Assessment Tools
So you’re thinking it’s time to assess what’s working and what’s not when it comes to fundraising. Welcome to step 1: assessment. Getting a good read on your current situation is critical to making sure you can chart the best path forward, and it takes both the right mindset, questions and action steps. Let’s start.
Here’s where the rubber meets the road on your assessment efforts. There’s a myriad of tools out there, but here are a few of our favorites and why we like to use them.
SWOT Analysis: Yes, it’s typical. But there’s a reason. SWOTS - which stands for “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats” analysis lets you parse out what’s happened and has a track record and what’s ahead to pay attention. Write these out individually, and then take time to compare as a group. That individual time ensures that everyone gets their thoughts in the mix.
Post-It Notes In a Room: There’s no easy way to name this one, so we’ll describe it. Pick your topic, whether that’s answering the question, “Why does our organization exist?” to “What’s working in our fundraising efforts?”. Then, while gathered in a room with 3+ people, have everyone answer the question individually on post-it notes. It may take a few, but be sure to keep one idea to a post-it note. Then, have everyone report out and explain their answer if they need to. What you do with the post-its is up to you - group them on a board for all to see, organize them into things to do, find the similarities and differences, or the surprising findings. We nearly promise it: you’ll be blown away by the differences that either illuminate challenges or find strengths.
Interview Stakeholders: I know you’ll be surprised by this - not really - but the success and failure of your efforts don’t rest on your evaluation alone. Ask others. Be bold. Whether you have coffee with a few donors one-on-one or in an informal focus group, or you develop a survey to email to 500 people, ask others what they think. Reflect back on the types of questions as you develop this tool, and take verbatim notes if you can!
Audience Analysis: Segmenting audiences by giving level or persona is important. Once you can set your donors into a few key groups, go through each on a large white post it or board and ask yourself questions about them. What do they not know that they need to know about you? What motivates them to give? What kind of capacity as a group do they have to give? Who is the best person to talk to them? Then, with those answers, determine which priority the group falls into so that you can channel your energy appropriately in the long and short terms.
This combination is incredibly helpful, but if you can only choose one, choose the one that you think will get you the most info for your goals.