Setting fundraising goals is fundamental to raising money for your non-profit group.
Creating an effective fundraising goal is one of the most important things you can do to set yourself up for success when running a fundraiser.
It’s easier than it sounds and is often one of the most overlooked steps.
Too often, we decide on a vague intention, such as “I want to raise money for my organization.”
However, this is too open-ended and will likely never actually happen. You want to have success, so start by making good targets.
It’s easier than you think. All it takes is a few minutes of your time to create a rock-solid plan!
Obviously, you want to achieve great results, so put in a few minutes to get the goal right.
To set yourself up for success, knowing how to create good goals is important.
Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals is a great way to do this.
These steps are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
These five steps will set your organization’s fundraising path to success.
Let’s dive into each one.
SPECIFIC – Decide what your goal will be. Make it as detailed as possible. Avoid using any ambiguous language.
- WHO will be involved?
- WHAT do you want to accomplish?
- WHERE will this take place?
MEASURABLE – How will you know you’ve reached your target?
- Can you track your progress?
- Are there markers you can look for during the campaign telling you you are reaching your goal?
ATTAINABLE – The trick is to make your goal a little bit difficult, but not so much that it’s out of reach.
- Is your goal reasonable?
- Can it be accomplished, or do you need to make some adjustments?
- Do you need the help of others for the goal to be realized?
RELEVANT – Does your goal fit with your group’s short and long-term objectives?
- Is it relevant to invest energy into, or do you need to make adjustments?
- Is it in line with other goals your group has?
- You want the goal to make sense and make an impact for your group. If it doesn’t, what adjustments need to be made so it helps you reach your goals?
TIME-BOUND – Set a time limit to accomplish your objective. It’s important to give yourself an end date. This will create a sense of urgency to work on the target.
- Decide on a specific day/month/year. Then get to work so you don’t run overtime.
Fundraising success is absolutely within your grasp.
Using these steps to set up a plan means your group will have an easy road map to follow as you fundraise!
Make a good goal at the start, and you’ll save yourself a lot of work at the back end of your campaign.
Just take a few minutes before you jump into any major endeavour to follow these steps.
This will ensure that your efforts are making the most impact possible.
Need some more ideas on how to have a successful fundraiser?
Tell us what goals you are working on.
Did you use the S.M.A.R.T. method? How did it go?
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