Category: Campaigns

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA Cash reserves and capacity funding are in dire need throughout our sector. If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, this article is for you. Are you continuously juggling cash flow? Is your agency’s credit line at its limit? Is your client base growing faster than your donor support? Have funders asked you for stronger program outcomes, but your quality assurance (Q/A) department is nonexistent or understaffed? Is a new program needed, but you lack planning funds to test it? Is your I/T capability not up to 21st century demands? If your answer

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA Setting your right fundraising goal at the start of a campaign is very important. Why? Consider these two top reasons: First, large fundraising drives are not done frequently. Because of their infrequency, it’s important to make sure you’re asking for all you need. Once you ask, asking again at a large level usually can’t be done until five or ten years pass. Second, people decide on the amount of their gift in proportion to the goal. A $100,000 goal, for example, is unlikely to attract a gift larger than $10,000, whereas a $1 million goal

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA Shawn Jones: In your experience, have you seen a dollar “range” of fundraising campaign goals that work? Is there a goal that’s “too low” for a campaign to gain momentum? Bob Serow: Campaign goals are all relative to the culture of the organization and their capacity to raise money. If you have a real grassroots, niche nonprofit that raises an annual fund of a couple hundred thousand dollars a year, then a campaign goal of $1.1 to $1.7 million will grab people’s attention. But the campaign case for support must be compelling. The key is that the goal should be an exponential