Top 10 How-To Fundraise Topics

By: Sasha Daucus

Is Grant writing, special event organizing,  or how to ask for a large amount of money on your mind?  It is for many of our website visitors. One of our most popular features on the website is the Library section, and especially our topic-by-topic FundClass articles. They are a rich source of fundraising information on a broad range of topics. If the urge to learn is overtaking you, click through to the complete list of topics or directly go to one of the top ten below.

Top 10

1.  A Pleasant Walk Spoiled... The Charity Golf Tournament: A Survivor's Notebook, facilitated by Tom King, FundClass Topic 25, March 2001
This extremely practical article helps you decide, first, if a charity golf event is really a good idea for you (it may not be!). Then if you decide it is, gives you tips to make it a success.

2.  Grant Writing, facilitated by Elizabeth Chilton, FundClass Topic 33, September 2002
Starting with simple but indispensable advice on the two most important points of grant writing, this article goes on to give many pointers for moving through a successful grant making effort.

3.  Benefits Mean More Than Money (Special Event Fundraising) facilitated by Melinda Kuth, FundClass Topic 20, January 2000
What can you realistically expect a benefit event to achieve for your organization?  This article, with information by a highly successful special event coordinator, helps you plan an event with realistic goals... and to understand what those goals might really be! (They are by far not all monetary... and knowing that will help you succeed).

4.  Major Gifts, facilitated by Tony Poderis, FundClass Topic 18, July 1999
One of the clearest teachers of fundraising tells you how to get major gifts, starting with encouragement to 'go ahead and ask' and leading on to the steps of preparing for a large request. If you really want to bring in major gifts for your organization, you just got lucky with this article (but it's not magic). 

5.  The Fundraiser's Toolbox (partial class), facilitated by Sondra Delaripa, FundClass Topic 23, November 2000
For help with understanding the basic foundation of fundraising, you can take a look at one way to break down the overall steps involved. This article starts by laying out 5 steps to fundraising. Detailed discussion of the first two points (Planning and Collaboration) is covered before the class was interrupted, so use this article to fill out what others say on basic fundraising. 

6.  Direct Mail Fundraising facilitated by Dave Cotter, FundClass Topic 32, September 2002
This article is in "ask and answer" format for burning questions on direct mail fundraising. Questions cover how to increase your response rate; how to make sure a database is in good condition; recommendations on donor acquisition mailing; what to expect for a response rate; when to delete inactive donor records; how-to move donors into higher giving range; considerations about mailing to nondonors and getting lists from other organizations.

7.  Capital and Endowment Campaigns For Small Groups facilitated by Kim Klein, FundClass Topic 29, February 2002
For clarity and depth, this teacher is among the best. She walks you through the steps of planning and accomplishing a successful large gift campaign.

8.  Intro to Data Management for Nonprofits facilitated by Gene Weinbeck, FundClass Topic 35, October 2002
In depth information on working successfully with donor management software. Information for beginners and advanced alike. Starts with how to choose a donor management program; issues on importing data from a previous program; and basics on data entry (coding and consistency). Moves on to information about using software to help with special fundraising activities like grant tracking, tributes, premiums, and more.

9.  How to get your board involved in fundraising facilitated by Kim Klein, FundClass Topic 19, October 1999
what can you expect from your board, and what might they need from you? This is a down-to-earth discussion of some of the human dynamics of working with real people.

10.  Public Relations and Marketing facilitated by Liz Brown, FundClass Topic 31, August 2002
Question and answer format for burning marketing questions. Includes questions related to planning a strategic approach to marketing; how to raise money if you are a public agency; how to gain more visibility for your cause; letting donors know about organizational success.

FundClass was a free email list used for teaching fundraising lessons in an informal online "classroom". In it, veteran fundraisers shared their knowledge with people who were new to fundraising. The List was run by volunteers and sponsored by FundRaiser Software. It ran from 1997-2003.