Effective fundraising is a result of telling your story
Philanthropy News Digest, the Foundation Center, Oct 28 03, says that:
Funders invest in nonprofit organizations able to make a well-conceived case for support that includes clear goals and measurable outcomes.
In other words, fundraising is successful when your donors understand your goals and the desired results. Tell your story, from beginning to end. When you bring people along with you so that they see and desire your end result, they will be willing to fund that end result.

Fundraising is personal
People will give their money to people (or to animals) if those people are individuals. “An animal shelter” is an abstract concept, cute kittens are only cute if they are individual cute kittens. With big eyes and soft fur, of course.
Ask for the money
Just because you’re getting donations and not selling a product doesn’t mean you can ignore the basics of a sales call. Closing the deal means asking for the sale, and the same is true when it’s a donation rather than a sale. If you just talk about the need and don’t follow through with the request, you’ll get sympathy, not funding.
Treat donors like royalty
Express gratitude. Express respect. Be polite. If limits are requested, honor them. Protect their privacy. Your donors are your best source for future donations: New funders are hard to come by. Therefore, make sure they feel great about you.
Show stability
Donors fear that their money will go down a sinkhole. Make sure your organization appears to be secure, stable, and well-organized. Any sign of chaos will cause wallets to close.
Be ethical
Although unethical practices can be tempting because they often work, your donors will respect your ethics, and the integrity of your organization will keep it safe and secure. Be accurate and honest about the purpose of the work and about where the money will go. Keep a firm firewall around donations for one fund and don’t let them bleed into another fund.


