New nonprofit? Need Money? Have to tackle … uggghhhh … fundraising?

New nonprofit? Need Money? Have to tackle … uggghhhh … fundraising?

Ok, then. Here are five steps you, yes you, can do to launch your fundraising efforts correctly.

1. Apply for your 501c3 nonprofit status with the IRS. Your organization will need IRS approval of your nonprofit status, or most donors (individuals, foundations, corporations) will not donate. This application process will take time, months, maybe 6-8 months. However, yes, you can still fundraise in the meantime. Get your application in to the IRS and put 501c3 status pending on your website. Know nothing about this? Start here …

2. Embed a Donate button on your website. You need to give people a way to donate to you with their credit card 24 hours a day. Try Donately or Give Lively. You will need some basic tech skills, and banking information to set up. But this process is relatively simple. Donate button should be on landing page and all interior pages of your website. Test it (i.e. make a donation) and MAKE SURE you have a thank system in place to acknowledge donations (ideally, within 24 hours of them being made.) Make sure this donation process is set up to feed into your accounting system (even if that accounting system is, at first, you and an excel spreadsheet!)

3. Create a really good paragraph/statement/elevator speech about WHY someone should donate to your organization, and WHAT you will do with their donation, by WHEN. Aim for 100 words. Or less. Ask five friends or colleagues how it sounds. Revise.

4. Know your Budget. How much money do you need in next six weeks, six months, one year? What will you use it for? If you cannot answer these questions with a compelling narrative and plan, would you donate to your organization?

5. Identify and start to Build a community interested in your work. Person by person. Company by Company. Organization by Organization. Start with the socials (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) leveraging those that seem best suited for your mission and work.

Each of these five items are your task. Do them yourself; do not pay someone to help you. Do not spend any money on consultants in this phase. Not just because you likely don’t have it to spend, but if you don’t have the passion to get these relatively simple tasks accomplished, perhaps launching and running a nonprofit is not for you.

If you are stuck, seek free advice. If you cannot find any, email us at info@ristid.com, and we will do what we can to help you move forward.

Now, go get that fundraising boat in the water, so it can start working for your mission and organization!