Fundraising Basics

Did you recently add fundraising tasks to your other work?
Were you recruited to the fundraising committee of your Board?
Do you have a great idea to improve your community but need money to do it?

Do you find that you know less about fundraising than you wish?

For whatever reason, you are looking for some basic knowledge about fundraising. You're in luck because this section is designed for you. Here you'll find a number of free articles that are especially helpful to people new to fundraising.

For starters, we'll clue you in on the three most important things to know about fundraising right up front:

1. People give when they are asked, and rarely give when they are not. Even when people are asked, they don't always give. So, you need to ask for more gifts than the number you need to bring in, and you need to be comfortable with people saying "No."
2. Donors are not ATMs. You need to thank them and keep them posted on what your organization is doing with their money if you want them to give more than once.
3. You can't raise all the money your group needs by yourself. Spend some time building a team of people to help you.

Check out the following articles. The ones that are links are free PDF downloads.

The Ten Most Important Things You Can Know About Fundraising
BY KIM KLEIN
Kim Klein's top 10 (based on nearly three decades of experience) boils down to these facts: if you want money, you need to ask for it, then you need to thank the person who gave it to you, and then you need to ask them again.

53 Ways for Board Members to Raise $1,000
BY KIM KLEIN
Culled from dozens of suggestions and experiences sent in by board members over the years. Even terribly shy people will find something in this list they can do!

8 Ways to Raise $2,500 (or more) in 10 Days (or less, sometimes)
BY KIM KLEIN AND STEPHANIE ROTH
Need to raise some money in a hurry? Here are 8 ways to get the money you need to get you through a short-term funding pinch.

You also may find the following articles helpful. They can be purchased for just $3 each online, and they'll be available to you immediately.

The Thank-You Note
BY KIM KLEIN

If you don't have time to thank donors, you don't have time to have donors.

Clean Up Your Language
BY KIM KLEIN

We don't "hit people up," "twist their arms," or "make them cough up." Be respectful in your relations with donors and you will raise more money.

Choosing the Right Fundraising Strategy
BY KIM KLEIN AND STEPHANIE ROTH

Many people look for money in all the wrong places. Don't work harder, work smarter.

The Fine Art of Asking for the Gift
BY KIM KLEIN

What do I say? What do I say next? Practical and specific, the step-by-step process of soliciting major gifts.

Making Special Events Work for You
BY STEPHANIE ROTH

Special events are the most popular strategy the world over. Here's how to raise more money from events.

The Bowl-a-thon
BY LUCY GRUGETT AND STEPHANIE ROTH

A specific, easy-to-produce event for groups of all ages.

Opportunistic Fundraising
BY STEPHANIE ROTH

You can raise more money just by taking advantage of opportunities that happen to everyone in the course of a day. Here's how.