Annual Giving ... Make sure you target correctly

Annual giving is a series of small, targeted, focused campaigns that run throughout the year. Or, as consultant Jill A. Pranger told attendees at an international conference on nonprofits, annual giving is about doing it well over and over and over again.

Annual giving is important, but Pranger emphasized that there are important considerations that will be significant factors for any organization.

• The plan. What are you already doing? What would like to do. What can you do. Have volunteers and staff bought in?
• Looking back. How well did we do last year and how did we do it? Focus on the organization.
• Looking forward. Think of the philanthropic climate, nationally and locally, laws and regulations and breaking developments. Think of the economic climate nationally, locally and organizationally. Think of the organizational climate: How are we doing? What are we doing? What does our donor base look like? Have we had success raising money in the past?
• Goal setting. Goals are not based on budgetary needs. They are based on a thorough review of expected gifts plus an honest evaluation of what the organization's inputs to get those goals will be.
• When it is over, report the results. This gives the organization and the program credibility, can solicit help and gives the organization answers.

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