What would I do?
Thanks to personality assessments, my colleagues and superiors know better than to waste time dreaming with me (thanks for that, DISC). But please humor me, reader, and join me in the daydream that many, if not all, nonprofit fundraisers indulge in:
What would I do if I started my own nonprofit?
Let’s start with the presupposition that a lightning bolt has hit me with an immediate need and a clear solution that I feel called to provide. I would start by establishing the nonprofit’s mission and vision as a polestar for making other decisions.
Then, I’d do a deep dive into the need I identified. I’d explore the genuine need for the solution and ensure that there’s not already an organization out there already providing it. If there’s an existing effort, is it addressing the problem adequately? What could I do differently that would set my organization apart? I’d talk to beneficiaries. What do they see as the solution?
If I conclude that 1) the need isn’t being addressed adequately, 2) my organization could indeed do it better, and 3) the beneficiaries of the program actually desire my proposed solution, I’d develop our business plan—outlining organizational structure, programs, and operational details.
I’d call friends, families, and known experts and thought leaders in the space that I want to influence. I’d recruit people committed to making a change to join the board, asking myself what diverse skills I needed to drive my vision forward.
I’d take care of the matters of compliance: incorporating, applying for tax-exemption, obtaining permits and licenses, and establishing guidelines for financial management and other key areas.
And then, I’d dive into the activity that would hold most of my attention: early-stage fundraising. Each nonprofit is unique, but here’s the general roadmap I’d follow to engage our first donors.
Early-stage fundraising is all about building relationships and creating a foundation for long-term support and sustainability. It can be easy for early-stage organizations to try to seize every funding opportunity: social media, email, direct mail, events, and/or chasing down the “Elon Musks” of the world. After running around like the proverbial headless chicken, they end up exhausted because of activity that didn’t even move the needle.
Instead, I’d begin by going all in on major gifts and foundation prospecting—starting with my inner circle. I’d make a list of every potentially interested person I know, including family, friends, and even professional connections (beware, ye on my Christmas card list), and I’d call them one by one.
“Hi, Aunt Sally, I’m launching a nonprofit to solve X. This is so important because [1–2 sentences why]. It’s going to take money to get off the ground, but I’m committed to making it a success. Would you be interested in supporting our work to do Y?”
I’d thank both those who gave and those who declined, and routinely share our key accomplishments and the stories of people we helped. I’d ask board members to do the same.
Then, I’d build a list of foundations that are funding similar efforts and begin outreach to them. (An article with more detail on how to do that here.) I’d score current events to learn of major gifts donors who were funding comparable initiatives, then persistently follow up to secure meetings to learn more about their priorities and share more about our mission. I’d attend every local and relevant non-local event I could to network with new donors, following up for one-on-one meetings after.
Key: I’d expect major gifts development to take longer than I hoped it would and wouldn't give up.
Once I had established a baseline of funders so large that I couldn’t keep up with all of our major donors and wanted to expand fundraising even more, I’d invest in direct mail acquisition to build a robust housefile program. I’d build on that with email efforts and even social media or text drops. I’d run bi-annual wealth screens to prioritize new donor cultivation and that would serve as the pipeline for the major gifts program.
With healthy major gifts, foundations, and direct response programs in place, I’d launch our planned giving program—training our major gifts officers to know how to ask for and secure a planned gift. I’d include information about planned giving in our direct mail and develop a compelling case for support.
From there, I’d really start to have fun with it: launching a donor club, running targeted advertisements, partnering with corporations, building coalitions with other nonprofits, planning ambitious multi-year campaigns, and investing in talent development of my team. All of this would be informed by a strategic development plan to guide growth and establish—and reach—clear goals.
Along the way, I’d certainly face disappointments but also, even more importantly, exciting wins that would transform the need that I knew I was called to address.
See, it’s not so bad to dream.
