A nonprofit fundraising plan is a road map designed to help you raise the money you need to achieve your goals.
It breaks down your organization’s vision into actionable, highly-specific steps for success.
It doesn’t matter if you are running a multi-million dollar nonprofit organization or are a small start-up: the key to financial success is a well-thought-out fundraising plan. Don’t set yourself up for failure by just ‘winging’ the fundraising process.
Instead, get your team together (or go solo if it’s only you) and get to work on creating your nonprofit fundraising plan.
What is a Nonprofit Fundraising Plan?
A nonprofit fundraising plan is a document that strategically organizes all of your fundraising activities over a certain period of time (usually one year). These strategic plans chart out campaign dates and strategies, donor-tracking and retention plans, special event details, and a targeted communication schedule.
In addition to being strategic, you want to make sure that your fundraising plan is flexible enough to accommodate changes as they arise. If your fundraising plan is rigid and formulaic, chances are, you’ll miss out on some great opportunities. The key is to have an adaptable fundraising strategy with set goals that will also allow you to respond to unexpected challenges, like mid-year changes to one your programs or unforeseen events that throw off your well-planned fundraising timeline.
Before we dive in on how to create your own nonprofit fundraising plan, I want to go over a couple of questions you might be asking.
What is Strategic Fundraising?
I mentioned strategic fundraising earlier but what is it exactly? Strategic fundraising refers to moving your organization’s mission forward by honing in on what you do best. It involves the buy-in of multiple stakeholders such as your staff and board members, and maps out a path forward as you raise funds.
A strategic fundraising plan is intended to keep you on track toward your fundraising goals by using your organization’s resources as effectively and efficiently as possible while keeping aligned with your overall mission and vision.
How Does a Nonprofit Fundraising Plan Differ From Other Fundraising Plans?
A nonprofit fundraising plan organizes your fundraising activities over the course of a year. You may have other fundraising plans that detail the specifics of fundraising campaigns and activities included within your overall plan.
Download Our Free Fundraising Plan & Calendar Template:
Why Do You Need a Fundraising Strategy?
First and foremost, fundraising plans get everyone–staff, volunteers, board members, and potential donors–focused and on-track to hitting your goals throughout the year. With a set plan in place, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and won’t lose sight of priorities along the way. It should give your team a clear idea of what will be expected of them as well as the anticipated results.
These documents are also essential in shifting an entire organization’s attitude about fundraising. Let’s face it, fundraising is oftentimes reactionary. Problems such as an economic downturn or changes in federal funding can arise at any time.
A better way forward is to have fundraising goals, which then dictate your fundraising efforts and fundraising strategy.
A fundraising plan should provide a clear course of action from diversified funding streams, leaving everyone with a little less stress on their plate when problems do pop up.
It all boils down to the fact that when you are in the thick of, let’s say, an underperforming capital campaign, you are much more likely to come out on top if you have a plan in place to tackle the issues.
Are you ready to create a great fundraising plan? There’s no time like the present to get started. Follow these 11 must-do steps to ensure your fundraising plan is ready.
How To Write A Successful Fundraising Plan
1. Reflect on Your Past Finances
Before you start putting together a fundraising plan for the upcoming year, take a moment to reflect on last year as a whole. What were your organization’s biggest wins? What challenges did you face? How did your team adapt and grow? This broader reflection will help set the stage for more targeted planning.
After that, take a step back to look at last year’s finances. At minimum, take a note of your total revenue and expenses. What’s going to carry over to this year? Which fundraising initiatives were successful? Which ones didn’t go as planned and either need more attention or should be scrapped altogether? Should more funds be allocated towards a certain initiative over another? Will new staff be brought on?
If you maintain a donor database or other CRM, you’ll be able to access this data quickly. If that data isn’t available or you are a start-up, look at your estimated budget or check out the stats of similar organizations. By reflecting on your past finances, you’ll be better equipped to create targeted fundraising goals going forward.
2. Ground In Your Mission And Vision
Any successful fundraising plan must be based on the organization’s mission and vision. These statements act as anchors for your organization and outline the direction going forward.
There’s only so many hours in a day, and only so many days in a year. Being able to articulate your organization’s guiding principles allows you to strategically set priorities rather than attempting to tackle everything all at once. It lets your staff and your donors know the direction of where your organization is going and how you’re planning to get there. Keeping your mission and vision statement top-of-mind as you’re creating your fundraising plan leaves little room to get sidetracked along the way.
As a good litmus, ask these questions as you put together your fundraising plan.
- Why is your organization in operation?
- What types of change are you making in the world?
You aren’t just raising money. You are raising money to make a difference. So be prepared to explain in detail how this money is going to help your organization create the impact you desire in the world.
3. Set Your Fundraising Plan Goals
Now it’s time to set your goals! Your fundraising goals should be based on what funds you need to keep the organization operating.
Your goals are also the catalyst and “North Star” for all your fundraising activities.
Earlier, we talked about reflecting on last year’s finances as a starting point. Now, it’s time to take a deeper dive by reviewing your costs over the last three fiscal years. This longer-term perspective helps identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement. If you don’t have access to this data or are a new organization, use your estimated budget or research the financial trends of similar organizations to guide your analysis.
Jot down the precise amount you need for the upcoming year. Then, build on this goal. Do you see growth in your organization’s future? If so, increase your year-to-year goals based on your anticipated growth.
Fundraising Goal Worksheet Example
You’ll notice that the fundraising goal worksheet example above follows the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Here’s how to get SMART when charting out your goals:
- Specific: What will the goal accomplish? How will it be accomplished?
- Measurable: How will you measure success? How will you know when you’ve accomplished your goal?
- Achievable: Is it realistic and possible? Have others done it before?
- Relevant: Is the goal relevant to the problem you’re trying to address?
- Time Bound: When do you expect to complete this goal?
4. Look at the Big Picture
Does your organization have a strategic plan? If so, you’ll want to make sure that your fundraising plan aligns with it. Creating 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year plans is a best practice in the nonprofit world, and you can do this with your fundraising plan as well.
Your 1-year fundraising plan should be very specific. Detail every fundraising activity you will engage in over the course of the year.
Your 3 and 5-year plans can be much broader. Highlight key activities for each month, as well as your ultimate goals. If you see your organization growing and needing additional resources in 5 years, then outline a basic schedule that includes the steps you need to take in order to meet this demand.
Also, be sure you’re tracking every cent of fundraising revenue from previous years, as this will help you create data-backed fundraising goals for the future.
5. Perform a SWOT Analysis
As an additional level of assessment and to make sure nothing is slipping between the cracks, you may want to perform a SWOT analysis. When done correctly, a SWOT analysis can be an extremely powerful fundraising tool.
But what exactly is a SWOT analysis and why should you use it?
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning and evaluation tool that can provide direction by assessing your organization’s internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats). Below is a SWOT analysis template, specifically for fundraising,with sample questions in each domain:
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| – What fundraising strategies have been the most successful or lucrative? – What are your strongest sources of funding? – Is there something that gives your organization an edge over others? – What unique skill sets do your staff, volunteers, and board members possess? | – Where are identified gaps in your existing fundraising strategies? – What fundraising strategies have been the least successful? – What areas do you want to improve or grow in? |
| Opportunities | Threats |
| – What new fundraising strategies do you want to try? – What are potential partnership opportunities that have been presented but yet to be explored? – Are there marketing opportunities you can leverage? | – Are there events or factors that you anticipate will rock your organization’s finances? – What similar organizations in your area are also competing for the same sources of funding? – Are there policy changes or regulations coming down the pike that will negatively impact your organization? |
A SWOT analysis takes a critical look at your operations, giving you a clearer idea of the overall health of your organization, how you’re doing compared to similar organizations, and areas where you can improve.
6. Detail Your Methods
After you’ve aligned your goals and mission, it is time to describe exactly how you will be raising those funds. You want your fundraising plan to be so detailed that even those outside of the organization will be able to understand it!
List the types of fundraising techniques you will be using. Include strategies such as:
- Crowdfunding campaigns
- Face-to-face asks
- Phone calls
- Mail campaigns
- Email marketing campaigns
- Fundraising Events
- Thank-a-thon
- Grants and matching gifts
- Corporate sponsorships and partnership development
- Recurring donation campaigns
- Month-long focus on endowments and planned giving
- Capital campaigns
(Be sure to also check out our comprehensive list of fundraising ideas for more inspiration.)
Wag Love used sponsorships for their campaign and displayed them on their campaign page.
Then, list the steps you need to take before and after each of the above activities. You may need to train volunteers, get your materials ready, or talk to someone about setting up the campaign website. Take some time to really dive deep into each of your fundraising strategies.
Also, be sure to think of both short-term and long-term activities. What can you focus on now and what fundraising tactic can you expand if your organization needs additional funding?
7. Consider New Trends for Your Fundraising Plan
It’s no surprise that how we market and fundraise is constantly changing, especially with new technology.
Keeping up to date with emerging fundraising trends can help you market and engage more effectively and efficiently. Here are a few new marketing trends worth considering when putting together your fundraising plan:
Community Advocacy & Trusted Voices
You’ve probably heard the phrase “people donate to people they trust.” It’s true, and it doesn’t just apply to celebrities or big-name influencers.
Today, some of the most effective “influencers” for nonprofits are already part of your world. Board members, staff, volunteers, community champions, local advocates, and long-time supporters all have something incredibly valuable: real relationships and earned trust.
Social media has made it easier than ever for these trusted voices to show up authentically. A volunteer sharing a behind-the-scenes moment from an event, a staff member posting about why the work matters to them, or a board member explaining why they choose to give can have a powerful ripple effect. These stories feel personal, not promotional, and people pay attention to that.
This kind of advocacy doesn’t require a massive following or a big budget. It does take intention and encouragement. When the right people share your mission in their own words, they’re lending credibility and helping introduce your cause to audiences who already trust them. That trust is what opens the door to deeper engagement and generosity.
AI-Assisted Donor Segmentation & Personalized Messaging
Personalization has always mattered in fundraising, but keeping up with it at scale can feel overwhelming. That’s where AI can be a helpful partner, not a replacement for human connection.
AI-powered tools, including CRMs with built-in intelligence or tools like ChatGPT, can help analyze donor behavior and patterns you might not have time to uncover on your own. Things like giving history, engagement levels, or past campaign participation can be used to group donors more thoughtfully and inform how you communicate with them.
CauseVox’s CRM uses AI to help you get instant reports with actionable insights.
For example, you might send one message to first-time donors focused on gratitude and impact, while long-time supporters receive an update that reflects their ongoing commitment. AI can help draft or refine these messages so they feel more relevant and timely—without losing your voice.
The goal isn’t automation for automation’s sake. It’s using technology to support more human, intentional communication. When donors feel seen and understood, they’re more likely to stay connected to your mission and continue showing up for the work.
User-Generated Content (UGC) In Campaigns
Some of the most compelling fundraising content doesn’t come from your marketing team, it comes from the people closest to your mission.
User-generated content (UGC) invites donors, volunteers, program participants, or community members to share their own stories in their own words. This might look like a short selfie video explaining why they gave, a written testimonial about their experience, or a personal fundraising page that tells a story only they can tell.
These stories add depth and credibility to your campaigns. They help potential donors see themselves in the work and understand the impact from a real, human perspective. A single authentic testimonial or personal campaign story can often resonate more than a perfectly polished appeal.
Supporters can add a personal story on a peer-to-peer campaign page with CauseVox
When possible, showcase this content directly on your campaign pages. Featuring a screenshot of a personal fundraising story or a donor testimonial helps new supporters see what participation looks like, and reassures them that real people are already involved.
The key is making it easy to share. Offer simple prompts, clear guidance, and encouragement. When supporters feel empowered to tell their story, your campaign becomes more than a fundraising goal, it becomes a shared experience.
Video Marketing
In today’s digital world, nonprofits should consider investing in video and visual storytelling as a key fundraising tool.
Amigos uses a short video on their campaign page to tell a powerful story and help donors see the impact of their gift.
Over the past decade, video marketing has only grown in popularity. With more and more smartphone users, people are spending an average of 19 hours a week watching videos online. When it comes to fundraising, 80% of the highest-grossing campaigns on CauseVox have used video as part of their campaign. In fact, 57% of people who watch nonprofit videos go on to make a donation.
Without a doubt, an impactful nonprofit video is one of the most effective tools in your belt for rallying support. I’m referring to those videos that showcase the remarkable journey from trial to triumph of an individual or group.
The best thing about video marketing is that it doesn’t have to be a full-scale production, especially if you have limited marketing dollars. These days, shooting high-quality videos doesn’t have to cost an arm and leg. Short-form videos like those used in TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are extremely popular ways to connect with your audience. All you need is a smartphone and good lighting to get started!
Download your free nonprofit fundraising and calendar plan here.
8. Bust Out Your Fundraising Plan Calendar
You’ve written down all of your fundraising plan information in a document. Your team has come to an agreement on appropriate financial goals, aligned those with your mission, described your fundraising techniques in detail, and then put this information into 1, 3, and 5-year plans.
Phew!
Now, it’s time to get out your calendar which will supplement your total fundraising plan. Your fundraising calendar will help you to stay on task throughout the year.
Sample Fundraising Calendar included in our free download
Let’s say you are nearing the busiest time of the year for fundraising—the holidays. Your calendar should detail all the steps you need to take before the “busy season” starts such as establishing your goal, website preparations, and volunteer training.
Mark down your hard deadlines, action deadlines, communication schedule, and your donor retention strategy schedule. Viewing these dates as inflexible will keep you on task, even if you have to make adjustments here and there.
Keep your fundraising calendar on hand at every development meeting. This is a great tool to keep your schedule and goals top of mind. Need to keep track of important dates that may be related to your cause? Check out NonProfit Tech for Good’s sample cause awareness day calendar.
Take a look at our article on creating a fundraising calendar for additional information on creating a stellar fundraising calendar. You’ll find a template and worksheet you can use to build your own calendar.
Your final fundraising plan is likely to change as your organization grows, and that is okay! It isn’t meant to be a static document.
9. Determine & Delegate Activities
Once you’ve got your team assembled, create a timeline to determine who’s doing what and when. Your timeline will be a roadmap for all your fundraising efforts and can include things like when to launch a campaign or when to schedule out social media posts.
Make sure to review your timeline with your team to ensure that everyone’s on the same page and that it’s realistic. Chances are, your team members are saddled with other responsibilities so by divvying up activities, you can ensure that you’re not overwhelming them if they already have a heavy workload.
Consider using a project management software to help with this process.
10. Segment and Strategize For Different Donor Types
When it comes to fundraising, personalization is key. You wouldn’t talk to a ten year old the same you would communicate to a thirty-year old. It’s the same concept with your donor base.
You donors aren’t a monolith so skip the generic communications and instead, segment and tailor your messaging for different donor types. One of the most common ways you’ll see a nonprofit segment donors is by gift amount. You could have a segment for small-dollar donors, mid-level donors, and major donors. Of course, it’s up to you to choose what the cutoff amount for each category is.
Major Donors
The definition of a major donor will vary from organization to organization. For some, the criteria for a major donor could be anyone who gives $10K or more, while others may view anything above $1K as a substantial gift. Regardless of how you define who a major donor is, as a fundraising professional, you already know that they’re important, especially since 88% of all nonprofit funds come from just 12% of donors.
Mid-Level Donors
Mid-level donors are often one of the most overlooked (and most promising) segments. Depending on your organization, these gifts might range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.
What makes mid-level donors so important is their potential. Many are deeply engaged, believe in your mission, and are capable of increasing their support over time. With thoughtful stewardship like impact updates, invitations to get more involved, and messaging that acknowledges their growing commitment, mid-level donors often become major donors or long-term recurring supporters.
Small-Dollar Donors
Small-dollar donors may give $5, $25, or $75 at a time, but they’re often some of your most values-driven and loyal supporters. The key is meeting them where they are. If someone’s largest gift has been $25, a $1,000 ask will likely feel misaligned.
This group is also ideal for recurring giving. A $25 monthly donation adds up to $300 a year, and over time, recurring donors can provide more lifetime value than a single larger gift. CauseVox’s pledge donation option also allows donors to commit to a larger amount and pay in manageable installments, making generosity more accessible.
Other Ways to Segment
While segmenting by gift amount is popular and common, it’s not always the most personal approach. How much someone gives only tells you their giving capacity but it doesn’t provide much more information otherwise. You’re not going to know how often they give on average (propensity), why they gravitated to your cause, and what they care about (affinity).
If you don’t want to segment by gift amount, you can always consider segmenting donors based on their level of involvement, their interests, or even by geography. For example, a volunteer will interact differently with your organization compared to someone who’s receiving services. Alternatively, you wouldn’t want to send the same messaging to a lapsed donor and to someone who engages with your organization regularly.
Tag and segment your donors on your CRM
When you’re attuned to the specificities of a donor (i.e. their interest and intent), you can make their donor journey way more meaningful. The possibilities are endless, so go wild!
11. Keep Everything Organized With the Right Software
The final step in your fundraising plan is making sure everything stays organized.
If you’re juggling donor data across multiple spreadsheets, hunting for the “latest” version, or feeling full-on spreadsheet fatigue—you’re not alone. It’s frustrating, time-consuming, and honestly unsustainable.
There’s a better way. While tools like Google Sheets or Excel can work in a pinch, they’re not a replacement for a dedicated donor database. That’s where a unified CRM comes in. A CRM brings all your donor data, giving history, and engagement in one place, so nothing falls through the cracks and your team can focus on building real relationships.
CauseVox is more than just fundraising software. It’s a unified fundraising platform and CRM designed to help you increase giving while reducing back-office work. Everything works together, seamlessly, with features like:
- Smart, conversion-optimized donation forms
- Automated receipts and acknowledgements
- Donation tracking and actionable insights
- A unified CRM to manage and grow donor relationships
- Event ticketing and registrations
- Customizable peer-to-peer and crowdfunding campaigns
- Expert support from real humans who understand fundraising
When your tools are connected, your fundraising plan actually works the way it’s supposed to clear, organized, and built for growth.
Download Our Free Fundraising Plan & Calendar Template:
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