Fundraising Success Starts with a Plan: Cultivating a Strong Strategy
Chapter Leadership Brief 3.7.25
by Anne Rehkopf Townsend
Principal, ART + Strategy
Our work right now has never been more critical. Nonprofits provide hope, reminding people that brighter days are ahead. But hope alone isn’t enough. To sustain our missions, we need strategy and plans.
As Eleanor Roosevelt said: "It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." This sentiment resonates deeply in the world of fundraising. While inspiration and passion drive our work, successful fundraising doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a thoughtful, strategic approach—one that is guided by a well-structured plan that is both dynamic and flexible.
Times like these make me grateful for my garden and the hope that spring is near. In New York, the weather has been frigid, and with the changes in Washington that will directly and indirectly impact our work, it feels like a cold season for the nonprofit world.
But as gardeners know, even in the deepest winter, the promise of spring is alive beneath the surface. In February 2021, I began to start seeds indoors. With so much in the world outside our control, I knew that starting seeds and making a plan for my garden helped me ensure my garden would be alive with life in the coming months. Before laying seeds in the soil, I pulled out an old notebook and began thinking about a vision – what could I grow given the available space and environmental conditions? I mapped out what needed to be planted in full sun, what needed lots of water, which flowers grew to great heights, and what was happy to grow in the shade of others. Like my work in fundraising, I created a plan.
As we are entering this season of uncertainty and change, it’s even more important to have a strategic fundraising plan in place—one that considers multiple income scenarios and maps out how your organization will fund its mission.
If you already have a plan, now is the time to revisit and refine it. Given the shifts coming from Washington, what adjustments need to be made? As we saw during the early stages of the COVID pandemic, some funding streams dried up while others strengthened. Begin evaluating where you invest your time, nurturing the revenue streams that are most promising at this moment.
A fundraising plan is much like planning a garden. What worked last year? What didn’t? What can be planted for immediate results, and what needs to be started now so it has time to unfurl and develop? The seeds you sow today will sustain your organization in the future.
Here are some tips to get you started:
Reflect on Your Work Last Year
Before looking ahead, take a moment to reflect. Understanding past performance is essential for making informed decisions about the future. Consider how much was raised in each income category and whether your organization met its fundraising goals. If you exceeded expectations, what factors led to that success? If you fell short, what challenges hindered your efforts? Think about any new initiatives introduced last year—perhaps new board members joined, a campaign launched, or additional donor engagement strategies were put in place. Analyzing these efforts will provide valuable insights into what is effective and what requires adjustment.
Reflection should also extend to operational capacity. Were there enough staff and resources to execute the plan effectively? Was the expense budget adequate for the activities planned? Understanding these factors helps lay a strong foundation for the year ahead.
Identify Goals and Strategies for the Coming Year
After reviewing the past, define where you want to go. Begin by setting clear financial and non-financial goals. What revenue targets do you aim to achieve in each fundraising category? Are there new funding opportunities to explore? In addition to financial goals, consider other objectives such as increasing donor engagement, enhancing board participation, or broadening outreach efforts.
Identifying key activities is important for achieving these goals. This may be the year to recruit new board members, host additional cultivation events, or enhance your case for support. Equally important is evaluating the resources available to carry out the plan. Do you have the necessary staff, board backing, technology, and budget to execute effectively? Setting realistic goals ensures that your plan remains actionable and aligned with your organization’s capacity.
Put It on the Calendar and Be Flexible
A plan is only as good as its execution. Once you have set your goals and strategies, schedule them on a calendar to ensure they are actionable and realistic. Consider how fundraising efforts align with other organizational activities, major events, and peak workload periods. Be mindful of seasonal trends, such as year-end giving or gala season, and avoid overloading your team during particularly busy times.
Regular check-ins are crucial for assessing progress and making adjustments as needed. Fundraising is dynamic, and the ability to pivot is essential. A structured calendar helps prevent last-minute scrambles, ensures accountability, and provides a clear roadmap for staying on track.
Planning as a Tool for Resilience
While we don’t yet know the full extent of the disruptions to existing funding streams, we do know that diversifying revenue sources will make organizations more resilient in the long run. A flexible fundraising plan that considers multiple “what ifs” will help steady your organization through uncertain times.
These may be hard days, but there are ways to navigate them and continue finding joy in our work. Remember that you are part of a larger community. Getting involved—with AFP or other professional organizations providing learning opportunities and peer networks – is a great way to find and connect with your colleagues who are walking the same path. Below are a few upcoming AFP events for you to consider; I’d love to see you there!
Moving forward, success will require thoughtful planning, flexibility, resilience, and community. But like a well-tended garden, stability, growth, and hope are possible with patience and the right plan.
Upcoming AFP-NYC events
March 26: Spring Symposium: Major Gifts Best Practices
April 30: Meet the Grantmakers: Keeping your Mission Relevant and Funded
June 13: Fundraising Day New York
Anne Rehkopf Townsend is a New York-based fundraising strategy consultant with over 25 years of experience serving cultural, social service, and educational nonprofits. Anne began her career as Director of Development at the Brooklyn Historical Society and the National Academy of Design. For the past 19 years, Anne has worked as a consultant, guiding nonprofits of all sizes to strengthen their fundraising strategies. She has helped clients raise millions of dollars by developing strategic fundraising plans and coaching teams through execution. She holds a BA in Art History from Newcomb College, Tulane University, is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), and has a Certificate in Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource. She recently earned a master’s in Museum Studies from the City University of New York.