How to create a strategic fundraising plan

Digital fundraising can be tricky to get right. Fundraising methods evolve quickly, while donor behaviour adapts accordingly, and for many charities, it can be a struggle to keep up. 

According to the most recent Charity Digital Skills report,  two thirds of respondents were not fundraising effectively with digital in 2024. Two in five said they were poor at digital fundraising, while a quarter were not engaging with it at all. These numbers are concerning, particularly given the rising demand for charity services and the precarious economic climate.  

Indeed, the 2024 Status of UK Fundraising report revealed that charity professionals view the current economic climate as the most significant challenge facing the sector. Charities must for innovative ways to raise the necessary funds to drive as much impact as possible for their communities amid financial uncertainty. 

That is where their fundraising strategy comes in. A fundraising strategy combines the tactics that have already seen success with new opportunities that will boost charity income and grow their support in the future. Every fundraising strategy should be tailored to the resources, budget, and tools charities have available to help them achieve their goals.  

Though every fundraising strategy will look different for each charity, there are some fundamental elements that charities can consolidate now, whether they’re creating a brand new strategy or refreshing an old one. To help them with these fundamentals, fundraising software providers Blackbaud have created a new Strategic Fundraising Toolkit, guiding charities through the process of building a successful fundraising strategy, from acquiring and retaining donors to using technology to drive growth. 

“After all, effective fundraising is not merely about soliciting funds or support at random,” explains Blackbaud. “It requires a well-thought-out plan—one that takes into account the unique characteristics of your audience.” 

Below, we explore just three of the essential steps recommended by the toolkit and discover how charities can make their fundraising strategy fit for 2025.  

Download the toolkit 

Creating a successful fundraising strategy 

Understand your supporter base 

Getting to know your supporter base is essential for charities when it comes to fundraising. Understanding their motivations, their chosen platforms, and their supporting history can help organisations tailor their fundraising approach to their preferences, keeping donors happy while raising more funds.  

The toolkit also notes that taking the time to understand donor behaviour can help charities acquire new ones. By establishing common characteristics among existing donors – such as profession, age, and other demographic information – charities can more easily identify potential donors to reach out to, making their donor acquisition more strategic and, likely, more effective.  

The toolkit advises charities start with their data to find answers to five key questions that will build them a bigger picture of their network. It also lists the data that will be most useful and provides a worksheet to help charities draft a supporter persona based on what they’ve learned. Charities can create multiple personas based on the activity of different donor groups and strategise the best way to connect with each.  

Conduct a SWOT analysis 

A SWOT analysis consists of four areas: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. As the toolkit points out, a SWOT analysis can help charities understand “what’s realistic and achieveable based on [their] environment and position within”. 

By undertaking a SWOT analysis, charity professionals can work together to identify what is working, what needs to be improved, while coming up with plans to make the most of new opportunities and mitigate potential threats.  

For example, perhaps Artificial Intelligence (AI) can make fundraising more effective with speedy data analysis. But it is also important to note the risks that come with using AI and data, notably how to keep your data protected while in use with a third-party tool. Thus AI is both an opportunity and a threat in a SWOT analysis. 

The toolkit shares a helpful example of a SWOT analysis quadrant and a blank version for charities to use themselves. Its aim is to build confidence and a better understanding of where your strategy should be focused.  

Perfect your “elevator pitch” 

Supporters have a lot of demands on their time. It is crucial that charities capture their attention quickly, providing them with a succinct understanding of your mission and values. In order to do this effectively, charities should create an “elevator pitch”, a short speech or statement that describes their organisation, its mission, and its impact in as little as 30 seconds.  

The process of developing an elevator pitch should help charities determine what makes them different from other organisations and how they communicate this to the public. If charities themselves cannot work out their purpose, how can potential supporters do so with less context? 

“In today’s fast-paced world, where attention spans are short and audiences receive constant stimuli, a well-crafted elevator pitch can open doors to new opportunities,” explains the toolkit. “Whether you are at a networking event, meeting potential donors, or connecting with partners, having a concise and compelling pitch allows you to convey your passion, mission, and impact succinctly, laying the foundation for deeper, more meaningful conversations.” 

You can discover more advice on how to create a successful fundraising strategy by downloading the full toolkit below. 

Download the toolkit