5 Questions to Help Fundraisers Plan for Fiscal Year 2018

Do you dread the planning process for the new fiscal year? Are you a procrastinator who puts it off until a week before it is due? Then this guide is for you! Work through these five questions with your team or agency as you begin planning for the next fiscal year.

FY18 budgets will be due before you know it! It can sometimes be a stressful time of year. It makes you wonder “how can I forecast projected revenue and costs while I’m still in my current year”? And “where do I start to ensure I make the best use of limited budget and resources”? Don’t worry, you are not alone.

As we begin our initial planning sessions, we encourage our clients to ponder the following questions before we begin planning for FY18

Have you assessed your programs?

• Are there current or planned changes/additions/expansion to existing programs?
• Are there any special events planned? If so, will those donors be available for direct response cultivation?

What are your growth goals?

• Where do you want to be in 3-5 years? What are your Growth goals?
• Revenue goals? Gross or net?
• Long-term revenue expectations?

What is your budget?

• What is the anticipated budget for FY18?
• Are there any limitations related to budget by channel (acquisition, cultivation, reactivation)?

Do you have additional ideas for fundraising development in the upcoming year?

• Any new channels available or that have been considered for FY18?
• Any other fundraising efforts that will impact next fiscal year (capital campaign, major gifts, events)?
• Any changes to the current Development staff and responsibilities/decision makers?
• Any changes to current data base/technologies that impact next fiscal year?

What about your database audience?

• Any changes in definition to current audience groups?
• Any additional audiences available (warm prospect file, volunteer file, ARC etc.)?
• Any new treatments/strategies related to audience (Major Gifts, Mid-Level)?

By answering these questions and working with your team, you should be able to prioritize your goals for the upcoming fiscal year. Once you have that complete, your team at TrueSense Marketing will meet with you to discuss your priorities and provide recommendations on achieving those goals in the upcoming fiscal year.

When you plan early for the next fiscal year, you are eliminating the “let’s just add 3% to the budget” adage that is not strategic. By planning early, you allow yourself the time to strategize and prioritize on what is important to you and your team for the upcoming fiscal year and future years! This allows everyone to be on the same page not only for Direct Marketing, but Development goals as well.

Looking forward to your success in the upcoming fiscal year!