Fundraising Channel/Method Choice

• 🟢 Choice is determined by various types of fund requirement, motivation of the donor and a vision towards holistic organisational development
• 🟡 Traditionally we have been doing well with grant fundraising and have several multiyear grants and unrestricted funding arrangements as well
• 🟠 Choice is determined by Board directives or leadership suggestions - not necessarily guided by evidence-based decisions
• 🔴 Choice is determined by budget availability, market conditions (economy and talent pool)

🟢 Choice is determined by various types of fund requirement, motivation of the donor and a vision towards holistic organisational development

Highly developed: Fundraising choices are guided by a larger and deeper strategic understanding of different sources of funds.

Reflection:

• No response is necessary.
  
• Others -

Action:

• No action necessary.
  
• Others -

Notes for Development:

1. Fundraising choices are guided by a larger and deeper strategic understanding of different sources of funds.
   
   
2. Portfolio has been developed based on what is best for the mission. Fundraising function has been raised as an adjunct to add voice to the core mission of the organisation.
   
   
3. Fundraising decisions are not market driven, but driven by what will enable mission delivery best.

🟡 Traditionally we have been doing well with grant fundraising and have several multiyear grants and unrestricted funding arrangements as well

Fairly developed: There are a variety of funding arrangements and multiple distinctive grant partnerships.

Reflection:

• Is it prudent for a charity like ours to develop multiple channels of fundraising? Why or why not so?
• In case of any rapid geo-political shifts, will we face high funding risks given our current funding portfolio? How do we mitigate such risks?
  
• Others -

Action:

• Conduct a proper audit of current fundraising practice and financing need vis-à-vis your organisational mission.
  
• Others -

Notes for Development:

1. There are a variety of funding arrangements and multiple distinctive grant partnerships.
   
   
2. While there is a lack of diversity in fundraising practice, it does not impede strategic fund development. Highly advanced grant fundraising operation create multi-year partnerships consistently and also raise adequate amount of operational expenses.
   
   
3. Consider reforming fundraising practices, to explore if it could lead to deeper linkage (of fundraising activities) with core values.

🟠 Choice is determined by Board directives or leadership suggestions - not necessarily guided by evidence-based decisions

Under developed: Fundraising decisions are mostly top driven and may also be limited to individuals exclusively responsible for raising funds.

Reflection:

• Develop conceptual clarity on pros and cons of various types of fundraising, to make conscious choices from hereon.
• The top twenty revenue generating charities of the world practice multiple types of fundraising methods and not necessarily depend on 1 or 2 alone? Why so?
• How can we raise more unrestricted funds that will strengthen the organisation most, but are very difficult to raise?
  
• Others - 

Action:

• Develop new fundraising channels particularly to fund organisational development needs.
• Build an additional cess in grant budgets to cover for unmet organisational expenses.
  
• Others -

Notes for Development:

1. Fundraising decisions are mostly top driven and may also be limited to individuals exclusively responsible for raising funds.
   
   
2. Fundraising startegies and thereby choices, are best taken by- management, leadership, core group of staffs, and the fundraising professionals together. Each play vital role (for various perspectives) in taking such decisions, and thereby own these decisions.
   
   
3. Develop a way of taking fundraising decisions collectively - leadership, management, fundraisers, program staffs, and the remaining core group of people. This will enable a path towards more informed and strategic choices.

🔴 Choice is determined by budget availability, market conditions (economy and talent pool)

Poorly developed: Fundraising is more guided by prevailing limitations, and is possibly done as an unavoidable function that must be performed.

Reflection:

• How to develop conceptual deeper conceptual understanding of various types of fundraising methods - advantages, disadvantages, challenges, limitations of each etc.
• The top twenty revenue generating charities of the world practice multiple types of fundraising methods and not necessarily depend on 1 or 2 alone? Why so?
• How can we raise more unrestricted funds that will strengthen the organisation most, but are very difficult to raise?
  

Action:

• Create a high- power internal team to address the issue in a time bound manner.
• Build an additional cess in grant budgets to cover for unmet organisational expenses.
  
• Others -

Notes for Development:

1. Fundraising is more guided by prevailing limitations, and is possibly done as an unavoidable function that must be performed.
   
   
2. Develop deeper conceptual clarity on pros and cons of various types of fundraising. Create enabling conditions to make your choices based on your need and not solely what the market allows.
   
   
3. In a world that mostly permits free flowing of knowledge and talents, local market conditions are no longer the sole factor that drives fundraising decisions. New ways of working and the advent of technology makes it possible to imagine inventive ways of building a sustained fundraising operations.