Fund Development

The successful non-profit organization has a fund development plan and/or fund development committee. These structures ensure that fund development is integrated into the overall strategic and business planning process, and they educate the Board regarding fund development opportunities and responsibilities.

Effective fund development helps the organization achieve its long-term direction. There are many different fund development practices and levels of fundraising. Each agency needs to examine its own needs and put appropriate practices in place. For instance, in some organizations, fund development is led by the Board. In others, fund development is primarily an operational staff function. Organizational conflict arises when the assumptions around fund development philosophies are not widely understood or not explained.

The Board needs to know what fundraising practices are in place and ensure that these are appropriate to the agency. A policy might be needed to specify the role of various types of funds and how they are to be managed and controlled.

The Board requires a clear statement of the expectations that it will have for individual Board members to contribute to fund raising activities and to contribute personally.

The successful non-profit organization has a fund development plan and/or fund development committee. These structures ensure that fund development is integrated into the overall strategic and business planning process, and they educate the Board regarding fund development opportunities and responsibilities.