Successful fundraising and successful nonprofit business are nearly synonymous terms — the latter can almost never occur without the former. Therefore, if you are working to get a nonprofit off the ground, you will need to dedicate a significant amount of brain space to fundraising efforts, and this can seem daunting at first, given the variety of ways this can be achieved.

That said, here are a few quick fundraising tips for your new nonprofit.

Make internal preparations

Before you immediately begin contacting potential donors, consider the current internal state of your nonprofit. Do you have the right personnel to oversee fundraising (and business finances in general)? Have you assembled all necessary boards and similar collectives to handle business-wide decisions? Most importantly, is your business plan established to begin with?

Putting the cart before the horse is an age-old cautionary adage, and yet it is committed more often than not by overly ambitious nonprofit owners — especially in a fundraising sense. Take time to self-assess, and once you are certain you and your partners are ready to take the proper steps towards cooperative financial viability, then you will be able to re-focus solely on gathering third parties.

Dedicate yourself to your messag

It may seem like a no-brainer, but successful nonprofit owners must have a strong handle on the cause or issue they hope to influence with their initiative. You should know exactly what you are striving to achieve from day one, and this goal should be communicated regularly at an internal level. By committing this message to heart, it will be easier to convey your mantra to interested and prospective donors, doubling your chances at establishing exciting new partnerships.

Establish a web presence

Try as some might, it is almost impossible to avoid the impact of social media and other internet-based correspondence in 2019. Your nonprofit would be doing itself a disservice by not establishing a functional web presence, as this can be a great way to fundraise at a broader level — all while engaging with community members, potential donors, and volunteers alike. Utilize features like online donation forms and event registrations for increased engagement (both of which are easily achieved on Facebook alone).

You may want to consider the inclusion of a webmaster or consultant to oversee all web activity, but regardless of how you set up and manage your presence, make sure all web activity is consistent, up-to-date, and aligned with your nonprofit’s message.