Fundraising and Fund Development Resources

Your fund-raising plan should be fully aligned with the mission and overall strategic effort of your organization. Fund development consists of more than just asking donors for money; it involves networking, building relationships, researching new funding prospects and emerging trends in philanthropy, and ensuring that the nonprofit’s values and mission are being communicated effectively to the public.

It is important to maintain current lists of potential funders and grant opportunities, as well as to consistently evaluate your development strategies to ensure that your tactics are effective and sustainable in the long run.

Articles & Reports on Fundraising and Fund Development

• Fundraising in a Down Economy: Focus on Brand
• Fundraising in Sun and Rain
• Getting Started with Email Fundraising
• How to Raise a Lot More Money Now: 50 Great Ideas from 11 Top Experts
• Integrating Online and Offline Fundraising
• Interview on Donor-Centric Fundraising
• A Little Sympathy for Your Donors, Please!
• Nonprofits Embrace Online and In-Person Auctions
• Tips for Cultivating Donors
• Tips for Seeking Foundation Support
• Turning Crisis into an Opportunity
• Video as a Powerful Development Tool

Audio on Fundraising and Fund Development

• Donor-Centric Fundraising, Part I 
• Donor-Centric Fundraising, Part II 

Links on Fundraising and Fund Development

Local Resources

• Associated Grantmakers of Massachusetts
  A resource for Massachusetts funders and nonprofits; has a searchable database of Massachusetts funders for members and an extensive physical library of fundraising resources
• Grants Management Associates
  Grants Management serves as a philanthropic advisor to a number of local foundations and has information on their grantmaking guidelines

National Resources

• Philanthropic Capacity Building Resource Database of the Human Interaction Resource Institute
  A searchable database of 368 current capacity-building programs run by U.S. foundations
• The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
  Provides a database of Federal assistance programs

Publications

• Dove, Kent. 2000. Conducting a Successful Capital Campaign: The New, Revised and Expanded Edition of the Leading Guide to Planning and Implementing a Capital Campaign. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  A good guide to planning and running a capital campaign
• Grassroots Fundraising Journal
  The go-to publication for fundraising for smaller nonprofits; Kim Klein, one of the founders of the journal, is also the author of the classic book, Fundraising for Social Change (2006)
• Joyaux, Simone. 2001. Strategic Fund Development, 2nd Edition: Building Profitable Relationships That Last. Aspen Publishers, Inc.
  An excellent book on the subject written by a well-respected fundraising consultant

Project Profiles on Fundraising and Fund Development

• Adventures in Email Fundraising