I'm sure there is an official term for this. Desperation fundraising is just my term. It basically means that a fundraiser is always up against a wall, constantly getting calls or drop-ins from the ED or finance person about how much needs to be raised RIGHT NOW!
Don't do it. Don't buy into.
Instead, create a plan.
Do you have a budget? I don't mean the agency's budget. I mean you personal or team budget for development or fundraising. An example is: Your agency budget says that in July you will raise $25,000. That's in the official budget. That means that in order to keep going smoothly, and to not adversely affect the rest of the year's budget, you must raise $25,000. Your personal/team budget says exactly how you plan to do that:
Major gifts: $5,000
Gala sales: $10,000
Summer campaign: $2,500
Corporate partnership: $2,500
Foundation gift: $5,000
And then you work it, or as a dear friend and supporter of mine says, werq it. You and your team have specific ideas around how you are going to raise each specific amount.
I like to have this plan all set when I present my development budget to my boss the year prior. I never want to just fill in numbers for a budget; I want to know how those numbers are going to materialize.
The better plans you have, the better off you are with your overall fundraising goals. It's not easy when you're getting pressed to raise more and more and more. Knowing how you plan to raise that money is key in not becoming a desperation fundraiser.
More to come on this! If you would like to give me feedback rather than leave a comment, my email address is dhanley@operacolorado.org
Thank you for reading!
