Fundraising For NonProfits: Administrative Tasks
Fundraising For NonProfits: Administrative Tasks
Sometimes its just not enough to have great idea that could possibly change the world, or at least the worlds of those who will be affected, for the better. Actually, most times these great ideas run in to one common problem: funds.
What can you do with a brilliant idea that could help make the air cleaner, or educate a few hundred or thousand children every year, or provide meals to the hungry if you don’t have any funds or financial resources to actually implement them? Well, if you are serious about it, and you are on your way to setting up or already have a non-profit organization, then you start off by identifying organizations and people who could be your possible source of donor funds. Wait, wait, its not that simple, though we all wish it was.
The first thing you have to do is streamline your motive, the main idea of what you or your organization is going to be doing. And write a series of articulate but short and powerful introduction about your organization and its motives. While even till a decade ago just having an office was enough, these days if you really want to be able to raise funds to do what you hope to, then you have to setup a website as well. It is not just a way to be more accessible about your work to the mass by having an online presence, but a website is a great location where interested people could contribute funds immediately if they are convinced about what your non profit organization’s motives.
But even before you get to all that make sure that your non profit organization is registered as a 501 (c) (3) organization so that it is tax exempt. Not only that, but all of your donors can deduct any donations to 501 (c) (3) organization as a charitable deduction in their tax returns. This way, your donors will know that they are getting back two things when they make a donation to your organization; first a good thing for humanity, and second, part of their money back in tax returns!
So if you’ve got your motives straight, registered as a 501 (c) (3) organization and have produced text about it and setup a website also, then the next and most crucial step is researching on what bigger organizations, national or international, work or support work in the field that your organization hopes to be active in. Almost all such donor organizations, Ford Foundation for example, have their websites and the process of contacting them is usually pretty well laid out on their websites.
Contact as many as you can because it’s not guaranteed that every one of them will respond. Not because they don’t like your idea, but because of the volume of inquiries they receive. But almost every one of them will send you a generic notice of receipt and eventually a second notice of interest or inability to support your program at that time. But if some of the organizations you have send inquires to don’t have a defined working interested or history in your non profit organization’s field, then don’t be surprised to get a notice that might say they don’t work with that subject matter yet. And never expect immediate or prompt response, but once communication is established, don’t slack either. They might take time to respond, but you should be as communicative and convincing as possible. These are the basics, but remember that persistence and evidence of being able to do the work your plan to are key elements in being able to get funds.