See these tips from Doug Whittenberg with i55 associates which he shared at our Denver YPN lunch on Novermeber 4th.

1.    Make a Development Plan. If ever there was a good time to prepare a solid fund development plan, the time is now! Carefully consider your programs – and make a plan for 2009 that answers the following: WHAT funding you are seeking; WHO will do the work; and WHEN it will get done. 

2.    Look for capacity-building grants. This type of grant – which is growing in popularity – will help you build sustainability and capacity through activities like strategic or evaluation planning, developing a marketing plan to make your organization more “profitable”, visible and attractive to potential funders. One example is the Technical Assistance grant offered by The Denver Foundation. 

3.    Consider collaborations. Collaborate, or form a strategic alliance with another nonprofit that does work similar or complementary to your own. Collaborations answer some essential questions for funders, by showing that you are aware of your client base and your environment. If you show that you do not duplicate services, and can “work & play well with others” by sharing resources (what about office space?), you’ll help make their decisions easier. 

4.    Look to your volunteers. If you aren’t asking for support from the people who have already indicated how much they value your work by giving of their time, you’re missing out on a great potential. Be sure to document volunteer time and in-kind contributions as well.

5.    Call your donors, personally, now. Communicate with your supporters personally, to let them know what’s going on your organization and about your plans for the future. You may dread making these calls – and you may think you’re being a bother – but put that stuff out of your mind…these calls can end up making a huge difference at the end of the day.