Building a solid fundraising team - Part Two


by Bob Saville - Date: 2007-06-07 - Word Count: 466 Share This!

As I mentioned in part one of this two part series, your fundraising team is one of the most important elements of your entire fundraising operation. Without a solid team, you may encounter unnecessary roadblocks along the way - everything from uncooperative team members to people whose passion is a little misguided. These things are all going to count when the final fund raising dollar value is tallied at the end of each year.

That's why selecting the right people for your fundraising team is so important.

Now, for your organization, you may not be able to rely strictly on the work of family and friends - depending on the size of your organization. If you are a smaller community organization, the friends and family angle might work just fine. If you are looking beyond your own organization for a few helping hands, here are a few things I would look for in winning fundraising teammates:

" Share the same passion -In my fundraising strategy this is always the most important element in a fundraising team. If you don't have the passion for the cause, then it might be tough to get motivated to do some of the groundwork to make the fundraising successful.

" Team players - Team players are extremely important to the overall success of your organization. Working well with others towards the organization's goals is paramount in the people you want as the driving force behind your group.

" Extra skills - Everybody has something to offer the organization, but getting to that might prove to be difficult. So, the best thing you can do is ask... "What sort of skills can you bring to the organization?" Note: If they say, "Passion for this cause," that's a really good start!

" Expertise - Professionals can help tackle some of the governance and technical aspects of your organization. These types of people include accountants, lawyers, marketing people, computer technicians, etc. Surrounding yourself with people that can provide expertise in these areas can help save on professional costs.

As I mentioned previously: everyone usually has something to offer. Take advantage of the fact that someone wants to be a part of the organization and then you can find a way in which this person can be most effective within the fundraising team. And remember in most cases, as stated in part one, more people is usually better. But don't sacrifice the entire fundraising plan if you don't feel a person is going to be able to contribute in a constructive fashion.

Fundraising can be a tricky business; the donors are finicky and they can be tough to crack. Making sure that your fundraising team is all rowing in the same direction is one of the best ways to showcase the passion and determination your organization has for its goals - and ultimately it is the path to greater financial support.

Related Tags: fundraising, fund raising, fundraising ideas, fundraising plan, fundraising strategy

Jayson Krause is a former Canadian National Bobsleigh team member who raised large sums of money for his athletic endeavors. Now he has laid out his fund raising strategy for others to use - from the organization level right through to promoting your cause and running an event. Check out his new book at www.fundraise50k.com Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

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