The key to successful fundraising is to start with a clear understanding of the work you want to do and the resources required. Only then can you work out how best to raise the funds.
This toolkit will guide you through the fundraising process: developing a strategy, considering different ways to raise funds, making applications, managing your project and evaluating its success.
Fundraising can be a time-consuming and difficult exercise, so ask for help and advice from those who have more experience, and try not to get too frustrated!
The full contents of each section of this Fundraising toolkit can be downloaded as a pdf file. If you can’t open pdf files, please visit the Adobe website to download the free pdf reader. If you have comments about the content of this toolkit, or suggestions for how we might develop it, please contact us.
Contents
1. Developing a fundraising strategy
2. Different ways of raising funds for your organisation
3. Are you ready to fundraise?
4. Understanding how funders work
5. Identifying and demonstrating need
6. What makes a good application?
7. Managing your project
8. Monitoring and evaluation
9. Glossary of fundraising terms
10. Useful contacts
Acknowledgements
Authors: The Basis Project team
Thanks to colleagues from Refugee Council and Refugee Action who contributed to the development and production of this toolkit.
Much of the content in this toolkit has been taken from the invaluable Refugee Council publication, Doing it for Ourselves (2003) – a step by step guide to setting up and managing a refugee community organisation. Where appropriate, information and facts have been updated. We would also like to thank the following organisations for allowing us to reproduce their copyright materials:
The Basis Project toolkits, while checked for accuracy, are for information and guidance only. The Basis Project cannot accept responsibility for loss to any organisation or individual as a result of action taken (or refrained from) based on the content of the Basis Project toolkits.
We hope this resource tool will enable refugee community organisations to develop and provide high standard services to their communities.
The Basis Project would like to thank the Big Lottery Fund for its generous support.
Articles on our blog
You might be interested in the following fundraising-related articles on the Basis Project blog.
As Head of Overview and Scrutiny at London Councils (the body representing London boroughs), Ian Redding has helped implement a major change in the way the body funds the voluntary sector. We asked him about the new process, how it has affected refugee community organisations (RCOs) in the capital and the trends in funding across the country.
Tips for successful fundraising.
