Fundraising in the Global Financial Crisis

Thursday, 30 April 2009 | posted by SimonM
Activism, CAPs (Community Action Programmes)

I've been doing the rounds for the last few months, cap in hand, asking for cash to support the Global Poverty Project (http://www.globalpovertyproject.com). And, in the decade or so I've been doing this sort of work, it's never been so challenging. Goodwill abounds, but chequebooks have gone into hiding.

So, in an effort to share my learnings, here are a few tactics that I've found more important than ever in raising support for your project:

1. Brand Alignment
Power has moved firmly back into the hands of donors and sponsors, so now you need to work hard not just explaining why your cause is great and important, but why that fits with the organisation to whom you're pitching. So, before you head in to meet with people, check out their website, talk to their staff and do some research to find out what their brand or organisational values are, what sort of language they use in talking these values, and develop a clear pitch around how your proposition is in line with how they already see themselves.

2. Delivering Value
All sponsors or donors will have clear outcomes that they are looking to achieve for themselves. You need to work out how what you're doing is going to help them achieve this - whether it's saving or making them money, building trust and support for their work, or reaching their target audience in new ways that help achieve their existing goals.

3. More than money
As you look at your project outline, it's likely that there are things on there that you could do without cash - things that could be given in-kind, like venue hire, sound systems or advertising space. Or, even better - time. When money's tight, think laterally about how you can work with supporters to have them make a meaningful contribution to your work without them having to hand over cash.

4. The Power of Leverage
All the free stuff that you've been able to accumulate through the above tip has a value, as does the time put in by you and your team. Work out what that value is, and communicate it to people who you're asking for money. Explain how their cash investment will double, triple or quadruple in value because of all of the in-kind services that you're able to get.

5. If all else fails ... get creative
Often we start a project with a particular stream of funding in mind. But, if your plans aren't working as you'd like, sit down with your team and think about alternative models for funding your work - running fundraising events, employing a user pays model, or even pushing back dates to give you more time to get organised can all reduce the stress of trying to crack that one big funder.

And, if you've got your own hints on how to raise funds and gather support - drop them into comments, and help other Global Changemakers advance their projects.