What drives fundraising success

Looking at the organization behind the donor conversation

If a prospective donor asked you tomorrow, "What would my support make possible?", how easy would it be to answer?

You might have a compelling story. You would also need a clear funding priority, a realistic budget, and someone ready to continue the conversation.

That is where I would begin a discussion about fundraising success. I want to understand how the organization is preparing for that conversation and how it will care for the relationship that follows.

The nine elements in this infographic help us look at those questions together. For me, its value lies in the connections. Each element influences what the others can achieve.

Take your case for support. This is where you explain why your work matters and what a donor can help make possible. It requires choices about what you are raising money for and what that funding will enable. Those choices give a prospective donor something concrete to consider. They also help your team explain the opportunity with confidence.

The promise you make rests on reputation and credibility. A donor needs to feel confident about the organization behind the proposal. Clear information about results, responsible financial management, and honest communication all contribute to that confidence. So does something as straightforward as providing the information you promised, when you promised it. For a nonprofit approaching supporters abroad, there may also be context to explain. The need may feel obvious to everyone around your board table. Someone encountering your organization for the first time needs a way into that story. Start with what they need to understand and care about.

That brings us to the prospect and donor pool. There needs to be a reason for someone to connect with your work. Understanding their interests and finding a thoughtful way to begin a conversation takes research, curiosity, and patience.

I would give existing donors a central place in that discussion. Someone who has already chosen to support you has offered a valuable starting point. When did you last ask a long-standing donor what matters most to them about your work? There is room for discovery in relationships we think we already know.

Then we need to look honestly at what it will take to do this work well.

Resources and budget shape what is possible. Donor relationships take time. Research, communications, and reliable records need attention. A fundraiser whose calendar is filled with urgent administrative tasks has limited room for thoughtful conversations and follow-up. When we set a fundraising target, we also need to make room for the work that target requires.

The fundraising plan connects those resources to specific priorities. It should help people decide whom to approach, what to propose, when to act, and who will take responsibility. It also needs to account for the relationships that continue after a gift.

I want a plan to be useful on an ordinary working day. If a promising introduction arrives or a proposal takes longer than expected, the team should be able to decide what happens next. A plan needs enough direction to guide the work and enough flexibility to respond to what you learn.

Of course, someone has to carry that work forward. A professional team brings skills, judgment, and continuity. Depending on the organization's size, this may be one person with several responsibilities, a larger department, or a combination of staff and external support.

The fundraising structure determines how those people can work together. Clear decisions about who approves proposals and who holds each donor relationship make follow-up easier. So does agreeing on how information moves between fundraising, programs, finance, and leadership. These details affect how confidently an organization can respond to an opportunity.

Imagine a donor interested in helping expand an after-school program. The fundraiser needs a clear explanation of the expansion and an agreed budget. Program and finance colleagues need to know what information to provide and by when. When those responsibilities are clear, everyone can contribute to a useful donor conversation.

Volunteer leadership has a place in that conversation, too. Board members and other volunteers can offer introductions, share their commitment, host discussions, or thank supporters. Specific expectations and preparation help them participate with confidence.

A question I like here is: "What is one meaningful way I can help our fundraising move forward?" Each board member may have a different answer. That gives us a starting point for matching people's strengths with the organization's needs.

Finally, there is fundraising culture, which becomes visible in everyday behavior. Leadership makes time for donor relationships. Colleagues share information willingly. Supporters receive thoughtful thanks, and the people whose stories we tell are treated with dignity and care. These habits shape the experience of everyone involved.

When I look at the infographic as a whole, I see an invitation to pause and examine what is helping fundraising move forward. It can also help us notice where colleagues need more support.

Bring it to a conversation with the chief executive, fundraising team, and board representatives. Ask each person to identify one strength and one area that needs attention, with an example to explain their choice. The differences in their answers may be especially revealing.

Then choose one improvement you can make over the next three months. Perhaps it is clarifying a funding priority, agreeing on donor responsibilities, or helping board members prepare for introductions. Decide who will take it forward and what progress would look like.

The question I would leave on the table is this: Which part of your organization needs attention now so that your next donor conversation can lead somewhere?

If you would value a thinking partner for that conversation, I'd be glad to explore it with you through Synergies in Philanthropy.

#FundraisingAbroad #GlobalGiving #JewishPhilanthropy #IsraelNonprofits #InternationalFundraising #ResourceDevelopment #JewishFundraising #DonorEngagement #CaseForSupport #NonprofitGrowth #Stewardship #ResourceDevelopment

Tanja Sarett, MA, CFRE, CVF, is an international fundraising consultant, facilitator, and executive coach based in the US and Israel, and the founder of Synergies in Philanthropy Consulting.

Synergies in Philanthropy Consulting provides strategic, creative, and hands-on fundraising + resource development consulting for nonprofits, charities, foundations, and Israeli amutot across the U.S., Europe + Israel. We help organizations strengthen fundraising, expand into new markets - particularly the United States - and build sustainable donor relationships. Our approach combines deep fundraising expertise with donor intelligence, compelling messaging, innovation, facilitation + coaching to turn strategy into action.