Corporate Fundraising Tips in a Flagging Economy

Corporate fundraising can be a difficult task in even the best of times, and seemingly impossible when the economy takes a downward turn. If you can learn how to plan ahead, though, your efforts won't go unrewarded. Whatever the reasons behind your fundraising needs, you can employ the following methods to increase your chances of success.

Make sure you go into your fundraising endeavor with an exact number in mind; in other words, how much money to you need to raise? Figure that out down to the last penny before you even start trying to raise the funds. A solid milestone in place will have a greater impact than a vague ballpark figure, and help you to set firm goals along the way. This will also help you when it comes time to organize the actual campaign and gather the resources necessary to begin raising funds.

Once you've set a firm number on paper, you'll be able to start the planning stage. Try to factor in any hidden fees or costs associated with the fundraising effort, since these can quickly add up and detract from your overall goal, impacting your own financial investment as you establish the fundraising effort to begin with. Even if you think you've covered all the bases, factor a little extra in just to be safe.

Time is critical. Never, never go rushing into any fundraising project; it's unprofessional, and your lack of preparation will be evident. Start planning your campaign as early as you can to give yourself as much time as possible. You need to plan ahead for the time it's going to take to collect resources, get a team together to help with event planning, and promote the event itself. Find out where you can promote your event, and set time aside to put up advertisements in those areas (and make sure they don't get taken down until the event is over.)

As strange as it sounds, motivation is actually more difficult to maintain as the event draws closer. It's vital to keep both yourself and your team motivated throughout the campaign. When motivation wanes, so does the fundraising effort, and so will your overall results. Incentives work well to keep people motivated, along with making sure everyone gets the time off and flexibility they need. For events involving products that are sold, change the workers taking orders so they don't become overwhelmed.

More important than anything I've listed above is communication. Be certain that the communication flows smoothly between not only you and your team, but also your fundraising staff and the potential investors. You'll find out quickly that people won't be willing to part with their money if they don't know exactly where it's going. If you're clear and up front with your investors, you'll quickly build a good reputation for both you and your company.

Lastly, think about variety for any silent/live auction you're running. Consider the audience you're looking to attract, and think of various packages that might appeal to them. Not only will they appreciate it, you may even find them willing to spend more money than you had anticipated.