The Fundraising Planner: A Working Model for Raising the Dollars You Need (Jossey-Bass Nonprofit and Public Management Series.) (Paperback)

by Terry Schaff (Author), Doug Schaff (Author) "FOR BUSY FUNDRAISERS, the idea of creating a fundraising plan can seem beside the point and the act of planning a waste of time: "We..." (more)
Key Phrases: case support materials, fundraising plan, fundraising model, To-Do Exercise, Subject Due, Foundation Center (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"The Fundraising Planner is a perfect blueprint for nonprofit organizations to use in building a fundraising campaign. Boards of directors who follow these planning procedures will certainly clarify their short-term and long-term fundraising goals while they raise money." (Carole Schaad, president, Rhinebeck Chamber Music Society)

"From soup kitchens to school boards, Terry and Doug Schaff's Fundraising Planner should be required reading for all community-based nonprofit organizations. In terms accessible to all, it provides a clear road map to improving fundraising results. It is truly an indispensable workbook." (Esther Gottlieb, president, Red Hook Secondary Schools Community Association)

Product Description
A good fundraising plan can make a vital difference in the quality of a nonprofit organization's programs and services. It can be the map by which the organization charts and secures its future. This step-by-step guide is designed to help you and your organization construct an operational fundraising plan that is appropriate to your specific funding needs. From meeting deadlines and scheduling special events to creating an overall plan for fundraising activities, The Fundraising Planner ensures that all activities fit together as a whole and support each and every program.

The model presented in this workbook is flexible and suited to multiple purposes. Use The Fundraising Planner and learn how to:

• Create an effective overview plan
• Formulate a calAndar of events, mailings, and strategies to attract contributions
• Draw fundraising ideas from financial data
• Strengthen your donor and prospect lists
• - Survey your board to refine its mission
• Produce a basic funding proposal and press kit
• Prepare clear status reports for the board, development staff, and key fundraising participants
• Track progress towards your funding goal

The authors have organized the workbook into four sections corresponding to the main stages of designing a fundraising plan:

• Understanding the Big Picture
• Deciding Plan Inputs
• Putting the Plan Together
• Monitoring the Plan

Within each section, chapters detail how to master an essential fundraising skill and offer "To Do" exercises to reinforce learning. The exercises allow you to build a cogent, practical fundraising plan. Additionally, there are real-life examples reflecting current fundraising issues across the country. The Fundraising Planner provides easy-to-follow advice to fundraisers from organizations of all sizes. With this valuable guide, you and your team can achieve greater efficiency in the day-to-day challenges of fundraising.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (May 14, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787944351
• ISBN-13: 978-0787944353
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #26 in	Books > Business & Investing > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Raising Capital
  #58 in	Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Nonprofit Organizations & Charities

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "real" working model, May 24, 2001

By	Gabriella Waters (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews

Terry & Doug Schaff have provided a virtual road map in The Fundraising Planner. The information is presented in a clear and well thought out manner presenting information that can be seamlessly inserted into your current programs. The planner illustrates how to develop, plan and implement the strategies necessary to conduct successful and accountable fundraising activities.

This book truly has something for everyone. From the neophyte to the seasoned professional, the Schaffs have provided a tool that will take your plans to the next level. The planner truly is a step-by-step guide that does not insult the reader with coddling phrases and usless data. Each chapter delves ever deeper into the raison d'etre for each mechanism used to move the fundraising process.

As a Development Director I found many applications within the planner that I can utilize to complement my planning activities. The real world applications provided after each step are valuable exercises as you facilitate your yearly planning process. The information presented is very timely, relevant and useful.

Well Done!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get this book and use it to create a written fundraising plan for your nonprofit organization. Two thumbs up!, December 27, 2007

By	Jeff Lippincott "www.Jlippin.com" (Princeton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I loved this book. It was one of the first books on fundraising for nonprofits I purchased back in 2004 to learn about fundraising in the nonprofit community or sector. Throughout my 2-year stint as an associate consultant at a consulting firm specializing in capital campaign direction, I thought of and refered to this book book often. Besides the fact that it provides a stellar model for NPOs to use in developing a fundraising plan for their organizations, it also introduced me to the 3 C's: Capacity, Commitment, and Connection.

If you turn to pages 85 and 86 of this lovely book you will learn that one criteria for evaluating prospective donors is to consider their "capacity" to give. Another important criteria to consider is the "connection" a prospective donor has with the organization. I like the third criteria term "commitment," but I don't think the author uses it appropriately here. If a donor has already given a gift to the nonprofit, then they are no longer a prospect. They are part of the nonprofit's family so to speak. They merely need to be upgraded over time.

I like to think of there really being 5 C's when evaluating a potential donor or an existing donor:

1. Capacity: How much can the individual give as a gift? The wealthier the better.
2. Connection: What is the individual's connection to the nonprofit? Without some sort of connection there is little hope that the individual will be willing to donate something.
3. Commitment: What is the individual's history of commitment toward this nonprofit or similar nonprofits? Has the individual at least made some donations or volunteered their time?
4. Care: What is the individual's history of caring for or being concerned about the cause or causes promoted by your nonprofit or similar nonprofits? Does this individual at least have some positive emotion regarding your nonprofit?
5. Contribution: What contributions has this individual actually made to your nonprofit? The larger money gifts the better.

This book is designed as a workbook. And it is really well outlined and written. The exercises it includes will help the reader create a fundraising roadmap to success. It will help the reader get a fundraising plan down on paper so the nonprofit it was written for can benefit from it. This book is centered on a fundraising model that most NPOs can follow.

Creating a written fundraising plan is not a waste of time. This is just as true as it is not a waste of time for a for-profit to prepare a written business plan that includes a written marketing plan. With a written fundraising plan in your arsenal of fundraising tools, you will be able to improve your command of scheduling and your ability to coordinate and track fundraising progress. If you cannot monitor your fundraising progress or lack of progress, then you will ultimately fail to reach your fundraising goals. Get this book and use it to prosper. 5 stars!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Intro Book, January 31, 2004

By	www.fundraisermagic.com (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

This is a pretty solid introductory book to fundraising, donor management, proposals, etc. If you are new to the business I would definitely recommend it, though more experienced people might not find it quite as helpful. (though there are still a some good nuggets of information)