This page is packed with resources on fundraising. Resources include advice specifically for biking and walking advocacy organizations and tips for nonprofits generally. This page covers development planning, sponsorships, grants, contracts and consulting, online fundraising, and planned giving.

I. General fundraising resources and guides

Fundraising for biking & walking advocacy organizations

The Alliance for Biking & Walking Guide to Fundraising

Released in six parts, the Alliance for Biking & Walking's Guide to Fundraising will help you develop an effective fundraising plan, craft successful funding proposals, and leverage a variety of funding sources.

Fundraising Guide for Bicycle and Pedestrian Organizations (Advocacy Advance)

This document, updated in April 2012, provides an overview of some of the funding sources for bike/ped organizations including grants, government funding, grassroots fundraising, and other resources.

Date: 2012

Fundraising Guide for Bicycle and Pedestrian Advocacy Organizations (Dropbox, PDF)

Collaborating with Health Stakeholders (Alliance for Biking & Walking)
There’s no doubt that bicycling, walking, and public health all go together. But how can biking and walking advocates better engage with the health community to bring robust biking and walking networks to our communities?

Call notes (URL)
Recording:

Diversity: The Key To Sustainable Funding (Susie Stephens)

This document, originally a speech given by Susie Stephens at Pro Walk / Pro Bike, gives an introduction to basic fundraising options available to biking and walking groups.

Diversity: The Key to Sustainable Funding (Dropbox, PDF)

Basic resources

Fundraising resources from Andy Robinson

Andy Robinson, a nonprofit consultant, provides resources and consulting on fundraising. He has provided the following resources for Alliance member organizations to use:

AndyRobinsonOnline.com (URL)
"Andy Robinson asks: Are You a Fundraiser?" (YouTube)
Creating a Prospect List: These documents help fundraisers identify prospects by posing questions about ability, belief, and contact.
Prospect Form (Dropbox, DOC)
Prospect Definition (Dropbox, DOC)
Income Sources for Non-Profits: Designed to assist organizations in planning by breaking out sources of income, from the previous year, to the current, and to goals for the future.
Income Sources for Nonprofits (Dropbox, DOC)
Income Diversification Form (Dropbox, DOC)
Cycle of Fundraising: Provides an overview and includes a simple diagram illustrating the 5 steps in the cycle of fundraising.
Cycle of Fundraising (Dropbox, DOC)
Philanthropy in America (Dropbox, DOC)

Where Can I Learn More about Fundraising Planning? (Foundation Center)

This Foundation Center article gives helpful tips and links to more information about how to create a fundraising plan.

Where can I learn more about fundraising planning? (URL)

Guide to Great Fundraising in Your Backyard (Ioby)

This comprehensive, but easily digestible, 8-page primer from the folks at Ioby.org walks you through the basics of fundraising, how to make your budget, how to create a campaign, how to craft an effective email, how to use social media, and more.

Guide to Great Fundraising in Your Backyard (Dropbox, PDF)

The Inside of Foundation Funding (Community Foundaton of Greater Chattanooga, Lyndhurst Foundation)

Presented at the 2010 American Trails National Symposium, this slideshow from Robin Posey, with the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, and Karen Rudolph, from the Lyndhurst Foundation, provides the basic steps to identify and successfully approach foundations for grant funding.

The Inside of Foundation Funding (Dropbox, PDF)

Securing Your Organization's Future (Foundation Center)

The Foundation Center excerpt of Michael Seltzer's book Securing Your Organization's Future discusses the best way to mix and match fundraising strategies, and the pros and cons of each one.

Securing Your Organization's Future (Dropbox, PDF)

Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (SOFII)

This website provides documented examples of effective fundraising campaigns, numerous articles on the art of fundraising and a variety of useful links and interactive content to support nonprofit fundraising efforts.

Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (URL)

8 Ways to Raise $2,500 in 10 Days (Grassroots Fundraising Journal)

This article by Kim Klein and Stephanie Roth from the Grassroots Fundraising Journal will give you some ideas for how to raise $2,500 (or more) in 10 days (or fewer).

Article - 8 Ways to Raise $2500 in 10 Days (Dropbox, PDF)

Fundraising planning

The Alliance for Biking & Walking Guide to Fundraising: Creating and Implementing an Effective Fundraising Plan

Released in six parts, the Alliance for Biking & Walking's Guide to Fundraising will help you develop an effective fundraising plan, craft successful funding proposals, and leverage a variety of funding sources.

Creating and Implementing an Effective Fundraising Plan (Dropbox, PDF)

Developing Your Fundraising Plan (Authenticity Consulting)

Free Management Library

This training module from Authenticity Consulting walks you through a wealth of information (and links) about the basics of developing your fundraising plan, including the standard sources of funding, your board's role in fundraising, and the overall health of your nonprofit's fundraising activities.

Developing Your Fundraising Plan (URL)

Sample Development Plan (Bicycle Alliance of Washington)

Use this sample development plan from Bicycle Alliance of Washington as a template to construct your own fundraising plan. A good fundraising plan will outline goals, establish a timeline, delegate responsibility and include strategies appropriate for your organization's mission, vision and resources.

Date: 2011

Bicycle Alliance of Washington Sample Development Plan (Dropbox, PDF)

Fundraising Planning (River Network)

This guide to fundraising planning by River Network breaks down fundraising into simple steps including how to get started, setting annual goals, and keeping it simple.

Fundraising Planning (Dropbox, PDF)

Fundraising Planning (Ron Milam)

Ron Milam works to develop the leadership of community-based organizations. To help these organizations plan effective fundraising campaigns, Milam assembled a series of documents, providing fundamentals in fundraising, points on fundraising planning, and tips on building a fundraising board. He has shared these documents with Alliance member organizations:

Building a Fundraising Board (Dropbox, PDF)
Fundraising Fundamentals (Dropbox, PDF)
Fundraising Planning (Dropbox, PDF)

Fundraising Planning Worksheet (Grassroots Fundraising Journal)

This worksheet from a 2007 edition of the Grassroots Fundraising Journal walks you through how to set and meet fundraising goals in a strategic and structured manner.

Fundraising Planning Worksheet (Dropbox, PDF)

Designing a Comprehensive Fundraising Program

This document contains a good overview of putting together a comprehensive fundraising plan. Developed by Kristi Edwards, CFRE - Northern Arizona Chapter Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2002.

Designing A Comprehensive Fundraising Program (Dropbox, PDF)

II. Sponsorships

Sponsorships are Partnerships: Working with Local Corporations—1/16/13

Support from local companies — both in the form of sponsorships and in the form of in-kind donations — can be an important part of an organization's revenue. On the Alliance's January 16, 2013 Mutual Aid Call, panelists Marilyn Hoyt, Jay Ferm, and Amanda White offered advice for forming sponsorship partnerships with corporations, especially those close to home.

Working with Local Corporations tip sheet (PDF)

III. Grants

Resources for finding and writing grants

The Alliance for Biking & Walking Guide to Fundraising: Anatomy of a Winning Proposal

Released in six parts, the Alliance for Biking & Walking's Guide to Fundraising will help you develop an effective fundraising plan, craft successful funding proposals, and leverage a variety of funding sources.

Anatomy of a Winning Proposal (Dropbox, PDF)

Grant Proposal Writing (Ron Milam)

A facilitator, trainer, and coach for nonprofits, businesses, and local governments, Ron Milam works to develop the leadership of community-based organizations. To help his organizations win grants, Milam put together this handy resource, giving recommendations on writing effective proposals and providing a to-do list to ensure all steps in the proposal-process are completed.

Date: 2011

Grant Writing (Dropbox, PDF)

Approaching and Working with Local Foundations

Support from local foundations can make a big difference in supporting biking and walking advocacy. On this Alliance Mutual Aid call, expert panelists Patricia Pasqual, Janis Foster Richardson, and Jane Soltis offered advice to Alliance members for forming partnerships with foundations in your own backyard.

Date: 2013

Local Foundations tipsheet (Dropbox, PDF)
Call recording (Dropbox, MP3)

Grant samples

These grants, written by Alliance Member Organizations, provide examples of effective grant proposals.

Maine Mobile Bicycle Safety Education Program proposal (Bicycle Coalition of Maine)

This is a grant written by Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM) for their Maine Mobile Bicycle Safety Education Program. This grant was awarded for the full $10K BCM requested.

Date: 2007

Grant Sample: Bicycle Coalition of Maine (Dropbox, PDF)

Community Foundation grant sample (Friends of Pathways)

A $1,500 grant application from Friends of Pathways to the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole:

Date: 2001

Grant Sample: Community Foundation of Jackson Hole (Dropbox, DOC)

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant

This grant sample was submitted by the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) in South Carolina to the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation's Active Living by Design program. Charleston Moves worked with the BCDCOG in this project.

Date: 2005

RWJF Special Opp Grant (Dropbox, PDF)

Grant proposal to the City of Charleston (Charleston Moves)

This winning grant received funding from the City of Charleston, SC's Community Assistance & Accommodations Tax fund for attracting tourists to the city through Charleston Moves' cycling event, Charleston Cycle Fest:

Date: 2006

City of Charleston Community Assistance & Accomodations Tax Grant (Dropbox, DOC)

Winning Grant Proposals (Advocacy Advance)

These are examples of well-crafted grant proposals submitted to Advocacy Advance.

Date: 2011

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (Dropbox, PDF)

IV. Government contracts and consulting

Government contracts can provide a steady and renewable income stream for your organization while helping to actively push your organization's agenda forward. These documents may help your organization to better understand what consulting expertise may be called upon.

The Alliance for Biking & Walking Guide to Fundraising: Government Consulting and Contracts

Released in six parts, the Alliance for Biking & Walking's Guide to Fundraising will help you develop an effective fundraising plan, craft successful funding proposals, and leverage a variety of funding sources.

Government Consulting and Contracts (Dropbox, PDF)

Alliance Mutual Aid Call: Government Contracts and Consulting

Alliance organizations can collaborate with local governments for opportunities to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of advocacy work. Partnering with an agency can increase changes of winning or subcontracting grants. Plus, as governments cut back in providing direct services, they increasingly rely on local nonprofits to provide essential services. On this call, experts in the field discussed how biking and walking advocacy organizations can partner with local governments.

Date: 2013

Tip sheet from call (Dropbox, PDF)
Call recording (Dropbox, MP3)

Sample government contract files

These sample applications, statements, budgets, and estimates from Bike Walk Mississippi can serve as examples for biking and walking organizations when approaching government contracts.

Example form to record subcontractors (Dropbox, PDF)
Statement of Local Policy Agency Progress and Final Estimates for Construction (Mississippi) (Dropbox, PDF)
Sample contract application (Bike Walk Mississippi) (Dropbox, PDF)
Sample contract application - appendix (Bike Walk Mississippi) (Dropbox, PDF)
Sample contract budget (Bike Walk Mississippi) (Dropbox, PDF)
Sample contractor's estimate sheet for Department of Education (Bike Walk Mississippi) (Dropbox, XLS)

Conversation transcript between Randy Neufeld and Susie Stephens on contracts and consulting

Interview between Randy Neufeld and Susie Stephens on Contracts and Consulting (Dropbox, DOC)

V. Individual Giving

Cultivating Donors (Ron Milam)

Fundraising is about building relationships with people who believe in your work. How do you find, cultivate and steward these relationships? In this workshop, Ron Milam explored time-tested strategies for building a strong donor base, including defining a good donor prospect, identifying different stages of donors, strategies to reach out to different types of donors and methods for upgrading donors.

Cultivating Donors (PDF, Dropbox)

Cultivating Major Gifts (Gail Perry Associates)

Forty-one questions to ask your donors for deeper cultivation and philanthropy.

41 Major Gift Cultivation Questions (PDF, Dropbox)

Columbia Land Trust Donor Relationship Management MENU (Andy Robinson)

Provided by Andy Robinson, this 2011 document provides a cycle for effective interactions with donors. (DOC) (45KB)

CLT Relationship Menu (DOC, Dropbox)

Engaging Members as Volunteers and Major Donors (Alliance)
Working members up the ladder of engagement is an essential piece of your organization's membership strategy. With a committed volunteer base, your organization can increase its capacity and tap into the skills they offer. And, of course, it pays to have members who increase their financial commitment as major donors to your organization. In these notes from a 2012 Mutual Aid Call, Alliance leaders Rebecca Resman, Carol Schmidt and Rebecca Serna discussed strategies to help you strengthen the commitments of your members.

Engaging Members Tip Sheet (PDF, Dropbox)

Appeals

December Dollars: Spearheading End-of-Year Appeals - 9/24/2014 (Alliance)

The best time to start planning your end-of-year fundraising campaign was last month. The second best time is NOW. In these notes from a 2014 Mutual Aid Webinar, Lili Afkhami of the League of American Bicyclists and Tarrell Wright of Cascade Bicycle Club share their tips on how to plan your fall campaign without becoming a procrastination horror story.
Webinar Video (Vimeo)
Webinar Tipsheet (PDF)
Overview and instructions for writing an appeal letter (courtesy of Lili Afkhami)
Sample appeal letter, St. Mary's College of Maryland Seahawks (courtesy of Lili Afkhami)
Sample appeal letter, annotated (courtesy of Lili Afkhami)
League of American Bicyclists, 2013 End of Year appeal package (courtesy of Lili Afkhami and the League of American Bicyclists)

Annual Giving (Chronicle of Philanthropy)

These resources from the Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights novel approaches to year end appeals and provides year end fundraising advice from experts. (URL)

Annual Giving (URL)
Getting Ready to Ask for a Big Gift (URL)

51 Ways to Say Thank You in a Fundraising Letter

This article from Do-it-Yourself Fundraising, written by Alan Sharpe, offers numerous ideas on writing original thank-you letters to donors while still being fiscally responsible.

51 Ways to Say Thank You in a Fundraising Letter (URL)

The Art of Appeals - 10/19/11 and 9/26/2012 (Alliance)
Individual donors and members are among the most sustainable and important funding sources for Alliance member organizations. Annual appeals are a way to regiment your development efforts and to ensure you are asking your supporters to donate at least once a year.

On this 2011 call, Kivi Leroux Miller, president of NonProfitMarketingGuide.com, and Shana Glickfield, partner at the Beekeeper Group, shared best practices, creative new ideas and strategies for success.
Art of Appeals Tip Sheet (PDF)
Call recording (MP3)

On a repeat of the call in 2012, panelists Melody Moody, Mary Duffy and Lisa Anguilla discussed what works in their appeal strategies and shared tips for improving your message to potential members and donors.
Appeals Tip Sheet (PDF)
Call recording (MP3)

Sample appeal letters
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition(PDF, Dropbox)

Direct mail

Successes and Strategy
The 10 most important things to know about direct mail - Direct Mail: 10 Most Important Things (DOC)

Membership Development & Direct Mail: Interview between Susie Stevens, former Executive Director of Alliance, and Ellis Robinson of the Buttonwood Institute. - Direct Mail Interview (PDF)

Events

Alliance guide to Fundraising Rides (Alliance for Biking & Walking)

From rural communities to big cities, organizations are planning fundraising bike rides that are bringing them new members, new partners, new political connections, and funds to help their organizations thrive. But how does an organization get started organizing such an event? The Alliance for Biking and Walking’s Guide to Fundraising Rides is the first book to bring you the ins and outs of organizing fundraising rides that benefit bicycling. This guide will take you through all the steps of planning a successful fundraising ride, from setting a date to thanking your sponsors and volunteers.

Alliance Guide to Fundraising Rides (URL)

Alliance Guide to Successful Fundraising Galas (Alliance for Biking & Walking)

Are you a leader of a nonprofit organization looking to diversify your revenue through fundraising events? If so, this book is for you. Nonprofits of all types host fundraising galas that bring them money, publicity, new supporters, and good will. From awards ceremonies to sit-down dinners, galas deliver more than warm fuzzies to organizations in your community — so why not yours? The Alliance for Biking & Walking’s Guide to Fundraising Galas is the first book to bring you the ins and outs of organizing fundraising galas that benefit bicycling and walking. Filled with models of sample galas and take-away tools, this guide is an indispensable resource for new or seasoned gala organizers. The Alliance draws on the experience of six organizations’ successful galas and brings you their secrets. This guide is written especially for bicycling and walking organizations, but any nonprofit will benefit from the advise and models in this book.

Alliance Guide to Successful Fundraising Galas (URL)

Online

The Alliance for Biking & Walking Guide to Fundraising: Online Fundraising

Released in six parts, the Alliance for Biking & Walking's Guide to Fundraising will help you develop an effective fundraising plan, craft successful funding proposals, and leverage a variety of funding sources.

Online Fundraising (Dropbox, PDF)

Spearheading Your Online Fundraising Initiative - 6/5/13

Effective fundraising to support advocacy efforts is vitally important for a well-run advocacy organization. From testing smart email campaigns to leveraging social media to employing new crowdfunding tools, Alliance organizations can use many methods and approaches to boost online fundraising. On this call, experts in online fundraising recommended great methods and digital tools to fund your organization, advocacy and infrastructure projects.

Tip Sheet (Dropbox, PDF)
Call recording (Dropbox, MP3)

Top 5 Tips for Better Emails (Blue State Digital)

Blue State Digital's Top 5 Tips for Better Emails (Dropbox, PDF) (Dropbox, PDF)

Online Fundraising Lesson (New Organizing Institute)

A training video that serves as an introduction to online fundraising.

Online Fundraising Lession from the New Organizing Institute

Planned giving & bequests

Developing a Planned Giving Program

Tips and resources to set up a Planned Giving program for your organization.

Date: 2013

Planned Giving Program Tips and Resources (Dropbox, PDF)

Year-end fundraising articles and resources

Year End Fundraising Strategies (Fired Up Fundraising)

These articles from fundraising consultant Gail Perry highlight the important steps and tips to maximize the return on your year-end email appeals.

Category Archives: Year-End Fundraising Strategies (URL)

Making the Most of Year End Fundraising Appeals (The Fundraising Authority)

Tips for maximizing your non-profit’s revenue from year end appeals. Scroll down for links to more advanced year-end fundraising tactics.

Making the Most of Year End Fundraising Appeals (URL)

Top Ten: The Best of Year-End Fundraising (Association of Fundraising Professionals)

AFP-logo 1 A collection of helpful articles on year-end fundraising.

Top Ten: The Best of Year-end Fundraising! (November 6, 2013) (URL)

Year End Fundraising Appeal (FundraisingIP)
Fundraising IP This webpage from FundraisingIP offers tips for writing year end appeals and provides fundraising and thank you letter templates.

Year End Fundraising Appeal (URL)

Year End Giving Motivation (The nth Factor)
This article from The nth Factor outlines five strategies to maximize the effectiveness of your year end appeal by following up on it.

Five Strategies For Motivating Year End Giving AFTER Your Year End Appeal (URL)