A fundraising plan is the bridge between a project people care about and the work required to pay for it. It gives a group one shared answer to five questions: what are we funding, how much do we need, where might the money come from, who will do the work, and how will we know whether the plan is working?
The most useful plan is not the longest one. For a small community project, two or three clear pages can be more valuable than a polished strategy that nobody revisits. Use this guide to create a plan that fits your actual capacity.
Fundraising, charity, tax, and reporting rules differ by place and organization. Treat this as practical planning guidance and check the rules that apply to you.
1. Define the outcome before the amount
Start with the change the project will make. A target such as “raise $5,000” describes the transaction, not the result. “Keep the community workshop open for twelve months” or “install three accessible garden beds before spring” tells supporters what success looks like.
Write one outcome sentence, then list the concrete things required to deliver it. That list becomes the foundation of both your budget and your funding story.
- Who should benefit from the project?
- What will be different when the work is complete?
- What evidence will show that the outcome happened?
- What is explicitly outside the scope of this campaign?
Keep in mindA good outcome is specific enough to budget and simple enough to repeat.
2. Calculate the full funding goal
Price the real project rather than the most attractive headline number. Include delivery costs, payment or platform fees, insurance where relevant, accessibility, reporting, and a justified reserve for uncertainty. If volunteer time or donated materials are essential, record them as non-cash resources instead of pretending they have no value.
Separate one-off costs from recurring costs. A community may be able to buy equipment this month but still need a plan for maintenance, storage, hosting, rent, or moderation next year.
- Direct project costs
- People and specialist support
- Operations and administration
- Fundraising and payment costs
- Contingency or reserve
- Follow-up, evidence, and reporting
3. Choose a funding mix that matches the community
Do not assume every member should become a donor. Communities contain people with different incomes, time, networks, skills, and willingness to participate. A resilient plan gives people more than one way to help and avoids depending on a single uncertain source.
For each funding route, estimate the amount, likelihood, lead time, and person responsible. A grant that may arrive in six months cannot pay a bill due next week. A sponsorship may require benefits or visibility that the community does not want to offer.
- Small individual contributions
- Recurring memberships or supporter plans
- Local business sponsorship
- Foundation or public grants
- Events, products, or earned income
- In-kind support and donated services
- Alternative community funding mechanisms
4. Build a calendar backwards from the need
Put the delivery date, payment dates, application deadlines, campaign launch, and decision points on one calendar. Then work backwards. Add time for reviewing the budget, preparing evidence, getting approvals, and following up with potential funders.
Give every action an owner. “Post on social media” is not a task until it has a person, a date, a message, and a destination. Small teams protect their energy by choosing a few repeatable activities instead of launching on every channel at once.
- Preparation: confirm the scope, evidence, budget, and permissions
- Quiet outreach: speak with likely supporters and partners before launch
- Public campaign: publish the ask and make participation easy
- Midpoint review: compare results with the plan and adjust
- Close and report: explain what happened and what comes next
5. Measure more than money raised
The total raised matters, but it does not tell you whether the process is healthy. Track the time and cost required, the number of new supporters, repeat participation, conversion from outreach, and how concentrated the income is. A campaign funded by one donor has a different risk profile from one supported by two hundred people.
Review the plan at a regular interval. Keep what works, stop what drains the team, and record assumptions that proved wrong. A fundraising plan should be a living management tool, not evidence that the group once held a planning meeting.
Copyable nine-part fundraising plan template
Create a short working document with the following nine headings. Answer each in plain language and attach your detailed budget separately.
- Project outcome: the change we intend to create
- Funding goal: the total required and how it was calculated
- Deadline: when funding must be available
- Audience: the people and organizations most likely to care
- Funding mix: expected amount from each source
- Core message: why this project, why this amount, and why now
- Action calendar: activities, dates, and named owners
- Measures: money, participation, cost, time, and concentration
- Reporting promise: what supporters will see after funding
Keep in mindThe plan is ready when another team member can understand it, challenge it, and run the next action without guessing.
Sources and further reading
- National Council of NonprofitsFundraising plans should be worked, reviewed, and improved over time.
- Charity Commission and Fundraising RegulatorCurrent guidance on transparent, ethical fundraising in England and Wales.
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