The Practical Fundraising Handbook

The
practical
Fundraising
Handbook
for school and club volunteers
+ 101
fundraising
ideas
Mandy weidmann

About the Author
Mandy Weidmann is in a unique position to write The Practical Fundraising
Handbook for school and club volunteers.
She is the fundraising coordinator at her childrens’ school – so she
understands fully the everyday challenges and triumphs in working with other
volunteers to raise funds for a good cause.
She is a small business owner – she knows a good idea when she sees one,
and how to bring out its best advantages. She also knows how important it is
to have a great plan in place.
She is a qualified lawyer – she is good with detail, negotiation and solutions.
She is the publisher of the Fundraising Directory – she is at the forefront of
Australia’s fundraising activities, latest ideas and hottest trends!
She is a media commentator – she knows how to answer the big questions
about fundraising.
She is a mother of four children - she knows all about trying to manage
chaos!
Mandy loves to hear ideas and stories from volunteers in the community.
You can:
• reach her on Facebook at facebook.com/fundraisingdirectory
• subscribe to her tips and newsletters at fundraisingdirectory.com.au
• send her email at mandy@fundraisingdirectory.com.au

Copyright © Mandy Weidmann 2013
The author asserts her moral rights in this work throughout the world without
waiver. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical or photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the
prior permission of the publisher.
Published by Mandy Weidmann
PO Box 1516 Coorparoo DC
Queensland Australia 4151
Email: mandy@fundraisingdirectory.com.au
Website: www.fundraisingdirectory.com.au
ISBN 978-0-646-59414-9
Categories:
1. Fundraising
2. Clubs and societies for special causes
3. Charity organisations and practices
4. Volunteerism
5. Philanthropy
Edited by: Heather Grant
Printed by: Digital Print Australia
Cover & Book Designed by: Vanessa Cook
Illustrated by: Mathu Martin

The
practical
Fundraising
Handbook
for school and club volunteers
First Edition
by Mandy weidmann

This book is dedicated with love to the memory of Helen Creswick,
the original ‘Queen of Fundraising’.

Contents
Introduction 11
Part 1: Strategic Planning 13
1. The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM 15
Key message ..........................................................................................18
Target .....................................................................................................18
Outcome drivers ....................................................................................19
Supporter base .......................................................................................19
Action ....................................................................................................20
Resources ...............................................................................................21
2. A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 25
Pre-meeting tasks ...................................................................................26
Survey ............................................................................................26
Gather information ................................................................................28
Spending and investment history29
Fundraising history29
Fundraising research29
Organise meeting logistics30
Strategy Meeting ....................................................................................31
Establishing purpose ......................................................................32
Establishing goals ..........................................................................33
Establishing a target .......................................................................36
Creating a statement of attainment ................................................39
Template: Example survey of community ........................................................42
Template: Strategy meeting agenda ..................................................................43
3. Mapping a Fundraising Calendar 45
Fundraising plans with benefits .............................................................46
Three essential starters ...........................................................................47
Your fundraising history ................................................................47
Available resources ........................................................................48
Your fundraising tools ...................................................................50

6
The practical Fundraising Handbook
Brainstorm fundraising ideas .................................................................53
Top 10 practicalities ...............................................................................54
1. Reference your goals ...............................................................54
2. Work targets backwards ...........................................................54
3. Put a figure next to each activity ..............................................55
4. Go for tried and true (most of the time!) .................................55
5. Mix it! ......................................................................................55
6. Select a supplier .......................................................................56
7. It’s not always about the money ..............................................56
8. Always leverage .......................................................................56
9. Check timing ............................................................................57
10. The best laid plans ...................................................................58
Part 2: Action 63
4. Running a Fundraising Drive 65
The must-do’s of fundraising drives ......................................................67
1. Run your fundraising drive like a business ..............................67
Budget for profit67
Cash flow67
Return on Investment (ROI)67
Leftover stock68
Sell-out68
Creeping costs68
Commitment68
Accountability68
Track to goals69
2. Plan ..........................................................................................69
Timeframes69
Paperwork / logistics69
Volunteers69
3. Insurance and risk management ...............................................70
4. Incentives .................................................................................71
5. Keep on top of the admin .........................................................74
Fundraising drives’ shifting gears ..........................................................75
Pre-launch ......................................................................................76
Launch ...........................................................................................77

Contents 7
Midpoint momentum shake-ups ....................................................78
Driving it home ..............................................................................79
Distribution ....................................................................................80
Wrap-up .........................................................................................82
Template: Example Fundraising Drive Newsletter Content .............................83
5. Fetes and Outdoor Events 85
Set a goal ...............................................................................................87
Make a date ............................................................................................87
Dream themes ........................................................................................89
Appoint a fete committee ......................................................................90
Fete Convenor (Chief Event Organiser – CEO) ............................90
Fete Secretary ................................................................................91
Fete Treasurer ................................................................................92
Meeting for the first time ...............................................................93
The Fete file: A fete convenor’s bible ....................................................95
Your pre-fete check list ..........................................................................96
1. Location ...................................................................................96
2. Entertainment ...........................................................................98
3. Insurance and risk management .............................................102
4. Utilities ..................................................................................103
5. Hire a generator .....................................................................104
6. Equipment hire .......................................................................104
7. Money matters .......................................................................105
8. Stalls ......................................................................................107
9. First Aid .................................................................................108
10. Publicity .................................................................................108
11. Photography ........................................................................... 110
12. Fete Program .......................................................................... 110
13. Sponsors ................................................................................. 111
14. Volunteers .............................................................................. 114
The day before the fete ........................................................................ 115
It’s show time! ..................................................................................... 116
Clean-up and wrap-up ......................................................................... 117
6. Special Events 119
What is a special event? .......................................................................120

8
The practical Fundraising Handbook
Successful fundraising special events’ key criteria .............................120
Choosing the most appropriate fundraiser for your special event .......122
Trivia nights .................................................................................123
Casino night .................................................................................125
Gala dinners .................................................................................127
Sit-down comedy dinner ..............................................................128
Planning your special event .................................................................128
Key points needing attention ...............................................................130
Theming .......................................................................................130
Invitations ....................................................................................130
Master of ceremonies ..................................................................130
Cashing in on your night out .......................................................131
Thanking sponsors ...............................................................................133
Will there be a next time? ....................................................................134
7. Sponsorships, Grants and Strategic Partnerships 137
Sponsorship .........................................................................................138
Who to ask ...................................................................................139
1. Corporates139
2. Local businesses140
3. Politicians141
What to ask for ............................................................................142
Cash 142
Prize donations142
In-kind support143
The benefits of being a sponsor ...................................................143
A pro’s guide to proposing...................................................................145
Community partnerships......................................................................147
Grants...................................................................................................148
Types of Grants ............................................................................149
1. Government grants149
2. Corporate grants149
3. Philanthropic grants150
Your grant application .................................................................151
What your grant application will need ................................................151
NEVER take grants for granted ...................................................152
Template: Example of Fete Sponsorship Proposal .........................................153

Contents 9
8. Communication: spreading the word, getting it heard 159
The who, what and why of communication ........................................160
Internal audiences .......................................................................161
External audiences .......................................................................161
Purpose of messages ............................................................................162
Getting your message out there ...........................................................164
Publicity officer ...........................................................................164
Your communications plan ..........................................................165
Channels of communication ................................................................166
good old-fashioned face-to-face talking! .....................................166
group assemblies or gatherings. ...................................................166
group newsletters – electronic or printed.....................................167
eBlasts. .........................................................................................168
website. ........................................................................................168
social media. ................................................................................169
go viral. ........................................................................................169
community newsletters. ...............................................................169
local community newspapers. ......................................................169
local radio stations (AM and FM) ...............................................169
online ‘what’s on’ columns. .........................................................169
the “big media”. ...........................................................................169
Top tips for writing a media release ....................................................170
Timing ..........................................................................................171
Significance .................................................................................171
Proximity .....................................................................................171
Prominence ..................................................................................172
Human interest .............................................................................172
Template: Example 1: Media Release .............................................................174
Template: Example 2: Media Release .............................................................175
Template: Example Event Communications Plan ...........................................176
Part 3: Resources 179
9. People: Leadership and Volunteers 181
Leadership ...........................................................................................183
The ‘political power-player’ ................................................................184
Guidelines for receiving the gift of time .............................................186

10
The practical Fundraising Handbook
1. Establish your need ................................................................187
2. Agree on standards of behaviour and create an ..........................
inclusive culture. ....................................................................188
3. Break it down and recruit ......................................................192
Include a form seeking member/parent/carer details193
Create a highly-visible volunteer sign-up board194
Don’t forget the newbies! 194
Get busy and get personal195
Be an early bird196
Embrace micro-tasking196
Virtual volunteering197
4. Value your volunteers ............................................................198
Patience and understanding198
Stay in touch198
Do what you say you are going to do199
The Volunteers’ Appreciation Society199
5. Avoid ‘fundraising fatigue’ ....................................................201
Succession planning ............................................................................202
Template: Example of ‘Just One Thing’ Letter ...............................................203
10. Knowledge: Skills and Handover 205
Skilling up............................................................................................207
Handling the handover .........................................................................208
Finding wisdom in the wind-down ..............................................209
Going for goal ..............................................................................210
What could we have done better? ................................................ 211
Seeking opinions ..........................................................................213
Putting it all on paper...........................................................................214
Now you’ve written it, what do you do? .............................................214
Let’s do it all again ..............................................................................215
Template: Handover Report Template ............................................................216
11. The Completed Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM 219
101 Fundraising Ideas 223
Acknowledgments............................................................................256

Introduction
To begin with, THANK YOU: YOU ARE A LEGEND! Volunteering for
a community organisation attracts a special type of person, and you must
be one of them if you are reading this book. I know you aren’t in it for the
thanks, but you still deserve to hear it.
The Practical Fundraising Handbook is the result of years of my own
involvement in grassroots fundraising as well as the collective wisdom of
a virtual community created through the Fundraising Directory readership
and its Facebook page. Nothing has been held back in these pages — all
the lessons learned (for better and worse), the tips, stories and experiences
that make fundraising a positive, rewarding and more straightforward
experience are here.
When you volunteer for your organisation, you sacrifice your own time
and opportunities so you want to make certain that you get more ‘bang
for your buck’. Success breeds success, increasing the engagement
of supporters, sponsors and volunteers,which in turn improves future
fundraising endeavours. It is a cycle that any community group can move
towards, starting with some of the simple strategies contained in this book.
Dealing with thousands of fundraising volunteers over the years, I have
identified five ‘secrets’ common to the most successful fundraisers:

12 Introduction
1. They create a strategic plan.
2. They always communicate expectations.
3. They create an inclusive culture.
4. They have effective leadership.
5. They retain and pass on knowledge.
The Practical Fundraising Handbook addresses these five elements as
well as so much more.
When it comes to planning, I have developed a new framework, the
Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM . This framework clearly sets out
all of the elements needed for successful school and club fundraising.
You don’t need to have the resources of tertiary-trained fundraisers. Your
cause does not need to be a household name. You do not need to have a big
budget. It does not need to be your full-time job. Rather, my Grassroots
Fundraising Strategy Map TM is designed for everyday volunteers who are
looking for some structure to bring them improved fundraising success.
Yes, there might be words in this book like ‘outcome drivers’, ‘strategic
partnerships’ and ‘succession planning’. I make no apology for talking
about ‘strategic plans’ and ‘marketing plans’ and ‘handover notes’ (in fact,
I harp on about the latter a lot!) because these are all so critical to success.
Fundraising is not easy, but it can be easier – if done right. And when
‘done right’, there’s a much higher probability of seeing your goals
realised. At the same time, you will be putting a bit more FUN back into
fundraising.
I hope you find what you need in this book to raise more money and have
more fun!
Happy Fundraising!
Mandy Weidmann

Part 1:
Strategic
Planning
1Part
Without goals, and plans to reach them,
you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.
Fitzhugh Dodson, child-rearing expert
Few people have time — or energy — to waste, so make certain your
fundraising doesn’t.

14
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Chapter 1 takes you through the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy
Map TM to clarify the process needed to create an effective strategic plan.
Chapter 2 takes you step-by-step through the strategy creating process,
including templates to make the whole process easier.
Chapter 3 shows you how to break your target down into individual
fundraising activities, and set a workable fundraising calendar.

The Grassroots
Fundraising
Strategy Map TM
Chapter
1
In the corporate world, strategic planning is an organisation’s way of
defining its strategy or direction, and making decisions on allocating its
resources to pursue that strategy.
For some unfathomable reason, strategic planning is rarely a priority
in community-based fundraising. Perhaps the idea just smacks of big
business too much: perhaps committees see it as a waste of time when
they have so much to do and so little time to do it in. Perhaps volunteers
feel they do not have the necessary skills.
I’m here to tell you, it can be done! I am so convinced about the
difference strategic planning makes to fundraising outcomes, I have
developed an intuitive planning tool to make it more straightforward:
the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM .
Before revealing the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM , let me
summarise why - ultimately - this is worth your time:
• Setting goals and priorities provides a focus that will bring
out the best in your volunteers and supporters.
• It assists in the selection of fundraising options and
strategies.

16
Part 1: Strategic Planning
• Having clarity around your message and purpose improves
outcomes for the recruitment and engagement of volunteers
and supporters, leading to improved fundraising revenue.
Now let me introduce you to the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy
Map TM .
Maps get you to destinations. My Grassroots Fundraising Strategy
Map TM is no different.
Every block represents a logical next step in your ‘big picture’ planning.
It’s a visual reminder of:
• why you are doing what you are doing – your purpose and
goals
• how you are going to achieve it
• who is going to help you get there
• what actions you will need to achieve your goal
• what specific resources need to be made available.

Chapter 1: The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM 17
Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM
Key
Message
Purpose
Goals
why
Target
$XXX,000
Outcome
Drivers
Revenue Costs
how
Supporter
Base
Existing Supporters
New Supporters
who
Action
Fundraising Activity
Communications Plan
what
to do
Resources
People
Knowledge
what
we need
© Mandy Weidmann, Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM

18
Part 1: Strategic Planning
As we work though this book, each of the map’s building blocks will
become clear but let me take a moment to explain it in a nutshell.
Key message
Organisations have a purpose. To borrow again from the corporate
world, it might also be called a ‘mission statement’. It answers the
question: ‘why do we exist?’ In its purest form, it is one memorable
sentence — concise, active and positive — that answers the ‘why’ of
your group’s being.
In having a clear understanding of why your group does what it does,
you are able to establish goals — physical outcomes you wish to
achieve through your fundraising efforts that reflect your purpose. Your
goals are the tangible investments that will be made possible through
your fundraising.
Together, the purpose and goals form the key message. Your key
message serves as the cornerstone of communicating your need to
your immediate community — whether that’s the families that make
up a school or a sports club or the members of a historical association
or church congregation — as well as the wider community. The
key message offers a glimpse to the story behind your organisation:
and it needs to be referred back to throughout the planning process.
Everything your group does must uphold your key message, particularly
your fundraising activities.
Target
Knowing what you want (and why) is one thing. Knowing what it will
take to achieve is another. You might have a whole lot of small goals
or one super-sized objective. Either way, you need to know the dollar
value, all up. That becomes your target.

Chapter 1: The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM 19
Chapter 2 takes you through the process of establishing your key
message and target.
Outcome drivers
You have a target. How will you reach it? When a company looks
at how it can improve its bottom-line (being profit), it considers its
incomings and outgoings. Community fundraising groups need to do
that too. Examine your spending and investment history. Look at ways
you can increase revenue (for example, hiring out your hall to another
group on the days that it is unused or making different fundraising
choices) and reduce costs (such as paying for a canteen coordinator
only and using volunteers as serving staff). These are what I refer to as
outcome drivers.
Supporter base
To use the corporate analogy again, a company looking at improving its
bottom-line will look at its customer base: who it is reaching and who
it should be reaching. The same goes for community fundraising. Your
group needs a clear understanding of its supporter base and a plan to
engage and leverage existing supporters while looking for ways to
source new supporters.
Think outside the box with this one. If your existing supporters feel they
are being ‘hit up’ too often, think laterally about who else can become
engaged with your community. For example, you could:
• move your auctions to an online system so the broader
public has an opportunity to bid
• put your spell-a-thon online. Now Grandma in Scotland
can become a sponsor

20
Part 1: Strategic Planning
• get involved with local businesses through loyalty
programs
• pursue grants.
While this book concentrates on the three core elements of ‘strategic
planning, action and resources’, outcome drivers and your supporter
base are important elements to keep in the back of your mind
throughout your entire planning and execution process.
Action
Identifying your supporter base — or market — helps inform the next
building block. Action is all about ‘what will we do?’ In this phase,
your group executes its fundraising activities, aligned to your purpose,
and with your goals and the ultimate target in mind. There are so many
different fundraising options to consider. Just look at the 101 ideas
at the end of this book: they are off the top of my head! But no one
fundraiser suits all. Your supporter base is a critical influence, as is your
key message.
For example, a custom-labelled wine drive would not be appropriate for
a support group for families affected by alcohol dependence.
In chapter 3, I explain how to map out a fundraising calendar that meets
your goals, and is timed to maximise support.
But what good is a fundraising calendar if no-one knows what’s
happening? That’s where communication comes in. Again, I’m not
just talking ad hoc ‘happened to mention it’ communication: I’m
talking planned. A marketing plan is as critical to your Action phase
as running your fundraising activities. It relates back to another of the
five fundamental elements of successful fundraising I mentioned at the
outset — the importance of communicating expectations.

Chapter 1: The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM 21
With messages bombarding our lives every which way every day, your
key message needs to rise above the white noise and gain the attention
of volunteers and supporters from the get-go. Planned communication
involves a dialogue with your community so that everybody knows
your key message — what you are about (purpose) and where you
are heading (goal). This is where goal setting sessions will really pay
off!! A marketing plan ensures communication is planned, strategic
and clear: not haphazard, reactive or last-minute. Well-executed, your
supporter base will be left in no doubt of the value and benefit that your
organisation provides. If the community understands and identifies with
your goal, your ‘ask’ — or fundraising request — will have a context
and a more positive reception. If you are going to have a very active
fundraising year, let everyone know in advance (and explain why) so
that they are prepared — and that means making allowances in their
budgets as well as their schedules.
Chapter 8 is all about communication, including how to develop a
marketing or communication strategy.
Resources
Last, but certainly not least, comes the identification of your resources.
In plain terms, what (or who) is needed to realise your target. You need
to have the capacity to deliver or your goal will remain a pipe dream.
You need people and knowledge. Let me explain briefly.
People refers to your workforce. There’s the inner sanctum or your
committee (a president, convenor or chair, secretary and treasurer
making up the core); specific critical leadership roles for individual
activities (such as fete coordinator); key positions that tie all activities
together (like the publicity officer or a volunteer coordinator) plus the
many hands who make light work, your volunteer army.

22
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Recruiting and retaining volunteers is possibly the most common
challenge faced in grassroots fundraising. Various strategies can
be implemented but I cannot emphasise enough the importance of
developing a culture of inclusion — the third of my five ‘secrets’ to
successful fundraising.
An inclusive culture is one in which everybody feels accepted without
negativity; where newcomers feel ‘safe’ and welcome; where all
members feel confident to contribute ideas and energy in a positive
environment and are encouraged to participate.
Leadership is another ‘secret’ I have observed in successful committees.
A leader sets the tone for the committee. This may seem like a lot
of pressure but it’s not as hard as it sounds. The best leaders I have
witnessed within community organisations are those that recognise
the value of an inclusive culture. They are not leaders that ‘do it all’
themselves. In fact, the less they ‘do’, the better, leaving the space for
everybody else to make a valuable contribution.
All this and more in chapter 9.
Knowledge is the other resource factor that must be considered. It is
my final ‘secret’ to successful fundraising and one that is too often
overlooked.
The first part is about your volunteers having the appropriate skills for
the task in front of them. Most often, your volunteers will rise to the
task with the skills they bring to the table, but consider the value that
skills training can add to them personally and to your organisation.
There are plenty of free/ low cost options for training which we cover in
chapter 10.
The second (and most important!) part is handover. Imagine a
multinational company allowing its staff to leave without any handover
or system in place to train their replacement. It’s incomprehensible!

Chapter 1: The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM 23
Yet it happens time and again with fundraising committees. When it
comes to the revolving door of volunteers, some may stay for many
years while others drift in and out. Without a system of record keeping,
valuable knowledge is likely to be lost, trapped in the minds of
volunteers past.
Knowledge loss wastes valuable time and impedes the ‘evolution’ of
fundraising outcomes. Without the tools to evolve and improve over
time, fundraising becomes a guessing game and strategic growth is
impossible. Yet simple systems can be established to capture this
knowledge and ensure that every experience becomes a learning
opportunity. All is revealed in chapter 10.
So, that, in a nutshell is the Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM .
Believe me, taking the time to plan in this methodical way will put an
end to haphazard, ineffective, half-baked activities involving the same
people who inevitably run out of time — and puff!
This book is divided into three main parts. Part 1 - Strategic Planning
goes through the strategic planning part of the map. Part 2 - Action
helps you map your activity. This is where I share the how to’s and
lessons learnt from years of grassroots fundraising. Part 3 - Resources
is all about volunteers and knowledge, including the all-important
handover notes.
I then share my 101 top fundraising ideas!

A Practical
Guide to
Creating Your
Strategy
Chapter
2
In real life, strategy is actually very straightforward.
You pick a general direction and implement like hell.
Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric
In this chapter you will learn:
• practical steps to prepare for your strategy session
• how to conduct a strategy meeting
• simple ways to define a goal that’s SMART
• how to document your goals and strategic plan
• ways to inspire your committee so that you all work
together towards a unified goal.
We have established that your group sets itself up for success by
developing a sound fundraising strategy.

26
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Your strategy will allow your group to take a long-term view, plan,
prioritise and resource your fundraising and, ultimately, increase and
diversify your fundraising income.
A strategy doesn’t just ‘happen’, however.
Just as you would be unlikely to turn up at an important work meeting
unprepared, some homework is needed before holding a strategy
session. Time spent now in the pre-meeting stage will enable your
committee to make informed decisions.
Pre-meeting tasks
Your team has agreed that it is best to prepare a plan for the coming
year. It is time to ‘get your ducks lined up’ to assist the planning
process.
Survey
A survey is a great first step in putting your strategic plan together.
It means you don’t have to do all the thinking on your own, plus you
engage with your community.
Even if the response is limited, you have at least offered your
community the opportunity to have their say.
You may also be surprised at the innovative, creative and ‘out of the
box’ suggestions that emerge.
A well-constructed survey will gather information in three key areas:
• ideas and feedback on goals and spending priorities
• ideas and feedback on fundraising
• available resources, including those all-important
volunteers.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 27
TIP
About surveys
A survey can be a totally blank canvas. Or it can list specific
ideas about which you are seeking feedback. If you have
priorities in mind already, then ask respondents to place them
in order of importance.
Surveys can be carried out in three formats:
• Paper. If you have a small group and are not confident
with the latest technology then the tried and tested paper
survey can be a good option
• Email. No great technical know-how is needed for this
— although you do need email addresses. Email out a
list of questions to your committee and members of the
broader community. You can follow-up with a quick email
reminder to encourage maximum response
• Online. For larger groups or those keen to embrace new
methods, I recommend going online. A number of free
survey websites make it easy to distribute questions,
collect responses and collate information. For example,
surveymonkey.com offers a free basic plan allowing 10
questions and 100 responses per survey. Higher throughput
attracts a fee.
Survey websites generally allow you to load in your
questions, nominate the type of answer required (e.g.
descriptive, multiple choice, true/ false) and then distribute
the link to potential respondents. The link is usually
emailed. It can also be put on a website or blog as well as
social media sites.

28
Part 1: Strategic Planning
It is worthwhile seeking input from staff, coaches and teachers too. This
may mean inviting them to answer your general survey or preparing
a specific survey for them. If you are a parent body within a school,
your spending priorities must be made in consultation with the school.
You may invite the principal or other key staff members to attend your
strategic planning session. Likewise volunteer fundraisers for a sporting
club will be guided on investment needs by the club itself.
A simple survey is included at the end of this chapter.
TIP
If you haven’t yet collected email addresses within your
community, circulate the survey and ask for respondents’ email
addresses to keep them informed of progress. This forms a
starting point for your email database.
Gather information
In addition to the ideas you glean from your community, you need to be
armed with information about the past as well as future options. Hunt
out:
• spending and investment history
• fundraising history
• fundraising research.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 29
Spending and investment history
I highly recommend auditing investments and expenses over the
previous couple of years. This exercise helps to reflect on the
appropriateness of the expenditure, a process that can offer guidance
for future spending and goal setting. Gathering this information
about past investments also helps when it comes time to prepare your
communication plan: your supporters need reminding of the value your
group has provided over the years.
Fundraising history
You need to find out as precisely as possible the profit information of all
previous activities. This may prove difficult if past treasurers rounded
every profit into one lump sum. Search for:
• handover notes recording a profit figure
• invoices
• meeting minutes which refer to profits
• notes taken from discussions with previous organisers
• anything else you think will be relevant!
Identify activities that did well and put a question mark next to the ones
that didn’t. Consider ways that each can improve or evolve.
Fundraising research
Hopefully your survey asked for some fundraising ideas. In the
lead-up to your strategy meeting, have a quick brainstorm and request
information packs from suppliers. In Australia, the Fundraising
Directory website (fundraisingdirectory.com.au) makes this easy.
Information can be requested from various suppliers from this one site.

30
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Organise meeting logistics
Time and place
The process of developing your strategy takes time. It could take half
a day to do thoroughly in one go. This is not something you want to
rush (forget about it being on a weeknight, starting at 8pm!). If one
big session is daunting, break the planning into two separate meetings:
the first to define your key message (purpose and goals) followed by a
session that creates the action plan.
Whether done in one hit or over two sessions, your planning requires an
atmosphere that is business-like yet congenial, in a location that allows
undisturbed focus in a relaxed manner (coffee, tea or wine may help!).
This is an opportunity for team-building, to form trust and encourage an
open sharing of ideas.
Assemble stakeholders
Developing your overarching strategy, including its absolute
foundations — your key message — is best done with the entire
fundraising team in one room together. This has dual advantages:
• Diverse perspectives and experiences are brought into, and
aired in, one session.
• Participants who are engaged in the goal-setting process
from the outset have an investment in seeing the end result
achieved.
Having said that, don’t think of this as ‘secret squirrel business’. In
fact, I would encourage you to seek involvement from some of the
‘big brains’ in your community. By that, I mean community members
with business acumen and experience who can deliver fresh insights,
challenge thoughts and help you set some solid goals but who might not
have the time to regularly contribute to your organisation.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 31
Circulate agenda
Agendas are essential. Without, meetings are like rudderless boats,
capable of drifting off course. An example agenda is included at the end
of this chapter.
I recommend circulating the agenda as early as possible to all involved
in your planning session. This allows participants to give some
considered thought to the items to be discussed. Keep agenda items
simple and add anything that will specifically require a resolution.
Strategy Meeting
What is our purpose? What are our goals?
The Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM begins with the
establishment of your key message – a combination of your purpose
(or mission statement) and goals (the tangible investments that will
result from your fundraising efforts). I suggest a couple of hours is time
well-spent on getting this right.
Key
Message
Purpose
Goals
© Mandy Weidmann, Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM
This workshop will bed those goals down and do so much more.
Goal-setting within a strategic plan is the first step towards moving
a fundraising committee from hoping, wishing and dreaming about
an amount of money that needs to be raised towards achieving that
objective via a well-structured, clear and tangible strategy.

32
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Establishing purpose
Strictly speaking, defining your group’s purpose — or mission
statement — is not absolutely necessary in order to define tangible
goals. Indeed some may see this is a self-indulgent waste of time. But I
strongly recommend investing in the process for these reasons:
• It is very important to know in simple terms what your
organisation stands for, allowing you to communicate it
effectively to your community and supporters.
• Discussing your group’s mission engages the team. I’ve
been surprised by the level of debate it can stimulate.
• Narrowing your mission can provide a clear focus for
future activity. Conversely, a broader purpose adds scope
for variety.
• A mission statement simplifies the process of defining
your goals. For example, if a school parent group has a
mission to ‘support the academic, sporting and cultural
learning of the children in our school’, this would exclude
raising funds for charities outside the school. However
if the statement included ‘teaching children about social
responsibility’, the scope widens and raising funds for
outside charities would clearly support this outcome.
Once your purpose is decided upon, keep it top of mind, reiterating it on
your strategic plan and linking your fundraising communication back to
it, time and time again.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 33
TIP
It took us a little while to put together our mission statement.
There was a lot of input and a bit of arguing but by the end of
it, we had a ‘mission’ to adhere to and we were all singing from
the same hymn sheet. It also helps to remind ourselves why we
work so hard!
Deborah, ACT
Establishing goals
Experienced fundraisers in your group will undoubtedly have their own
expectations and opinions on what goals are achievable and realistic
for the group. These perspectives and experiences are useful, but they
can also be limiting. Certain opinionated and hardened volunteers can
inadvertently diminish the energy and expectations of the rest of the
committee.
Using the SMART goals model tests and validates preconceived ideas.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Tangible
Let me walk you through these elements step-by-step:

34
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Specific
Goals need to be straightforward, outlining exactly what it is you want
to happen. The more specific, the greater your team’s focus on what
needs to be done to achieve the goal.
To get specific, ask:
• What is it you want to do? Are you raising funds for a new
after-school program? Help students to travel interstate
for sport? Improve the library? Why is it important to do
this? In answering this question, you create the story used
to ‘sell’ your goal to supporters and sponsors in the wider
community. It also helps rally the ‘true believers’ to your
cause.
• How are we going to do it? This will become apparent as
your strategic plan evolves.
Measurable
If you don’t set the bar, how will you know if you achieve it? With a
measurable end goal, your fundraising team has something to aim for,
against which progress can be tracked. The end result can celebrated
once reached.
Attainable
Goals that are too hard, too big or too difficult to understand can
destroy your chances of success before you even begin. Volunteers, for
example, must understand their part in achieving the group’s goals. If
the bar is set too high — or too low — you risk a pack of demotivated
helpers.
A team needs stretching, slightly. Too much, and members will soon
feel hopeless and helpless; that their efforts are for naught.

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 35
TIP
Our P&C has a target to air condition the whole school and it
is broken down into stages. This is very important as we can
monitor and publicise which level we are up to.
Kara, Qld
Realistic
After your group has decided that a goal is ‘attainable’, you then have
to agree if it is ‘do-able’. Does your committee have the time, resources,
skills and knowledge to achieve the goal?
Don’t dismiss a goal as ‘unrealistic’ just because some capabilities
are lacking within the team. Rather, note the gaps and raise these as
discussion elements during the strategic planning phase.
Timely
What is the timeframe within which you want this goal achieved? Some
goals will be long-term, such as rebuilding a scouting den. Others will
be more immediate: within the next month, term or semester. Clear
deadlines give everyone a target to work towards.
The difference between fundraising with or without a SMART goal is
rather like weight loss. One person may say ‘I need to lose weight’.
Another says ‘I want to lose 5 kilos over the next four months’. That
person has a goal that is much more specific, measurable, attainable,
realistic and timely than a good intention.

36
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Establishing a target
Whole books theorise about goals and targets. Let me just touch on
three principles I believe are most relevant to fundraising groups:
1. The Big Picture. Any business will do better when its focus is on
a specific end result. Whether you believe in the ‘secret’ or other
theories about visualisation, having a clear goal mindset does
provide everyone involved with something to aim for and keeps
everyone moving in the same direction.
2. Your volunteers will benefit. Specific goals will motivate the
‘troops’. Your foot soldier fundraisers will be more motivated when
they know what part they are playing in achieving the end goal.
This kind of motivation will stretch to whatever target you have
and, in turn, will increase the overall level of energy within the
volunteer team. The simple act of having a goal-setting process is
beneficial in itself. When supporters have confidence in your plan
and the capacity to carry it out, they are more likely to support your
fundraising and go that extra mile to ensure its success.
3. Your ‘ask’ becomes easier. When you have a specific goal and
it is relevant to the supporters, your ‘ask’ moves from the realm
of general charitable support into the dimension of real benefit.
Potential sponsors can prioritise your need in the ‘cluttered world of
needs’ as well as in the scheme of their own demands.
In bedding down your group’s goals, or ‘wish list’, also consider these
factors:
• Review previous expenditure/ investment. Now is
the time for a critical discussion. Were past investments
worthwhile and value for money? How could you reduce
costs? What are your group’s achievements? When the plan
is distributed, the community needs to be able to readily

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 37
understand your current plans in the context of past benefit.
It’s an opportunity to ‘sell’ your benefit and needs.
• Question your focus areas. For example:
a. capital (e.g. playground, air-conditioning, electronic
whiteboards)
b. academic (e.g. computers, subscriptions to tutoring soft
ware)
c. environmental (e.g. educational programs, community
garden)
d. cultural (supporting clubs)
e. social (e.g. guest speakers, funding support for
disadvantaged families, community awards)
f. sporting (e.g. equipment, financial assistance for travel),
identifying these will help prioritise.
• Priorities. Many spending priorities will be evident from
the outset. Others will emerge from your discussions and
survey process. Brainstorming can help clarify these.
Encourage all participants to bring along their own ideas
and throw them into the mix. This process can take most of
your goal-setting time.
Theory aside, when establishing your target, I recommend incorporating
smaller goals that will serve to motivate and keep momentum in the
group.
You may also need to consider whether to take a long-term view or
meet needs as they arise. This will influence your targets: whether you
invest in ‘capital works’ or a ‘future fund’ account; what percentage
of raised funds will be allocated to this account; indeed, whether you
establish a separate capital investment policy. If so, the annual amount
to be set aside will need to be included on your goals list.

38
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Remember to set aside provision for ad hoc requests.
You will then need to set out these goals and the dollar amounts
required. These add up to your target figure.
TIP
Think about ‘selling’ the message, the message being the value
you provide to your community. Your goals need to be things
that your support network can ‘get’. The more your goals relate
to your community, the greater the potential for buy-in.
Think laterally about how you can benefit families or members
in low-cost or no-cost ways such as establishing community
awards or funding low-cost projects that engage children, be
it a photography club (fund the cameras and recruit a parent
volunteer to run a 10 week program) or a Lego ® club (with a
spare room and donated unused Lego ® , a weekly lunchtime can
be dedicated to Lego ® building).
TIP
We have not set specific goals previously, which have resulted
in a scattergun, haphazard approach. Specific goals mean
focus, but it’s hard to change entrenched attitudes.
Sue, Qld

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 39
Creating a statement of attainment
You now know what your group’s goals are. Depending on the
complexity of your goals and target, you could phrase the goals in such
a way as to excite and unify supporters and sponsors by:
• phrasing the goal statement in the current tense.
Phrasing it in the future tense separates you from the goal
• being precise. If your goal is to raise $25,000 for a specific
purpose, declare it. If it’s simply to improve on last year’s
efforts, still put a measure around it
• sharing your goal statement. You can never say it too
often! The more times it’s heard and read, the more real
and believable it becomes. This ensures it is at the forefront
of everyone’s mind.
TIP
Case study: $4 billion reasons to set goals
Amercia’s Ivy League university Yale finished the largest
fundraising campaign in its 300+ year history in 2011, when it
raised almost $4 billion amid some of the toughest economic
times that the world has seen.
The $3.88 billion helped to fund planned expansions of the
world-renowned university’s facilities.
The core elements underlying the campaign’s success were
Yale’s ability to:
• develop a clear fundraising target (a goal)
• understand the need of their community and alumni

40
Part 1: Strategic Planning
• craft a fundraising message that told donors how they
could help the university change the world by making
contributions.
I know that $4 billion may be more than your school
or community needs! However, the lessons from Yale’s
astounding fundraising campaign can be adopted universally.
At this stage, your workshop discussions will have enabled you to fill
out the following sections of your Grassroots Fundraising Strategy
Map TM. Here is an example:
Purpose
Goals
Key
Message
Our P&C is passionate about
supporting an excellent wellrounded
experience for the
students at Unicorn State School
• Air-condition music block
$14K
• 3 electronic whiteboards plus
software $16K
• 25 iPads $12.5 K
• Library racks $6K
• Support athletes, district
level and above $3K
• Playground for Yr 3-4
campus $35K
• Provision for ad hoc
expenses $2K
Target
$92,300
© Mandy Weidmann, Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 41
TIP
Having goals has given us a defined purpose. Our group knows
exactly what we are doing and lets us share a little victory
whenever we reach a milestone.
Mary, WA
Being mindful of the key messages will help your committee frame its
thinking as you move into the next major phase of your strategic plan
— the actions — and how you will best communicate your intentions
to those who need to know.
TIP
While you’re in planning mode…
An optional extra at this point is the development of a culture
statement, defining a set of agreed behaviours. Smaller groups
may consider this overkill. However, if you are making the
time and effort to hold a strategy meeting, this is the time to
address it. Why?
A culture statement contributes to the building of an ‘inclusive
culture’. This is one of the five areas that I identified at the
outset as being critical to successful fundraising.
Here is an example:
The Unicorn P&C is committed to creating a culture that is:
• inclusive
• respectful
• transparent
• welcoming.

42
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Example survey of community
Survey to the X community
The committee would appreciate all families returning this completed form by
. We would value your input into our strategic plan that we will be preparing shortly, and
would also like to get an idea of your capacity to support our activities this year.
Name:
Children:
Grade/s:
Phone:
Email:
I am interested in being part of a committee.
I am interested in assisting a committee but not taking responsibility.
I can help out for short periods from time to time where a need arises.
I can’t help during work hours but I’m happy to do some support work from home.
I can’t commit now but please keep me up to date with opportunities to help out.
I run a business or work for a business that might be interested in supporting our .
1. Goals
What do you think our should be spending money on this year and into the
future?
2. Fundraising Ideas
What type of fundraising activities would you support this year?

Chapter 2: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Strategy 43
Strategy meeting agenda
Strategy Meeting Agenda
Group Name
Strategy Workshop
1. Apologies
2. What is our purpose?
3. What is our culture? (optional)
4. Goal Setting
a. Review of previous expenditure/ investment (optional)
b. What are our focus areas?
c. Brainstorming session for goals and spending priorities
d. How can we have an impact in ‘non-financial’ areas?
e. Set out priorities and required dollar amount of investments
5. Fundraising Plan
a. Discuss fundraising history
b. Brainstorm fundraising ideas
c. Timing
d. Set out fundraising plan with target amounts and allocate co-ordinators for each activity
e. Make a commitment to a handover process
6. How do we get the plan out there?

Mapping a
Fundraising
Calendar
Chapter
3
Don’t judge each day by the harvest but by the seed that you plant.
Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist
In this chapter you will learn:
• why it pays to have a 12-month fundraising plan
• how to evaluate your resources to determine your
fundraising capacity
• how to choose the right fundraiser
• how to formulate the timing of your activities and events
• what to look for in selecting a fundraising supplier.
The truth is that most community groups don’t have a ‘fundraising
plan’. Rather, fundraising is a series of haphazard activities that are
often a repeat of what was done in previous years. They are almost
always organised at the last minute by the same people who volunteered

46
Part 1: Strategic Planning
last year and typically there’s no target amount to be raised. How often I
have heard fundraisers say “We’ll do our best and see what happens”.
Great sentiment but it’s not going to get the results your group deserves.
And if you’ve persevered this far, you’ll understand why.
Fundraising plans with benefits
To truly do your ‘best’, you need to formulate a plan (simple is fine)
that sets out a course of action to achieve your goals.
It is worth a modest investment of time that will pull all your
fundraising together.
Previous chapters have established that plans build confidence. When
your supporters have confidence, they will have a greater involvement
in your goals and your fundraising will be more successful.
In establishing a strategic plan, you take a big picture view of your
fundraising needs and the path required to achieve them.
Mapping out an action plan enables you to:
• readily identify the resources needed (this includes
volunteer numbers)
• avoid potential clashes or overlap that could otherwise
burden your supporters and diminish your results.

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar 47
Three essential starters
There are a few important elements to take into account when mapping
out your fundraising plan. Ideally, it should take account of:
• your fundraising history (if it is available)
• available resources
• fundraising ‘tools’ you can draw on.
But first, identify whether any of your goals can actually be achieved
through lobbying, grant applications, in-kind donations (see chapter
7) – or in-house (such as a working bee). In other words, what can be
removed from your fundraising scope?
Your fundraising history
Forward planning is best done with hindsight. Get your hands on as
much historical information as possible. If handover notes are available,
you have a huge advantage.
But don’t panic if not. Play detective and hunt down information from:
• previous fundraising coordinators
• suppliers of previous fundraising activities undertaken by
your group
• previous meetings’ minutes or financial reports.
Bear in mind, results are not all about profit. Consider also:
• effort required
• return on investment
• potential for improvement
• community-building elements.

48
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Throw out any fundraisers you would not repeat, and leave the rest in
play for later discussion and possible inclusion in your plan.
If your group is absolutely new to fundraising, you will need to rely a
lot more on guesswork this time but your record keeping will provide
excellent groundwork for future efforts. You can also seek some good
ballpark information:
• Ask suppliers for rough estimates for a group of your type
and size.
• Seek the advice of similar groups and find out what works
for them.
TIP
Bec from Brisbane set up a Flyball club, a sport that involves
dogs. It was set up from scratch and nobody from the
organisation had been involved in running a club before. Bec
met with other Flyball clubs and was surprised how helpful and
forthcoming they were. While the other club members would
be competitors in tournaments, they willingly provided advice
about sponsorship, fundraising and club management. “In
general, I have found that people are happy to help, particularly
people who volunteer – it’s like they are built out of kindness,”
Bec said.
Available resources
The resources you have available include:
• your volunteers – in terms of both time and skill
• potential community support and strategic partnerships

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar 49
• assets that can be leveraged.
There are a number of ways to determine the resources at your disposal.
The simplest way is to include questions relating to skills, resources
and connections in the newsletter or online survey that you use in
preparation for your first goal-setting meeting (in the previous chapter).
Alternatively, include the question as a standard inclusion in any new
membership enrolment forms.
Ask if members’ employers support volunteering. Many big businesses
allow staff to take a predetermined amount of time off during the year
to do unpaid community work. These schemes are gaining in popularity
and can be used to your advantage.
TIP
We get paid volunteering days each year through work so
being able to get people to volunteer when they don’t lose
financially helps.
Kelly, WA
Word of mouth is always helpful, especially when it comes to potential
strategic connections within your community. Get your committee to
brainstorm this area in a planning session.
Assets that can be leveraged, such as the community hall or the school
grounds, are easy to identify.
Think how to maximise use of these resources. For example:
• A school hall can be rented out to other groups for
additional income, provided you have permission and a
volunteer to coordinate.

50
Part 1: Strategic Planning
• If you have an abundance of volunteers, go crazy with
larger events.
• Get a grant application prepared over two days by a highlyskilled
volunteer as part of their employer’s volunteer
scheme.
• Ask a printing or graphic design contact within your
community to update your branding and collateral.
Your fundraising tools
Not-for-profit organisations use many methods of fundraising, from
substantial philanthropic bequests to the humble pie drive.
Degrees are available in the study of philanthropic fundraising and,
while there is much to be learned from this field about becoming more
professional and strategic, this book focuses on those methods that are
commonly used by grassroots volunteer-based organisations.
But which options are right for your group? From my years of
experience, I’ve learnt there is no one right way to set up a fundraising
plan: nor does one fundraising activity apply universally. While
there are no quick fixes, certain fundraisers can raise money fairly
quickly. Treat every activity as a learning opportunity. Once you
have experienced a full cycle of fundraising, you will be much better
positioned for a successful fundraising year going forward.
TIP
When I started fundraising for the scouts group, I started with
ideas from my son’s school but found they didn’t work in this
environment. So I needed fresh and new ideas.
Alli, Scouts SA

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar 51
The best approach is to start with a mix of fundraising options and to
‘try and test’ over time until you have a suite of ‘proven’ fundraisers.
With proper record keeping, you will learn what works for your group.
Fundraising tools to consider are:
• services. Think facilities that generate money such as
canteen, uniform shop, book shop and after school hours
care. Sometimes, a sub-committee or a member of the
executive oversees these facilities. Could the profitability
of these services be improved?
• membership fees. The primary revenue for many clubs,
particularly sporting organisations, does the fee charged
adequately cover the lion’s share of your expenses?
• grants. Often put in the ‘too-hard’ basket, grants are
waiting to be applied for. If you do not have a volunteer to
cover this position, keep recruiting until you do! For more
information see chapter 7.
• donations. Donations, or voluntary contributions, are an
important part of any fundraising campaign. ALWAYS
ASK. If you don’t ask, you don’t know what support is
out there. If you send a donation request out each year, be
certain to include a ‘tick box’ option for those who would
like to donate but may not be in a position to do so at that
particular time. You can then send out a separate request at
a later date.
• fetes and festivals. These events are wonderful community
builders. They also require a lot of planning and an army
of volunteers over an extended period. Done well, they
have the potential to bring in a great deal of money. Fetes
and festivals are so integral to grassroots fundraising, I’ve
dedicated an entire chapter to the subject (see chapter 5).

52
Part 1: Strategic Planning
• special events. Fundraising events such as charity balls or
trivia nights are also wonderful community builders. Take
a look at what’s involved in chapter 6.
• direct sales fundraising. A direct sales fundraiser involves
selling stock that is on hand. A classic example is the
old-fashioned chocolate drive. You buy the stock to sell
and you make profits from the sale. This sort of fundraiser
can make money quickly. Another community fundraising
winner, see chapter 4 for the low-down.
• order form fundraising. This form of selling has the
benefit of not risking profit: you only order what is
sold. But it has its own challenges, requiring meticulous
administration and the round-up capacity of a sheep dog to
get those orders in on time. It’s also dealt with in chapter 4.
• a-thons. A-thons involve an activity that challenges
participants to collect sponsorship for their efforts. Popular
a-thons include walk-a-thons, spell-a-thons and fun runs
but why limit your thinking to these? Any activity that can
be measured and sponsored can become an a-thon. A-thons
are increasingly run online.
• raffles. Raffles are the fundraising staple of many groups.
They range from a major draw for a substantial prize,
such as a car, to a themed raffle held once a year (such as
Father’s Day or Christmas) or smaller raffles run in tandem
with a fete or trivia night.
• online fundraising. This is an evolving form of
fundraising worth investigating. Some online stores offer a
code that provides a group with a percentage of sales.

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar 53
• loyalty programs. The benefit of loyalty programs is that
they ‘sit in the background’, requiring little administration,
occasional publicity and some coordination for the
collection and redemption process. Many large retailers
offer loyalty schemes and they can add up to a nice side
bonus. Major grocery stores often run campaigns where
coupons or dockets are collected over a set period of time
and redeemed for prizes. Other retailers have a system of
collecting points, lids or labels, which turn into cash or
prizes.
Brainstorm fundraising ideas
This is the fun part! Be creative. Working in a group is the best way to
‘go crazy’ and think outside the square.
The #1 rule of brainstorming is NO IDEA IS STUPID!
Not every idea will be realistic or achievable but everybody needs to
feel safe to voice their thoughts. Otherwise you risk missing out on an
absolute gem of an idea.
You already will have loads of ideas from your pre-planning research
(including the online Fundraising Directory: fundraisingdirectory.com.
au and the 101 ideas included in this book). Now is the time to put it all
out there!
Amid all the excitement, make sure discussion includes voluntary
contributions, grants and other non-traditional forms of fundraising as
well as cost-savings: a penny saved is a penny earned.
And look at your target market. Are you hitting up the same people
over and over? Can you engage support from outside your immediate
community?

54
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Top 10 practicalities
1. Reference your goals
You have spent time beautifully documenting your goals. This is where
they come into play!
Having a concrete dollar amount that needs to be raised will really
inform your fundraising plans.
You now have a fundraising target for the year.
2. Work targets backwards
Successful business and sales professionals will tell you that targets are
effective in driving results. Setting targets does not mean putting undue
pressure on your committee and volunteers, even if you have decided
to go bolder and bigger this year. Quite the reverse is true! All that is
needed is a plan to generate the revenue required. You might not reach
it, but you will do better than if it did not exist in the first place.
TIP
We were all out to impress and make this year’s fete the best
and most profitable in our school’s history. We all knew what
we had to do and when. It was so successful and we are all
looking forward to making it even better next year.
Julie, NSW

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar 55
3. Put a figure next to each activity
If past results are available, let these guide your targets. Otherwise, a
supplier might be able to give an indication of what could be expected
by an organisation of your size. Factor in expenses. Don’t be afraid to
push targets out, based on previous results.
4. Go for tried and true (most of the time!)
The best starting point is what you know. But there’s a fine line between
‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ and ‘variety is the spice of life’.
While it is often easier for a committee to run the same schedule of
fundraisers over and over again, you need to put sentimentality aside.
Is the ‘golden oldie’ a ‘signature’ event or fundraiser, could it do with
a makeover or a rest altogether? If support has dwindled and there’s
a noticeable loss of interest and enthusiasm — even among your core
supporters — it is definitely time to spice up life. Don’t wait to hear ‘Oh
no, not that again’!
Mind you, the saying ‘don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater’
applies to fundraising too. Make a commitment to try one new thing
each year. That way, your fundraising stays fresh and you end up with a
very solid base of ‘tried and true’ fundraisers that work for you.
5. Mix it!
Do you go for a big bang or multiple fundraisers?
From my experience, one major fundraiser per term works best for a
school. Smaller fundraisers, such as disco nights and free dress days,
can be dotted around the major fundraisers.
A sporting club might look at two major fundraisers in their season: one
event and a raffle or order-form fundraiser.

56
Part 1: Strategic Planning
6. Select a supplier
Researching supplier options is an important part of planning. If you are
in Australia, the Fundraising Directory website (fundraisingdirectory.
com.au) provides an extensive list of potential suppliers.
When requesting information, provide suppliers with the following
information:
• type and size of your organisation
• possible timing of the fundraiser
• guidance regarding suggested quantities (if applicable).
Once the fundraising calendar is set, advise the chosen suppliers: they
can help you manage timeframes.
7. It’s not always about the money
When setting your fundraising calendar, try to find a balance between
activities undertaken purely for profit and ‘community-building’
activities. For example, a welcome barbecue may not be a fundraising
exercise but it is a community builder, opening doors to new members
who, feeling welcomed, may be predisposed to joining your group’s
volunteer army. Similarly, a trivia night may be about community
building first; fundraising second.
8. Always leverage
Never put all your fundraising eggs in one basket. Rather, look for
opportunities to leverage your activities to maximise profits. Running
silent auctions at gala nights and raffles at events are obvious choices
but with a little bit of creativity, you can do so much more:
• Provide order forms for custom-labelled wine available for
tasting or consumption at an event.

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar 57
• Take photos of the artwork at art shows (with permission,
of course!) and run an order-form based fundraiser such as
calendars, mugs or t-shirts.
• ‘Name the teddy bear’ competitions are easy and always a
hit with children.
• Find a cookery writer willing to give signed copies of his/
her book in return for a fundraising cooking demo.
9. Check timing
In real estate, location is everything. In fundraising, the same might
be said for timing! It is so important to know what other fundraising
groups within your area are doing.
TIP
Our daughter’s Open Day always coincides with the local
boys’ school walkathon – and we’re not the only parents with
children at both schools. Trying to support both means we’re
frazzled and clockwatching on a Sunday and the kids are being
rushed from one place to another. No one really enjoys their
event.
Sandra, Qld
Mapping out your plan on an annual calendar will help you to identify
the optimum timing for your fundraising activities. It will help you see
where there is overlap, and where things can be nudged a little to avoid
volunteer and supporter burn-out.
For events in particular, check that there are no sport finals or other
major events happening in your area, on that day.

58
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Product drives (chapter 4) are meant to be short and snappy — two to
three weeks of frenetic marketing, allowing an extra week for latercomers.
Do not schedule your fundraising drive to finish on the last
week of term!
10. The best laid plans
No matter how well prepared and calculated your plans, something out
of your control may interfere. That’s why you need contingency plans
and risk assessments. Read more about risk assessments in chapter 4.
Likewise there are times when opportunities come from left field. For
example, a snap election is called. Could your committee cope with an
Election Day sausage sizzle or cake bake? By having your fundraising
plan set out, you know if you have the capacity.
Share these plans with your committee and other aligned groups,
such as sub-committees, so they can be aware of your plans and avoid
conflict.
Applying our knowledge
Congratulations! Having made it this far, you are ready to fill in the
blanks for your fundraising calendar!
Take a look at the following example that I use for my school, which
enables us to see how everything fits together.

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar 59
Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4
Fundraising • Election BBQ • Spell-a-thon
• Mother’s Day
Stall
• Bi-annual
Chocolate
Drive
• Father’s
Day Stall
• Book Packs
+ Voluntary
Contribution
• Christmas
card packs
Social
• Welcome
BBQ - prep
families
• Trivia Night
• School
Dance
• School
musical
• School
Dance
• Gala
Volunteering
Opportunities
• Mother’s Day
Stall – help
on day
• Father’s Day
Stall –
co-ordinator
plus help on
day
• Book Packs
Business
Donations/
Sponsorship
• Trivia Night –
Prizes
• Spell-a-thon –
Prizes
• School
musical
sponsorship
Ongoing
Partnerships
Local shopping centre, local greengrocer, sports shoe store, milk
caps, shopping docket fundraiser, school banking
Grants/
Sponsorships
Services
Find grants/ sponsorship co-ordinator
Tuckshop, Uniform Shop, Book Shop
We then turn our calendar into an action list that can be inserted into the
‘Fundraising Activity’ section of our Grassroots Fundraising Strategy
Map TM .

60
Part 1: Strategic Planning
Annual Fundraising Plan
When What Who Target profit Actual Profit
Term 1 Trivia Night Anice Person $3,800
Term 2 Spellathon Another
Niceperson
$25,000
Term 2 Election BBQ Legen Dery $2,000
Term 2
Mother’s Day
Stall
Cham Pion $3,000
Term 2 School Dance Wonder
Woman
$2,000
Term 3
Term 3
Chocolate
Drive
Father’s Day
Stall
Anice Person $17,500
Cham Pion $2,000
Term 4 Book Packs Fabu Lous/
Outstan Ding
$20,000
Term 4
Voluntary
contribution
Fabu Lous/
Outstan Ding
$15,000
Term 4 School Dance Wonder
Woman
$2,000
TOTAL $92,300.00
© Mandy Weidmann, Grassroots Fundraising Strategy Map TM
Plan in hand, it’s now time to do two things:
• Commit to a handover. Proper handover is one of the
secrets to successful fundraising and you have shown your
intent to get serious by reading this far. A whole chapter on
handover, with easy-to-use templates awaits (chapter 10).

Chapter 3: Mapping a Fundraising Calendar 61
• Circulate your plan. It’s not a state secret! You may
decide to set up a formal consultation session with your
community and volunteers to take note of any input.
Alternatively, you may load a draft copy onto your website
and invite people to comment. Communication is king as
far as I am concerned. I believe the more people know,
the more they will want to be involved. The more people
involved, the more successful your fundraising will be.
Communication strategies are detailed in chapter 8.
TIP
Our group sets a fundraising plan and then invites the school
community to attend a special session at our P&C meeting
where we explain our plan and ask for feedback. We then
finalise it and make it available on the website.
Rebecca, Qld
Remember, you don’t need a Masters’ degree to make your fundraising
strategy work. You just need the right tools, the right advice, some help
and the passion to make it happen.

To purchase the entire book,
please visit fundraisingdirectory.com.au/handbook