Although it is rarely something that people like to think about very often, eventually the majority of non-profit agencies will need to reach out to the public and ask for financial assistance. Since doing so is not something that you can exclusively depend on a few benefactors for, regardless of their generosity, it is a good idea to make sure that the appropriate employees receive adequate training to maximize the success of their fundraising. When you consider the options to available to you, keep the following in mind.
Know your options
It is important to note that there are many differences between the training programs. Assuming that you are paying for both the training and the time that your employees spend learning, it only makes sense that you would like everyone to make the best use of their time. That may mean that it is a better idea for a fundraising expert to come to your facility and teach the necessary information over a period of a few days. Online classes also exist, some of which may be free.
If that is not an option, numerous schools exist to provide the service as well. One important aspect to keep in mind is that there are numerous parts of fundraising and your staff may need to be familiar with everything from getting grants to managing the money once it is obtained or even managing direct mail solicitations. Therefore, it is unlikely that a single day will provide all of the information that multiple employees will need, and you should plan accordingly.
Use the strengths and experiences of your staff
Since there are so many components of fundraising, this is a good time to apply the skills and experiences of each worker. For instance, you may find that your best technique for the long-term financial success of your non-profit depends on certain people always maintaining certain accounts.
In that instance, especially if you need to maximize the potential for income as soon as possible, make sure to put the person who has been working with large-scale donors in the class that focuses on that. By doing so, you will not be wasting their time in a direct mail class when they would benefit more from information on grant writing.
In conclusion, knowing how to adequately and professionally fund-raise is an important skill that can often best be taught by experts, in lieu of learning on the job as someone might for other job duties.
For more information, contact iMission Institute or a similar organization.
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