Help Non-Profit Organizations As An Independent Fundraiser

Building a career as a professional fundraiser can be challenging but it also presents the opportunity to make a difference for non-profit organizations while supporting yourself and your family. Working with tax exempt organizations whose programs and goals align with your own beliefs can mean that besides earning money you will also be satisfied with a job well done at the end of every workday. Knowing that you have helped great organizations make a difference in the lives of others will leave you feeling satisfied even on a bad day! Read on below for what you need to know about starting your own fund raising work from home business.

Education And Experience

There is no degree in professional fund raising, however there are a number of different academic and professional areas that relate to this exciting area. Successfully helping organizations raise funds to support their programs requires a number of skills. Some of the most important include marketing, financial planning and budgeting as well as experience in business. If you have an academic background in any of these areas, or professional experience, then this can help to show clients that you have the acumen to help them achieve their goals.

Find Clients The Same Way That You Would Find Donors

Finding donors for your clients is secondary to finding clients to hire you. The good news, though, is that you can leverage the same skill set that you employ to get contributors to open up their wallets and pocketbooks to get your clients. Be ready to market yourself as an expert in your field by writing articles about effective fund raising techniques or sending out your own newsletter of information affecting non-profit organizations operating in the areas that you are interested in working.

If you are concerned about your ability to generate high quality articles that will attract clients to your home business then consider hiring a ghost writer to help. Of course, being able to effectively communicate with your clients and with potential and current donors is an essential skill set for successful fundraisers. Without these skills you will not be able to make money from home as a fundraiser, so if this is an area of concern for you then it is time to start to invest in yourself with a class or two in effective communications.

Raising Money

When it comes to raising money for the organizations that hire you, be ready to pull out your address book and start making calls. Successful fund raisers have the ability to successfully grow a large network of contacts that they can rely upon to support the organizations that they are working with. This means constantly growing and broadening your network of acquaintances and connections so that you can call upon the right person at the right time, depending on what your organization is trying to achieve.

While some not-for-profit organizations will have their own lists of perennial donors, the reason why most will be hiring you is because they need your help in growing a wealth of supportive and passionate donors. Already having a foundation of contacts, such as local business owners or individuals who you know are interested in a particular niche area, can help you to shorten the time that it takes you to meet your fund raising goals. As you continue to grow your business within your local area you can expect your network of potential donors to grow exponentially which will make this process much easier.

Many Small Donors Are Better Than Just One Big Donor

Ideally, your organization should be funded by a large number of small donors rather than just one or two large donors. This will help to ensure that even if one organizational donor goes out of business or an individual unexpectedly finds themselves unable to donate that the organization is not so reliant on that single donor that it goes under as well. For professional fundraisers this is great news, since it means that you do not have to have an inside connection with a Fortune 500 corporation or be personal friends with an incredibly wealthy individual.

Indeed, being able to grow a personal network of many middle class income individuals can be preferable for the continued independence of a tax exempt organization. Understanding the demographics of your organization’s current donors as well as the potential donors in your network can help you to better determine which contacts to mine for which organization. While some connections, such as e-mailing women on your contact list regarding a battered women’s shelter, may be obvious, others may be less so and require more analysis and consideration.