takes work, and fundraising must be front and center at staff and board meetings.
Sharing stories of how fundraising supports programs and those you serve creates a picture of what donations support and gives the team talking points.
Board Members and staff must clearly understand the value of trusting relationships with donors, potential donors, and stakeholders. While the board must be willing to “tell the story” of the organization, they must also open doors for development staff, make introductions, and identify opportunities to raise revenue.
Your development staff should have experience creating a fundraising strategy that makes sense for your organization.
The revenue goals should be lofty but achievable. The best way to reach your target is to use a team approach to achieving the goals developed by staff and approved by the board to meet the goals set for your budget.
When you are not given the tools needed to succeed and with no interaction with the board, which might have opened doors or given a history of the gifts, raising revenue for a nonprofit, regardless of how important your mission is, takes time… and a team!
At each board meeting, the development staff should present reports to show their fundraising results and honestly discuss the “whys”–why they hit their targets or did not. This discussion is vital because it will allow an open dialogue with the team to think strategically about how to better the fundraising results in the future. It will also help open up discussions on building relationships with potential donors, enhancing relationships with current donors, and how to reengage lapsed donors. Who knows the donors? Who is willing to approach them? Who wants to do the work of listening to a donor and what is important to them?
So, what’s ideal to achieve maximum success in fundraising? Hire a proven fundraising executive with experience in ongoing professional development education. This might include a Certified Fund Raising Executive certificate that tells you this professional has spent at least 5 years learning, studying, attending classes, conferences, and more to advance their fundraising and nonprofit organization knowledge. A CFRE can also act as a mentor to your less experienced development employees. In addition, your experienced fundraiser can coach Board Members, the Executive Director/CEO, and the Board Chair on building fundraising capacity and how important philanthropy is to the organization.
Many Executive Directors/CEOs are challenged by a lack of understanding that they are essential leaders in creating a culture of philanthropy and defer to their development staff to do the heavy lifting. The Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair must be on the same page, deeply understand the organization’s fundraising plan and financial needs, and be front and center in building donor relationships. They must also support and encourage the entire staff and board to embrace the fundraising plan, which will help the mission today and ensure the stability of the organization’s future.
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. -Henry Ford
Fundraising: A Practical Guide for New Nonprofit Board Members
Welcome to the world of building capacity in areas identified as needing much more than the community they serve can support. You are now included with a group of like-minded people dedicated to the work of the organization you will serve.
Now what?
There are many reasons to join a board, but there is no better reason than a strong belief in the mission and a desire to advance the cause and ensure the organization’s future is solid. If you have little interest in the mission or have been talked into becoming a board member by a friend, colleague, or employer, run! You may have met with the board chair and agreed to the list of “board responsibilities,” but if fundraising wasn’t an expectation or if it was briefly discussed and you are not willing to embrace this as a primary role, At the same time, you serve, a position on a board isn’t for you.
Why?
Fundraising supports mission and operations because all nonprofits rely on fundraising to survive through galas, walks, runs, small-hosted house events, virtual events, and appeals through email, snail mail, or a fundraising platform for auctions or crowdsourcing.
As a board member, you are considered a leader of the organization. Staff must be able to tell potential funders and grant makers that the board fully supports the organization. And if you genuinely would like to be on the board, you will need to learn how to embrace fundraising. This means you must open your professional and personal connections.
Ask your employer if they can support the organization through their own foundation or marketing department or if they have a matching gift policy. Engage your friends and ask them to attend your gala. Discuss how their purchase of a ticket or an auction item will help achieve the revenue goal. Attend networking events and discuss the organization at a chamber meeting. Create a “virtual” event on social media and set a lofty but achievable financial goal.
The organization you serve should always be on your mind!
Talk to the fundraising staff to ask for a list of past accomplishments and future needs so that you are prepared when you speak to others. Tell the potential donor how resources have helped the organization you serve.
Share your passion!
Overcome your fear!
We are NOT born fundraisers—we learn how to become one.
Having held several positions raising the bar for organizations.
She is available to nonprofit organizations, chambers, and other community organizations, as well as corporations wanting to engage with nonprofits.
Books by Sally A. Ruecking, CFRE
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