At Zimmerman Lehman we're continually and perversely impressed with the number of nonprofit organizations that try to raise money without benefit of a written fundraising plan. Harking back to the old Judy Garland Mickey Rooney films, I term this the "Let's Put On a Play!" school of fundraising. I.e. "Let's try a direct mail campaign! Whoops...that didn't work. Let's host a fundraising dinner! Hmmm.....the expenses exceeded the revenues. Let's write a proposal to a foundation! Oy...they turned us down..."And so on.

If your nonprofit is serious about raising money, you absolutely must have a written plan! You can prepare the plan internally (usually the job of the Director of Development), or you can hire a consulting firm to write it. In either case, the plan includes the following elements:

1. An in-depth review of the organization's fundraising activities to date. To conduct this review, the person writing the plan:

• a. Reads all relevant written material, including letters of intent, full proposals, direct mail letters, case statements, annual reports, special event programs and brochures

• b. Interviews appropriate staff members, members of the board of directors, and other volunteers to gain a sense of the organization's strengths, weaknesses and fundraising potential

2. Preparation of detailed information about other fundraising strategies that the organization has not yet pursued. If, for example, the organization has never conducted a direct mail campaign, and if the person preparing the plan considers direct mail a sensible strategy for that organization, the writer will provide extensive information about planning and implementing such a campaign.

3. Preparation of a three-year fundraising calendar. The calendar is divided into six month segments. Each segment contains:

• a. The types of fundraising to be addressed during that period (e.g. foundation solicitations, direct mail, planned giving, etc.)

• b. The tasks to be accomplished in each area

• c. The person(s) responsible for addressing those tasks

The calendar is a "user-friendly" document that should be mounted above the desks of those staff members, board members and other volunteers who will be involved in the fundraising effort. The plan should be reviewed on an annual basis, and amended as necessary. With the plan as your guide, your nonprofit will no longer be "putting on plays" to empty houses!