A successful fundraising project requires patience, hard work, and practice.  It's important to understand why you need the money and how a business' contribution will benefit them as the donor.  There must be incentive from both ends for a successful partnership. Please see below for some tips and guidelines.

STEP 1: Why do you need money?
  • How does a business' contribution benefit your project?

STEP 2: How does contributing benefit the donor?
  • Advertising: Perhaps you can spread the brand of the donor among your target.
  • Tangible Output: Perhaps a portion of the returns for your project will be given back to the donor.
  • Tax Deductions: If neither of the above options work for you, businesses will be able to get tax deductions for their contribution if your project qualifies under state and federal not for profit laws.
STEP 3: How are you going to communicate my message with the potential donors?
  • First, write your story and how a donor's support will help.  This can take a page or two.  Write it all out!
  • Second, create your Elevator Pitch.  If you had 30 seconds to share your story and ask for funding, how would you do it?
  • Third, figure out what is the most important info, add an emotional appeal, and put together a letter that is 5 paragraphs (25 sentences total).  This will be your follow up letter after a call.
  • Fourth, modify your Elevator Pitch so you can talk to a business in a brief time.
  • Fifth, write an outline with your answers for any potential reason not to support your cause.
STEP 4: Who might be interested in donating?
  • It helps if you have a large potential list because around 5-10% will actually support you.
  • Make sure that the values of these businesses do not conflit with yours or your project.
  • Figure out who to contact within these businesses because you must reach the decision maker.
STEP 5: Am I really ready to contact them?
  • When you make your sales call, be polite and realize that their time is very precious and that you aren't the first person they want to talk to.
  • Say your elevator pitch.  Introduce yourself and your project, share credibility, explain the project, ask if they will support you, then concluded by sharing the benefits of supporting you based on the amount they give.  For example, in fund raising, I had multiple levels of partnerships.  You may create a Platinum Partnership for donors who give $5000, a Gold Partnership for donors who give $2500, a Silver Partnership for donors who give $1000, and a Bronze Partnership for donors who give $500.  The amounts are dependent on the size and influence of your project.
  • You will likely get pushback during the initial call, be polite, but persuasive.

​STEP 6: What's the best way to follow up?
  • Most likely, the person you talk to will not be the final decision maker.  They will need to talk with others.  During the phone call, ask for a follow up method and time period.  Likely an email.  
  • Within a few hours of the call, send that email so they have (in writing) what you stand for and what you want.
  • If you don't hear back by the time that they said you would, contact them again through the method you previously agreed on.

​STEP 7: What happens after the decisionz is made?
  • At this point, the potential donor will either choose to say yes or no.  Be respectful regardless of the results.  
  • If they say yes, work on how the money will be transferred and make sure that both parties agree on the terms and conditions.
  • Always, follow up this call with a summary via email so that everything is in writing.