Professional fundraising. Fundraising: types, technologies and successful examples. What types of assistance are there?

Hello! In this article we will talk about a new area of ​​activity - fundraising, which is increasingly used by charitable and non-profit organizations in our country.

Today you will learn:

• What is the job of a fundraiser?
• What sources are used to collect cash;
• What technologies and methods are used by fundraising firms;
• What are the features of this activity in Russia?

What is fundraising

Any organization needs a constant flow of resources. Some need funds and volunteers for charitable purposes, others need financial investments for confidence or development.

In Russia, most non-profit and non-profit organizations do not engage in systematic and thoughtful fundraising. Therefore, they often face the issue of lack of money, volunteers or partners for cooperation.

The new term “fundraising” is increasingly found in the media. It means a special collection method financial assets and different resources for a specific project. People are resorting to it more and more often non-profit organizations who need volunteer or financial assistance.

The designation comes from the English combination “to raise fund” and literally translates as “raising funds.”

In developed countries, fundraising has long been actively used to raise funds for the following purposes:

• Capital for launching and interesting work;
• Financing of developments and technical projects in science;
• Maintaining amateur teams and supporting sports events;
• Sponsoring candidates or headquarters in the political arena during elections;
• Charitable needs;
• Material support for cultural events, theaters or museums.

Traditional fundraising is just one area of ​​work. The result could be volunteers' personal time, various goods and services, discounts on procedures, or generous patrons of the arts. The latter can help with promotion and advertising, provide transportation or premises for the activities of a non-profit organization.

Types of fundraising

Experienced fundraisers are becoming increasingly sought after specialists in Russia. This is the name given to professionals who, with the help different ways and methods attract funds.

In Europe and the USA, companies providing similar services on a contractual basis have been operating successfully for a long time. A striking example of fundraising is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its staff officially employs more than 70 specialists, whose task is to collect donations and charitable contributions, and search for patrons of art to maintain the collections.

Fundraising objects can be the release of a disc by a beginning group or the arrangement of a children's playground. At a serious level, this means organizing international competitions or supporting long-term scientific research.

In European countries, entire companies and firms are professionally involved in strategy development, staffed by experienced marketers, managers and lawyers.

Professional fundraising can be project-based or operational. In the first case, it takes place for a specific event or startup. In the second, resources are attracted to ensure the activities of the fund and maintain its stable operation.

In addition, fundraising can be divided into two main types:

• Interior: the search for new resources and sponsors is dealt with by the managers of the organization itself;
• External: For successful work third-party consultants or professional fundraisers, special consulting companies are involved.

Fundraising in Russia

In our country, the number of firms and specialists professionally working to collect finance and resources increases every year.

The appearance of a large number commercial organizations, problems with funding funds from the state lead to the need to hire professionals.

Russia lags significantly behind the United States and Europe in the number of people and companies constantly participating in fundraising projects from different sides.

Three problems hinder rapid growth:

• Mistrust ordinary people to volunteer organizations and wealthy patrons;
• Reluctance to forcibly transfer contributions (especially when the standard of living of the benefactors is low);
• Lack of knowledge about the activity charitable foundations, their closedness for the majority of participants.

Nevertheless, the Association of Fundraisers already operates in Russia. Created in 2013, it provides ongoing training to professionals through master classes, seminars and brochures. She sets herself the task of turning the movement into a system that in a few years will unite all professionals and raise the status of their work to the proper level.

. Sponsor can be either an individual or an organization, whose assistance can be free or paid. The latter involves the dissemination or popularization of information about the sponsor; a donation agreement is drawn up for mentioning the brand. Donor- an individual or organization making gratuitous donations or sponsoring grants on a competitive basis. Patrons are private individuals making free donations.

Fees are divided into targeted requests And program activities . Targeted collections attract more people, as they are aimed at helping a specific person, most often experiencing health problems. Program fees are organized to sponsor social services or large-scale programs. The costs of salaries of employees and attracted specialists, as well as indirect expenses can be included in any type of fees. Examples include programs for the rehabilitation of people with disabilities and the social adaptation of children without parental care, as well as the organization of regular volunteer assistance in hospitals. The transfer of donations can be carried out either by bank transfer or through cash payments. As a rule, you can make a donation through the organization's cash desk, bank or specially installed terminal.

Story

Fundraising through a book festival, 2005

in the world

The practice of collecting donations for socially significant purposes dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the first major patrons of the arts of that time was the European Medici family, which sponsored the scientific discoveries of the Renaissance. Another example is the Rothschild family, which throughout the 20th century owned the largest fortune in the world and regularly donated to charity. The term “fundraising” itself arose in the USA in the 19th and early 20th centuries to refer to the collection of donations for social projects"third sector" - an area of ​​the economy that unites non-governmental organizations. At that time, the sector was engaged in tasks that were ignored by private and public structures. Thus, in 1900, the first major fundraising project was carried out, organized by Charles Ward and Frank Pierce to build a building for the Christian volunteer organization YMCA in Washington. In 1931, the New York Community Foundation was founded based on donor donations. (English)Russian, the donors of which independently determined what the funds should be used for.

Since the 1950s, the share of NPOs in the “third sector” of the United States has increased significantly, which made it possible to distinguish fundraising as a separate management discipline. After the end of the economic crisis in 1973, the state reduced funding for NPOs, as a result of which the latter began to use various types fundraising strategies. Currently, there is a developed institution of charity in the United States - by the end of the 20th century, more than 1.6 million non-profit organizations were registered, with a total budget of $800 billion. Donations from companies and large entrepreneurs are also common. Yes, founder social network Facebook Mark Zuckerberg has donated more than $45 billion to socially important projects. Apple is also active in charitable activities, spending about $30 million annually. Entrepreneur Warren Buffett is one of the world's top donors - from 2006 to the present, he has given more than $30 billion to charity.

Russian experience

Charitable activities in Rus' began with the adoption of Christianity in 988. Over the next centuries, monastic institutions became the main centers for providing assistance to the disadvantaged, and the main motivation of donors was personal motives, since by giving alms, a person felt closer to God.

Modernity

Donation box in one of the Russian churches, 2018

Undeveloped areas of charity in Russia remain helping people in difficult life situations: HIV-positive, chemically dependent, those who have served their sentences and emigrants. This is due to a general distrust of NPOs and an unfavorable legislative environment. Thus, the bill “On Non-Profit Organizations” adopted in 2012 significantly reduced the activities of NPOs, some of which were recognized as foreign agents. These included Levada Center, regional organization assistance to refugees and forced migrants “Civic Assistance”, center for the study of political repression “Memorial” and others. The restrictions imposed affected the status of organizations and reduced their budgets.

The most difficult thing is to raise funds for infrastructure projects of NPOs aimed at the activities of organizations. An example is the work of the editorial board “Such things”:

Fundraising(from the English fundraising (to raise fund)) is:

• increasing resources and raising funds.
• activities to attract resources for non-profit projects.
• collecting donations for non-profit and charitable organizations or to provide socially significant events.
• methodology for finding sources of financing, i.e. unifying activities to attract and accumulate external sources financing.
• search and attraction “for the project”.
• attraction of material, human, technical and time resources.

Despite the variety of definitions of fundraising, the goal, both theorists and practitioners, emphasize the implementation of socially significant activities.

Essence

The issue of attracting investment is comprehensive: financial resources everyone needs it: some to do a good deed, others to increase the volume of an existing money supply, the third - to give impetus to the development of the organization at the very beginning of its activities.

Most Russian non-profit organizations live by the principle: “What fell from the sky is mine,” i.e. do not engage in regular and thoughtful fundraising. As a result, they either do not have enough money or none at all.

In many Western European countries and especially in the USA, money and charity are taken very seriously. Having not even fully thought through the essence and details of the project, they begin to collect money for it. This is explained, among other things, by the fact that in these countries the state has never financed all social sphere. A significant part of the problems were solved only by charitable organizations that could hope to financially only on yourself, on your ability to attract a sponsor, organize work, and achieve a good reputation. In Russia, very often the thought of where to get money for a project comes last. We are not used to thinking about money, we are used to receiving it from the state.

At its core, fundraising is not much different from finding investors. The differences lie in the fact that investors are usually sought for commercial projects, “seriously and for a long time,” to create fixed assets, when the return on investment is expected after quite a while. long time. The investor's goal is to make a profit. Fundraising is usually associated with the search for funds for non-commercial projects, which, in principle, cannot be implemented in a commercial mode and when there is a shortage working capital for the implementation of projects and programs - not for the creation of fixed assets, but for activities.

Tasks

The main objectives of fundraising will be:

1. fundraising;
2. acquiring new partners and friends of the organization;
3. the opportunity to openly express yourself and inform about your goals.

Species

Fundraising can be “internal” or “external” in terms of the method of implementation.

• Internal fundraising- this is when the development and implementation of the search for financing is carried out by the organization’s employees independently.
• External fundraising d is a search for funding carried out through the involvement of professional fundraising consultants. In this case, both independent experts and specialized fundraising firms can play this role.

Methods

• Telefundraising - contacting potential donors and philanthropists by telephone and fax.
• Mail fundraising is an appeal to potential donors and philanthropists by mail.
• Individual fundraising is a personal appeal to donors and philanthropists in a personal conversation.
• Solo fundraising - acquiring support.
• Events fundraising - holding various events (auctions, exhibitions, lotteries, presentations, dinners, etc.)

Related concepts

The basic concepts without which fundraising cannot exist are such concepts as: grant, application, donor, sponsor, grant givers, applicant, project, sponsorship, charity, donation, patronage, membership, patronage, public funds, intermediary funds and private foundations.

• Grant - funds given free of charge by a donor (foundation, corporation, government agency) to a non-profit organization or individual to perform specific work. Unlike a loan, a grant does not need to be repaid.
• Application - a written request for a grant. Unlike a business plan, an application is written to obtain funds for a non-profit project, i.e. for a business that is obviously not profit-oriented.
• Donor - legal or individual, providing material, financial, organizational and other charitable assistance non-profit organizations on a voluntary, disinterested basis.
• Sponsor - a legal or natural person who provides material support for charitable activities on a voluntary and non-profit basis in order to popularize exclusively its name (name), trademark etc.
• Grantors are individuals or organizations that review grant applications and make grants.
• Applicant - an individual or organization applying for a grant.
• A project is a logical set of activities carried out to achieve set goals within the established budget, plan - implementation schedule and forecasting performance results.
• Sponsorship is a mutually beneficial exchange of funds, goods, services, work for the possibility of advertising, PR - events that stimulate sales.
• Charity is voluntary, disinterested support of various forms of financial and legal entities for general purposes.
• Donation is the donation of a thing or right to a limited number of beneficiaries for generally beneficial purposes.
• Patronage is the provision of long-term material and organizational support for non-profit activities in response to obtaining rights to manage them.
• Membership is a regular contribution of fixed funds to a non-profit organization in order to receive a standard package of non-profit services.
• Patronage is the organization or support of socially significant events for educational purposes (mainly in the field of culture and the arts).
• State funds are government institutions financed from the budget of their state.
• Intermediary funds are public organizations funded by public or private funds and distribute to applicants who meet the requirements of the fund or program.
• Private foundations are non-governmental non-profit organizations that receive funds from citizens (in the form of donations) or commercial organizations, as well as individuals.

Typically, private funds are distinguished, compared to state and intermediary funds, by less bureaucracy, less stringent requirements for the execution of applications, simplified reporting, and greater democracy. Although a number of private funds are very, very demanding in terms of all of the above criteria. Private foundations differ from each other primarily in who they are financed by. Thus, independent foundations, as a rule, are organized by individuals (a group of individuals) or a family. Such funds usually exist on dividends from invested capital and, as a rule, have a clearly defined once and for all list of priority areas and criteria for selecting applications.

Associated funds, as a rule, are financed from the funds of the company (commercial organizations, banks) with which they are associated. Typically, associated funds provide grants in areas of activity close to or coinciding with the company's area of ​​activity.

Each fund has priority areas or programs. To implement these programs, foundations competitively select projects that best meet their requirements.

History of origin

The term “fundraising” was borrowed from the United States, where it has been used for many decades primarily in the field of attracting funding to the so-called third sector. The third sector of the United States, developing since the late 19th - early 20th centuries. and operates alongside the private and public sectors, unites non-profit, non-governmental organizations designed to implement tasks ignored by the private and public sectors.

Active development of fundraising in the second half of the 20th century. associated with the increasing role of the third sector in the United States. The share of the total number of employees in the non-profit sector is increasing exponentially.

Fundraising received a new impetus for development in the United States in the 1980s. during the reign of R. Reagan, when the non-profit sector was experiencing a financial crisis due to the reduction budget financing for social purposes. Despite the fact that the US non-profit sector has always been more focused on attracted and own sources funding than government funding, however, the reduction in direct and indirect government funding has caused the financial crisis of the third sector.

Fundraising since the 1980s began to focus on active diversification (redistribution of resources) of sources of financing from individuals and legal entities, government and local authorities, as well as the development of new forms of attracted financing for non-profit organizations. In addition to traditional donations, grants, charitable, sponsorship and membership fees, new forms have emerged, such as tax-free municipal and reserve contributions.

Since the 1980s Fundraising in the USA has finally become an independent management discipline. However, even now, increased attention is being paid to the problems of fundraising development there. Despite emerging from the crisis of the 1980s, the American nonprofit sector again faced serious financial problems beginning in the mid-1990s. According to political scientist R. Putman, "many nonprofit organizations suddenly experienced a significant loss of their clients." As a result sharp decline volumes of receipts from individuals led to a significant financial deficit in the budgets of non-profit organizations.

L. Salamon, director of the John Hopkins Institute in the USA, also points to financial problems as the causes of the crisis of the American third sector. On the one hand, they are associated with a reduction state support: The amount of federal funding allocated for social needs has decreased, on the other hand, the financial problems of the non-profit sector are closely related to the reduction in the growth rate of private donations. Since the early 1990s. There is a steady downward trend in the growth rate of donations from the population and the commercial sector. Thus, the decline in the growth rate of private donations is not able to compensate for the reduction in government funding for social needs.

Currently, the development of fundraising in the United States is associated with the active stimulation of the growth of private donations from federal authorities and state authorities, primarily through the expansion tax benefits for donors. The state will thus be able to compensate for the reduction in budget funding for the social sphere by increasing direct funding of non-profit organizations from individuals and legal entities.

In Russia, fundraising began to actively develop with the development of non-profit organizations since the 1990s, whose activities are aimed not at making a profit, but at solving socially important problems and has made topical issues financing their activities. Today, the concept of “fundraising” includes such areas of activity as social management, marketing, PR and advertising.

In Russia, the percentage of participation of the population and the state in generating income for domestic non-profit organizations is still low, but the problem of attracting new forms of financing, planning and organizing external support processes, and, accordingly, the development of fundraising is becoming urgent. With such areas of activity as management, marketing, advertising and PR, Russia can quickly reach the level of the United States of America.

Surely, walking through a train station or other building, everyone noticed boxes for donations to some religious organization; some may have dropped a coin or two in there. On the Internet, a striking example of such fees is Wikipedia - probably everyone, once visiting the site page, came across a large window asking them to invest an amount for the benefit of the project. After all, Wikipedia is only supported by such kind users - no one else pays for the site.

Similar phenomena, whether in real life or virtual, acquired an English name, which has moved unchanged into our language - fundraising.

What is fundraising

Fundraising, or in Russian - collection of donations (fund - financing, raise - collection), is understood as the attraction by an organization from outside of material and intangible resources for the implementation of a project or for the existence of the organization as a whole. Fundraising is mainly used by non-governmental non-profit organizations operating in various fields.

Thus, fundraising includes three main sequential goals:

1. Obtaining the necessary resources;
2. Achieving the purpose for which the collection was carried out;
3. Improving the well-being of society as a whole.

According to the purposes of fundraising, two types of fundraising are distinguished:

• Project - the collected resources are used to complete a specific project;
• Operational – financing for the functioning of the organization; This type is intended to cover the running costs of the community.

Another classification is related to whose efforts the company is collecting donations. Fundraising is distinguished:

• Internal – the organization places the search for resources on its own shoulders; the employee responsible for this is called a fundraiser in this situation;
• External – a qualified consultant (“professional fundraiser”) is hired to find funding.

In addition, in its search activities, the community can turn to volunteers, that is, interested people who are ready to invest their time and (or) money for the benefit of the idea.

Resources in fundraising

Fundraising is not just about collecting money. Donations also include information, premises, time, qualified personnel and so on. To raise funds, a non-profit organization can hold mass events, attract volunteers, establish mutually beneficial partnerships with other organizations, collect membership fees, and many others.

Sources of resources in fundraising are divided into several types. Let's look at each of them in detail:

• Sponsor - a legal or natural person supporting any event or organization on certain conditions, often to advertise one’s own name;
• Investor - a person or organization that makes an investment to make a profit later;
• Grant-giving organization - as the name suggests, such organizations provide grants, that is, donations to achieve a specific goal;
• Patron - an individual who provides selfless charitable assistance on a voluntary basis;
• Donor is an organization that makes donations on a competitive basis.

Areas where fundraising is used

The most traditional area of ​​application of fundraising is the public sphere. Donations are collected to help the poor, pensioners, and veterans.

Voluntary contributions to science enable scientific research to develop new technologies. As a result, the fundraising firm may find itself ahead of its competitors.

In the educational sphere, fundraising is common to help school and higher education. The image of a philanthropist caring for the younger generation created by such activities often attracts sponsors.

In culture, funds are raised to support literature, music, cinema, fine arts and the like. For foreign organizations this is good way establish international market relations, as they show interest in the human values ​​and creativity of a given country.

In recent years, donations in the field of health and ecology have been gaining momentum. The state and society highlight them as important, pressing problems.

May the hand of the giver never fail!

Foreign words dilute our mighty and great language more and more every decade. Many of them become an integral part of speech, others still raise questions. And although the concept of “fundrising” came into our lives 20 years ago, many people do not understand what fundraising is. Let's figure it out today.

The term “fundraising” or “fundraising” comes from the English. “fundrising” in a broad sense means raising money, attracting it from third-party organizations and investors. But unlike investments, which require a return of the invested amount and earnings, the money is transferred forever, without return. Therefore, the main purpose of these transfers is charity and support of non-profit projects.

Abroad, fundraising activities are very developed, there are educational institutions, preparing professionals. Hundreds of fundraising events are held every year. Charity has been put on stream, one might say. In Russia, as usual, everything is different, and there is very little non-profit partnerships are engaged in obtaining funding regularly, and do not wait for this benefactor to appear unexpectedly.

Who is a fundraiser?

People who raise funds are called fundraisers. In the USA they are divided into internal and external. Internal - employees of an organization that needs money, external - professionals who are outsourced. The institute of professional fundraisers is not developed in Russia.

Methods of attracting money are very similar to standard sales channels: cold calling by phone, personal selling during an acquaintance or meeting, mailing and holding specialized events.

What types of assistance are there?

Monetary assistance can be targeted, directed to a specific person or organization, or simply transferred to the fund in the general budget. They help both people and companies or associations. With the help of people everything is simple. Fundraising goes towards treatment, operations, supportive therapy, medicines and medical equipment.

If we talk about organizations, they support in the following cases:

• research and development;
• environmental programs;
• social programs;
• education.

An individual who conducts social activities can also receive funds. meaningful activity, social projects or scientific experiments.

Distinguish different types support: grant, sponsorship, patronage and patronage.

• Grants are usually awarded to scientists for research, as well as to promising young talents in all areas;
• Patronage - refers mainly to culture and art;
• Sponsorship - exchange of charity for advertising and brand promotion;
• Patronage involves providing assistance on a regular basis and establishing rights over the subject.

Development in Russia

Today we are witnessing the emergence of professional fundraising in Russia. If you want to make fundraising your profession, now is the time to start. From scattered public organizations and celebrity parties to raise money, a full-fledged industry is being formed with its own association, regular conferences and awards. NGOs - non-profit organizations - are now collecting money for charitable purposes. Since 1996, their activities have been regulated by special law No. 7-FZ, but changes are made to it almost every year. There are many types of NPOs, but not all of them are involved in charity: even gardening partnerships are one of them. Fundraising organizations - public associations and funds.

In 2013, the Association of Fundraisers (Nonprofit Partnership Fundrisers`Association) was created. In 2016, the Association established the Golden Cat award. Award nominations:

• social advertising;
• Internet newsletter;
• charity event;
• online promotion;
• startup.

The main event among the pros is the White Nights of Fundraising conference.

Important: In 2017, the X International Practical Conference “White Nights of Fundraising” is scheduled for May 22-25 in St. Petersburg.

There is another association operating in our country - the Donors Forum, the main motto of which is “About charity - professionally.” It includes large grant-giving organizations. According to the Forum, there are approximately 2,500 non-profit charitable organizations in the Russian Federation, but only a fifth of them regularly support various projects and people with their money. It is these organizations that you should turn to for any type of assistance.

7 rules for successful fundraising

Fundraising is also an activity, and it requires a systematic approach. Basic rules for successfully raising funds for your project:

• Non-commercial nature of activity

I repeat once again: you can only collect money for non-commercial activities. Of course, you can try to make money on this, but then we will talk about investing, and these are completely different rules of the game. Therefore, it is a socially significant project, something that will benefit, if not all of humanity, then at least certain group persons

Important: If someone decides to lie and collect money for themselves personally, under the guise of charity, then this is generally fraud and a criminal offense.

• Big people have big tasks. If you are honored to receive a big person for help, remember that you will need to ask for significant things right away. People from the very top of business or government are accustomed to solving turnkey problems. They will not be interested in collecting money from the world; they will be ready to immediately solve the pressing problem. Therefore, if you have, for example, 2 tasks: find 500,000 rubles for current activities, for which you collect 20,000-50,000 rubles from different philanthropists, or buy laboratory equipment for 300,000 rubles, ask only for equipment and the entire amount at once.

Important: Big shots like completeness: there was a problem, now there is no problem. They solved it.

Important: Even 10 rubles are not lying around on the road, they need to be earned.

• Good tone. No one has canceled etiquette. In money matters it is more important than anywhere else. Be sure to thank the benefactor both immediately and later. This could be a postcard, a box of chocolates, a sample of trial products, an invitation to a charity evening. It’s good to post your gratitude on a page on the Internet, on social networks, or send your gratitude on the organization’s letterhead to the philanthropist’s office. The main thing is that it must be sincere and appropriate.

Resume

Fundraising is the collection of funds for all types of charities and non-profit projects. He represents a separate professional activity which needs to be dealt with constantly.

From the investor's point of view, this is a purely charitable event, which never, under any circumstances, provides for a return on investment.

From the point of view of the applicant, funds can only be received for gratuitous projects, social assistance. It should be taken into account that traditionally people donate for the treatment of children, while other areas collect at times less money. Even if you look at the projects that received the Golden Cat award last year, 4 out of 5 were related to children and 1 was a project to help the elderly. In such conditions, it is very difficult to find money to finance activities not related to medicine.

Important: If you need money for a commercial project, but are afraid to attract full-fledged investments, you can try your luck in crowdfunding.

To raise money for scientific developments, research, holding social events, protecting the environment, getting an education, it is better to contact specialized funds. The main NPOs in Russia suitable for such purposes:

• Vladimir Potanin Foundation - education and culture;
• Rybakov Foundation - education, social projects, student entrepreneurship;
• Vita - animal protection;
• Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation - culture;
• International Fund for Technology and Investment - education, science.

Better yet, do charity yourself. As the scripture says: “For the poor of the earth will never cease; therefore I command you, saying, Open your hand to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy in your country.” Be generous! Good luck!