Strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising are processes with specific steps.

All three used to be performed independently of the other.

Today, their integration into a single process is exemplified by the following principles that all fundraising flows from strategic planning and that all strategic planning should be done with a resource development orientation.

Strategic planning provides the framework within which market testing and program designing can work and which generates fundraising goals and plans.

Strategic planning intersects with fund development through:

• Identifying major goals needing philanthropic support.
• Providing donors with vision for the future and a strong philanthropic business investment; major gifts come from bold plans.
• Providing the basis of a fund development case for support.
• Maximizing limited resources by defining priorities.
• Strengthening the fund development function through good planning and provide areas of priority for fund develpment plans.
• Positioning the organization to be highly competitive in the philanthropic world.

What is the fund development professionals role in strategic planning:

• The fundraiser can lead the external piece of the strategic plan process as they know those external stakeholders well particluarly the donors, funders and other community partners.
• The fundraiser can play a key role in scanning the enviromental for external and internal strengths, weaknessses, opportunities and threats.
• The fundraiser can play a key role in resourcing the plan and packaging it for donors, creating it into an investment vehicle.
• The fundraiser can play a significant role in strategy formulation and implementation.

What other roles can the fund development professional play in strategic planning?

Share YOUR thoughts below…