For the beginner - How to Raise Money for a Nonprofit

What intrigues me about this "fundraising 101" article is the section on target marketing. Certainly, understanding your target market should be a core principle of fundraising. And this article reflects basic ways of starting down this path. What continues to surprise me is how few established organizations can really describe their core audiences. Many of these organizations have sophisticated cultivation and solicitation methods, but their target marketing and research methods do not go far beyond this basic approach.

Part of your job as a fundraiser is to identify those persons and organizations likely to be interested in the programs and services that you offer. Asking people for a donation to a nonprofit that has no interest to them is folly. Targeting a small number of potential donors is an efficient way to focus your efforts.

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