Once you start fundraising in earnest - or rather, before you start, you need to know what equipment is available to help you. The days of pen and notebook are far gone, so start looking for that computer software specially made for fundraisers. Once considered a luxury, software programs for fundraisers are necessary for those whose task is an ongoing one.
If you are just doing a raffle for your local club, you may not need anything like this, but if you are officially the fund-raiser for a large organization, you need equipment. If you don’t have an office, then you will certainly need one and all the things that go with it, such as phone, answering machine, photocopier, computer and printer. Special fundraising software will also aid you in your task. Your only trouble might be in choosing the correct package.
To get the one most suited to your needs, you’ll need to know the specific elements in your annual fundraising program, how many computers are in your office and their speed, chip, RAM and storage capacity, how much you can spend and what your staffing structure is.
Your program may only need to be the most basic and simple of all, in which it should only cost you around $1,500. Those with all the bells and whistles may cost up to $20,000. There are a variety of in between programs, of course. You are the only one who can work out what your needs are. The most complicated programs will need more staff training, of course, so this may be a consideration.
What about assets? Assets for fundraising may include a variety of things. If you need to have meetings - and you will - is there a room or hall suitable to hold it in? Do you have access to an overhead projector or something similar if you need it? Decent sound equipment is sure to be needed also, unless you want a hoarse voice.
An asset could also be an account for running expenses. You can’t raise money without spending some first. Even for a raffle, you need to spend money on the prizes. You may be able to take the expenses out of the raffle money in some cases, but in others, you need to have the prizes on display to sell the tickets.
For fundraising that goes into the thousands or millions, you certainly need an expense account for travel, marketing and advertising and other related things. While board members should be volunteers, their costs such as travel and child-care need to be met.
