Are You Prepared to Fundraise Yet?

Organizational Assessment Quiz by Carrington Consulting http://jonathoncarrington.wordpress.com

Too many individuals who start nonprofits miss the gold right under their feet because they plunge into fundraising without a proper framework. Don't make this mistake! Take an assessment to see where you are, your organization's strengths, and where you need to focus your efforts to ensure adequate funding for your programs and services. Mark all responses with a X and total your Yes responses to obtain your overall score.
Q1. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. YES NO NOT SURE QUESTION Is there someone in your organization, paid or volunteer, who is able to devote at least three hours a day to fundraising? Do you have up-to-date mission and vision statements for your organization? If you asked staff and board members to state your organization's mission and vision statements, could they all do so, and would all their statements match? Can you list the key markets for your services? Do you know how each of your markets would describe your organization's image? Does every one of your board members help raise funds for your organization? Is every one of your staff and board members committed to and enthusiastic about your organization's mission and services? Do you have resources earmarked especially for fundraising? Does your budget include money for training? Do you have resources in place to hire a consultant? Do you have collaborative relations with other nonprofits? Is your technology up to date? Do you have a strategic plan for your organization? Do you keep in regular contact with the media about your organization and its events? Do you have good relationships with corporate leaders in your community? Can you name everyone who gave to your organization more than once last year? Do you have up-to-date versions of at least seven of the following materials describing your organization: (1) brochure / (2) marketing piece / (3) direct mail letter / (4) special event invitations / (5) newsletter / (6) press releases / (7) annual report / (8) newspaper clippings / (9) case statement / (10) wish list / (11) video / (12) slide show / (13) PSA (public service announcement)

Count all Yes response marks and multiply by 10 to determine your overall score. __________= YOUR OVERALL SCORE Scoring Guide: 0-40: A Ticket To Disaster - You won't be ready for fundraising for awhile. Better start with the basics. 50 90: A Good Start - Follow through on the steps to finish building a solid fundraising foundation. 100 130: A Bit of Fine-Tuning Neede - You may need to tweak some of your existing fundraising systems. 140 170: Congratulations! - You can probably skip around some areas and concentrate on adding new sources of income.