Things You'll Need:
- Professional grant writer
- """Ask"" letters"
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Step 1
Write your grants. Grant writing isn't easy and requires tons of research - but it's the traditional way for a nonprofit to get funds. Consider hiring a person to do this (see Tips) - or plan to spend at least a day a week on it yourself.
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Step 2
Plan other traditional fund-raising efforts: a golf tournament, a silent auction or other activity that creates goodwill and raises money. Keep costs to no more than 20 percent of your total budget so that you'll still make money.
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Step 3
Plan, plan, plan. It's irritating to attend a nonprofit fundraiser that hasn't been planned but is simply asking you to take out your checkbook.
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Step 4
Ask directly for money from donors, corporations and service providers - another traditional way to make money fast. Create a donor list in your database and send out "ask" letters asking for support and money. Time it intelligently (see Tips).
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Step 5
Remember that without your general list of donors - individual or otherwise - it will be hard to sustain a nonprofit on simply writing grants and having fundraisers.
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Step 6
Market your cause. "Cause marketing" is a relatively new buzzword in the nonprofit world. It allows media outlets to use a nonprofit cause to "leverage" a buy from advertisers and gives back to the community at the same time (see Tips).











