Why “Building an Individual Giving Program Guide?”
My professional journey into the world of fund development is not an uncommon one. Like countless other fundraisers, I fell into this work without a true understanding of the art, science, and/or process of asking donors to support the mission of an organization. Those first few years building an individual giving program for an organization were both exhilarating and frustrating. When I would meet with other fundraisers or attend trainings, it felt as if those who were more experienced than myself were speaking another language. These conversations always left me lost and searching. Sometimes, they even left me wondering if this work was truly for me.
Three years into my fundraising career, I attended a training on building an individual/major gifts program with amazing facilitators who possessed a special ability to decode the world of fundraising. I walked away from that training with a better understanding of the work before me and how to achieve the goals of the organization.
Over the next couple of years, I tweaked and added information. At first, I had hopes of creating a great succession plan for anyone who followed me at my nonprofit. Then, I realized that there were a lot of other fundraisers struggling just like me. It was then and there I decided to share this information far and wide. Which is what brings us here today.
“Building an Individual Giving Program” exists to assist new and struggling fundraisers by providing the necessary and foundational tools to create a flourishing fundraising program. By following the steps outlined in the guide, we are confident you will grow the number of potential supporters in your donor database, meet with more donors face-to-face, procure more major gifts, and positively steward more relationships leading to higher retention.
At organizations both big and small, I have implemented the lessons outlined in this guide. Time and time again they have worked for me and I am confident they will do the same for you.