I was recently presented with an updated fundraising goal that was far above and beyond what we had been working with. It was a fait accompli, Board-approved. But the people who were to implement it weren’t consulted.
Sound familiar?
When an agency’s leadership has goals, that’s great. But a path to attain those goals has to be laid out. And maybe the goals will need to be adjusted in light of what you find out along the way.
If I’m told I have to apply for $1 million a year, I would appreciate a discussion. Better to be told that we would like to achieve $1 million in applications a year, let’s look at how that might be possible. Then, I’d look at all the programs — and PLANS for programs that were in the pipeline — conduct prospect research, produce a grants calendar, and have a plan laid out with:
- time built in for info-gathering,
- time for other departments to get what is needed,
- time for other agencies to get us letters of support,
- etc.
All without being the chicken with its head cut off.
If my prospect research showed that there’s not $1 million in grants out there, but instead only $500,000, wouldn’t you like to know that before committing to your Board that you’d send out $1 million?
Conversely, if my prospect research showed there is actually $2 million in grants THAT WERE ALIGNED WITH OUR MISSION AND GOALS, wouldn’t you like to know that going in?
At any rate, dreaming of $1 million is great, but let’s plant our feet firmly on the ground, listen to that little voice inside your head that says “great! How?” And step back and get a plan.
Kerri Mollard of Mollard Consulting presented on this topic to the Central Ohio chapter of Grant Professionals Association in 2015. “Planning & Budgeting for Fundraising” addressed the disparity of some agency’s goals to reality. And even though the presentation was written for those raising money from individual donors, all of us grant writers in the room totally “got” her point and saw how it spoke directly to us as well.
Kerri spoke about goal setting, goal analysis, probability, and industry stats to back it all up. It was a logical run-down of how to create logical goals that can actually be achieved and are based on historical data and common-sense forecasting. It simply and sensibly set forth a How-To on giving a foundation for success to that $1million goal.
So, if I am saying let’s put the “Fundraising Goal cart” before the horse, and Kerri is saying it, who else out there is saying it too? Will a chorus of us saying it make it so?
