Fundraising Services
Fundraising Strategy
Sustainable fundraising is easier when you have laid the practical foundations, understand which actions are most likely to pay off, and have clear steps to take.
Everything starts with a good strategy. Under Sarah’s direction, TFA has created over 250 multi-year/long-term fundraising strategies for New Zealand charity boards based on actions and insights into what actually works.
Our fundraising strategies are designed to strengthen your organisational capability. They focus on your priorities and goals, and consider your existing capacity, connections and advantages (especially the ones you may not see). We outline opportunities across different fundraising streams; the groundwork required to best utilise each; and the resource, support systems and tools you will need to deliver on this strategy.
Whether you require a comprehensive, multi-stream strategy, or wish to focus on implementing one specific revenue stream (e.g. major giving), we can provide a clear pathway with a detailed strategy.
View our 5 fundraising strategies below
Three-year fundraising strategy
This comprehensive strategy
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Will be aligned to your organisational strategy, but focussed on fundraising goals, needs and requirements
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Outlines the role and responsibility of governance related to fundraising
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Contains three - five clear priorities to be supported or initiate by fundraising
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Considers the full spectrum of opportunities available across different fundraising streams
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Identifies concrete actions to be taken over the three-year period to activate these opportunities
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Provides access to helpful resources (such as policies and procedures templates).
One-year fundraising strategy
This action-oriented plan
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Provides clear actions related to your overall fundraising strategy and aligned to those priorities
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Establishes realistic timelines and steps required to achieve them
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Clarifies ownership of actions and priorities, and requirements for successful delivery, with a runway to growth.
"The questions they asked were always the right ones – it helped us stop, think, and answer them correctly because we knew it was shaping the fundraising strategy".
REBECCA NELSON, C0-FOUNDER OF TE KIWI MĀIA
Capital Fundraising Strategy
Sarah’s first major project as a consultant (then Barrer & Co) was a capital fundraising campaign for Cholmondeley Children’s Home in 2012. The detailed and staged strategy she used to achieve a multi-million-dollar target in just 18 months has formed the base of over 40 capital strategies since, 15 of which have been successfully implemented.
What is a capital fundraising campaign?
Capital fundraising campaigns are designed specifically to raise large amounts of money for a major asset build or purchase; this may include new, remodelled or restored buildings, or significant equipment purchases essential to the delivery of your charity’s purpose. Capital campaigns are typically one-off or staged projects and are not part of ongoing or everyday operational costs.
What does a capital campaign strategy cover?
Capital campaigns require a specific and nuanced approach which covers three stages: Set-Up, Active and Tidy-Up. Different stages draw on different resources and fundraising streams; timing and messaging are crucial to maximise opportunities and momentum, and not make approaches too early or too late.
If your organisation is ready to raise significant donations for capital projects, TFA can help you with a proven approach to successful capital fundraising. Our capital campaign strategies encompass all three campaign stages, and outline resources required, what actions to take and when, who to involve and how to proceed at each stage.
How long do they last?
Although they often have fixed timelines, capital fundraising campaigns may span several years; their duration can affect the approach you take. The exact length will depend on several factors, including the quality and readiness of your current supporter pool; the amount you need to raise; and logistics of the capital project itself. TFA can help you establish a realistic and workable time frame that ensures momentum, without exhausting your supporters’ giving ability, or good will.
Why do I need a capital campaign fundraising strategy?
Just as an architect designs a building, you should design the way in which you will fund its creation (or the purchase of other assets). A considered strategy will identify all the resources and assets available to you, the availability of each stream of the fundraising mix which you can activate (and when, and for how much support), and the strength and breadth of support for your project. It will cover your communications and build a timeline and milestones.
Read how St Bede’s raised $800,000 in eight months to rebuild their Chapel.
"They’re very professional, very astute and extremely good to work with. We raised over $800,000 in four months. We would have raised merely a fraction of that money without them ... And it went beyond the money raised because St Bede’s learnt so much in the process and has the benefit of that knowledge and experience".
HAYDEN RYAN, CHAIR OF ST BEDE'S OLD BOYS' FOUNDATION
Are you ready to build your big dream?
Major Gifts Strategy
It is possible that you have existing or potential donors who could support you in more substantially; a major gifts strategy outlines the steps your charity can take to make that giving easier.
TFA can build a major giving programme for you, but if you want to build and implement the programme yourself, this strategy will provide you with an understanding of what is required.
What does a major gift strategy cover?
A major gifts strategy will help you identify, attract and retain major gift donors. These are people who have established a connection with your charity and have committed (or would be likely to support) to your long-term vision and want to support you financially in a significant way. Identifying who to approach is just one small part of your major gift strategy; you need to establish their likelihood of donating; consider who should approach them, when, and what messaging or approach will work to engage different donors. That is where our extensive experience comes in.
Why do I need a major gift strategy?
Your care for your donors needs to match the significance of their donations and the impact these can make. Because major donors (often referred to as High-Net-Worth Individuals – HNWI) are investing often substantial amounts, they are typically drawn to the most impactful aspects of your charitable purpose. For this reason, your standard messaging may need nuancing. Their relationship with you will also require more consideration and care, including planned acknowledgement and ongoing stewardship.
Bequest Strategy
Bequests, also known as legacies or gifts in wills, are gifts given when a supporter includes your organisation in their will, whether by gifting a specific sum of money, an asset, or a percentage of their estate.
For those who are deeply connected to your mission, and who understand that this may be long-term or even multi-generational, bequests offer a meaningful and realistic way to genuinely make a difference. Some of the largest gifts charities ever receive are through bequests, because the giver can donate their assets to causes they care about without experiencing a direct financial impact. This makes the creation of a bequest strategy an essential part of your long-term fundraising mix, especially given the Great Wealth Transfer that is taking place.
Bequest fundraising requires careful consideration as it involves legal, financial and ethical considerations. TFA can build a bequest giving programme for you, but if you want to build and implement the programme yourself, this strategy will provide you with an understanding of what is required.
What does a bequest strategy cover?
A bequest strategy will identify the elements required to activate this stream. Whether you want to start simply and passively (e.g. through a page on your website) or proactively (by identifying and seeking bequest gifts) you must still understand the different types of bequest gift; have identified how you can use a bequest while honouring your donor’s wishes; and undertaken certain decisions at Board level (e.g. whether/how you can use gifts of property; will bequest gifts be spent or invested). You will then require polices and processes to cover these decisions.
Your strategy will outline the above, and more, and consider messaging; potential naming of your programme; identification of potential bequest givers; cultivation and stewardship considerations; and acknowledgements.
Why do I need a bequest strategy?
Given the long-term and sensitive nature of this revenue stream, and its potential financial significance, you risk missing opportunities or being unprepared when they arrive if you have not planned for it. Bequest fundraising takes time to show results; it is important to introduce the concept of bequest support even if your overall fundraising is still in early stages. A strategy can outline actions based on your current resource level, identify barriers to securing bequests (e.g. a lack of clarity about how these gifts would further your purpose), and help you plan for opportunities that occur, or which you can encourage.