Basic Tools
Create a Fundraising Calendar
Digital, paper, on the wall, do what works for you. Having a calendar will help you track and plan your activities, leverage activities happening in the library, national events and holiday (like Thanksgiving to thank your donors, Library Giving Day to promote support of library services). Include all the activities that will help you reach your goals. Some very basic suggestions:
- Grants: Schedule research, proposal due dates/ acceptance date/ final report date
- Stewardship: Quarterly updates? Monthly updates? Annual? You decide, but keep in mind that donors like to hear from you, learn more about what you are doing and how their donations are making an impact. (See newsletter section)
- Direct Mail: Planning an annual appeal? Work backwards to include plenty of time for writing the letter, getting approval, print and delivery (See section on Direct Mail)
- Annual Appeal: Planning for an end of year annual appeal? Start planning in July!
- Library Giving Day – generally first Thursday in April or around National Library Day
- Giving Tuesday – the Tuesday after Thanksgiving
- Special events/ donor appreciation days: events are time consuming, so careful planning is imperative if you want to maximize your efforts. Good communication an deadlines, tasks and responsibilities is critical (See section on special events)
Donor Stewardship, Donor Software
Serious fundraising requires a good customer relational database – a way to track who your donors are, their contact information, a history of their giving, and their giving preferences references (annual appeal, capital campaign, sponsorship). Don’t rely on MS Excel or Google sheets. If you are serious about raising money, intend to grow your donor base and your donations, every professional fundraiser will tell you you need this! (Trust me)
Here are some good tips on finding a database to fit your needs. It does not have to be expensive – check Tech Soup for low-cost specials for small and mid-size nonprofits.
Need help in justifying the need for donation software: https://wikis.westchesterlibraries.org/development/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/10-Reasons-to-use-Donor-Management-Software.pdf
Here are some things you should consider when purchasing a donor database: https://wikis.westchesterlibraries.org/development/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/8-Areas-to-Consider-when-Choosing-Fundraising-Software.pdf
For more information on purchasing fundraising software check out TechSoup.org a great resource nonprofits, special pricing on software, hardware and more.
Annual Appeal
Need some inspiration for creating a successful fundraising campaign? Here are some tried and true resources that will help get you started. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel. There are some great ideas here that you can tailor to your organizational needs. Be creative! Let your library’s branding shine.
Gail Perry. Check out anything by Gail Perry – her books, blog and website will offer cutting-edge fundraising strategies and new tools to make fundraising more successful and more fun. Find smart strategies to help you raise tons of money at gailperrygroup.com. Link to annual appeal best practices: https://gailperrygroup.com/category/annual-giving-best-practices/. She is amazing in person and often speaks at fundraising conferences in the area.
Link: How to write solicitation letters. https://gailperrygroup.com/write-soliciation-fundraising-letter-donation/
Mal Warwick – a standard bearer for the direct mail/ annual appeal piece. Read his books if you need inspiration. He has been doing this for years. Some of it is very technical and might apply more to much larger organizations that can pump some dollars into their efforts, but it may be worth the read. His books on writing the fundraising letter may be just what you need to get your creative juices going.
What is an annual appeal/ what is the best time to launch an annual appeal/ what is the difference between an annual appeal and a capital campaign? And can they run at the same time?
Here is a great handbook created by Executive Printing that covers different kinds of mailings you can do: Jump Start Your Annual Appeal. It was created some time ago, but the information still holds true.
Available in the WLS Catalog:
Peer to Peer Fundraising and #givingdays
Peer to Peer Fundraising and Giving Days
Legacy Giving
Sample language and general information
Grant Writing
GrantStation provides access to a searchable database of private grantmakers that accept inquiries and proposals from a variety of organizations; federal deadlines; links to state funding agencies; and a growing database of international grantmakers. In addition, GrantStation publishes two newsletters highlighting upcoming funding opportunities, the weekly GrantStation Insider, which focuses on opportunities for U.S. nonprofit organizations, and the monthly GrantStation International Insider, which focuses on international funding opportunities. A subscription to grantstation.com is included with a Chronical of Philanthropy subscription. Grantstation subscription is FREE for NYLA members – contact NYLA Marketing.
Foundation Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. and, increasingly, global grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance knowledge of philanthropy at every level. Fdncenter.org White Plains Public Library and Yonkers Riverfront Library are satellite resource centers for the Foundation Center. In addition to print resources related to corporate, foundation and individual giving, their excellent searchable database is available for public use on site.
Books and Guides:
Writing for a Good Cause – The Complete Guide to Crafting Proposals and Other Persuasive Pieces for Nonprofits. Joseph Barbato and Danielle S. Furlich
Winning Grants Step by Step – Mim Carlson, Support Center of America