Introduce Yourself to the Funding Community
A great deal of the organizational work you will be doing throughout the entire process is going to involve money — planning how you are going to raise it (development), raising it (fundraising), tracking it (accounting), and then doing it all over again, year in and year out.
Funders are not some sort of organized group waiting to pass judgment on you and your organization. They are individuals in your community who happen to be in a position financially to assist organizations they feel strongly about. There are a number of general things you as a new nonprofit can do to place your organization in the best possible light when you decide to approach these individuals or businesses for support. Rarely is anyone so taken with your personal presentation that they open their checkbook and beg you to take their money.
When thinking of how your statement will be read by those in the philanthropic community, brevity is often your best friend. Keep in mind that funders look at hundreds — if not thousands — of requests for money every year. They need to see something in these documents that catches their attention and imagination.
Rather, potential donors will need time to review material about your organization to become comfortable that your work clearly lines up with their philosophies or interests. This is why your mission statement is so important.
The mission statement will be the document most funders need to give them a picture of your group that goes beyond budgets and a business plan. They will get to know what makes you tick, what drives the group to take on a task or a project, or why your group is putting everything it has on the line with no expectation of financial reward.
