Fundraising and Sustainability

Quite a few organisations state that they bought a database from someone else in the past, but that information is  now outdated. Go Figure.  If YOU have not updated information as you go along, did not practice donor cultivation etc – your database is going to be outdated. The same is going to happen every time you buy a new database - including this one

Yes – for all those who provide email addresses. Many are just for information as they have online applications or require proposals to be posted​ A large number of email’s are “catch-all” emails -only monitored when they accept proposals  Email addresses of CSI contact change regularly – especially where companies do not have dedicated CSI departments. Best practice is to verify address before you send off – this is also the first step of cultivation as described.

Fundraising has four main processes and this or any other Database is only ONE part of the second step​Cultivation: The process of building relationships with prospective nonprofit donors before a fundraising appeal is submittedDonor Identifying and Qualification: Identifying people and companies who may support company cause. Focus on identifying which of the potential donors are the most likely to support company cause significantly.  This is where database is relevant.Donor Solicitation: The Process of formally submitting requests to identified prospects – according to their requirements and processesDonor Stewardship: The ongoing process of acknowledging and nurturing relationships with donors after they have made a gift. This includes the full scope of accountability and reporting according to donor standards In other words a database is only ONE small tool in the bigger process. If you do not build relationships with funders, if you do not match with correct donors, if you do not align your proposal with funder focus- having a donor name and contact details will limit any sucess.

Database is updated twice per year and ongoing basis [ individual contacts/information updated as we do proposal writing for ourselves or for those organisations we do donor-solicitation for. Example: We use the same database for the clients we do proposal writing for. On Quaterly basis, in conjunction with clients, we identify about 160 potential funders to reach out to. Of those who do not have online applications, or dedicated CSI deparments, around 10-15% contact person/emails change since last update. Some of the reasons contact emails change - include company not accepting more emails as they are proposals as the number of application are over subscribed, emails only valid within period when they accept proposals, Not a dedicated CSI department and contact person/email is not valid any more because function has been moved to another person or person has left ect.

Our services exist on a "continuum." The Database is a standalone product. The Donor Founding and Takeoff offering is also a standalone product [and includes the database - does not need to be purchased seperately]. The proposal writing service is dependent on the a Donor Portfolio[take - off and founding] being completed by Elizayo.

Elizayo's Donor Matching and Proposal writing services is not a standalone process, but as a high-performance engine in the middle of YOUR organizational fundraising machine. If the phases before and after the proposal is weak, the proposal—no matter how technically perfect—will likely fail. Meaning if you do not cultivate donor relationships [before and after proposal was sent] your proposal will just be one of many in the donor inbox.