In just over thirty years (!) now of working in and with charities, I’ve often heard fundraising described as both an art and a science, and it’s certainly a wonderful mixture of the two, in my view. But without a robust fundraising plan, even the most creative fundraising ideas and the most creative fundraisers will often struggle. Whether you’ve been fundraising for many years or if you’re just getting going, I strongly believe that having a clear and structured approach is essential. This is more than being about raising money – it’s about doing so efficiently, ethically, and sustainably.
However, too often charities and fundraisers can find themselves – perhaps almost literally – staring at a blank sheet of paper, not sure where to begin, or which horse to back. This was exactly why I put together the Charity Fundraising Templates resource, published by the Directory of Social Change. It’s a practical toolkit designed to help charities build, implement, and monitor their fundraising plans and strategies — without reinventing the wheel.
Planning is the bedrock of fundraising success
A robust fundraising plan isn’t just “nice to have.” I would say that it lays the foundation for everything that follows – from setting realistic income targets to choosing the right mix of fundraising activities. It helps you to:
- Align your organisation’s fundraising with its mission and strategic goals
- Identify and prioritise income streams
- Allocate your resources effectively
- Monitor fundraising performance and adapt as needed for next time round
Without a plan, fundraising becomes reactive. With one, it can become strategic, proactive and improve with each iteration.
Using templates can save time and spark strategy
The Charity Fundraising Templates resource was born out of a simple idea: if we build it, fundraisers will come … and fundraise. It brings together 80 downloadable templates across 228 pages, covering everything from strategy development and budgeting to specific income streams like individual giving and corporate fundraising.
Here’s what makes it especially useful:
- Strategic tools: 31 templates can help you audit your current fundraising, analyse your competitors, and map out your fundraising strategy.
- Financial planning: There are templates for forecasting, Return On Investment (ROI) analysis, and budget setting to ensure your fundraising is financially sound.
- Income stream support: 44 of the templates are tailored to different fundraising methods — from thinking about email metrics to calculating lifetime value.
And because they’re deliberately light on formatting, they’re easy to adapt to your organisation’s needs.
Collaboration not isolation
One of the key messages I emphasised in my launch blog is that these templates aren’t meant to be used in isolation. They’re designed to spark discussion, foster collaboration, and support shared decision-making — whether in team meetings, workshops, or board sessions.
Fundraising shouldn’t be the responsibility of a sole individual. And these tools can help bring colleagues, volunteers, and trustees into the conversation, building a shared understanding of your fundraising goals and how to achieve them collectively.
Worked examples with a touch of magic
To make the templates even more accessible, I created a fictional charity – “Find the Unicorns” – complete with a case for support, theory of change, and fundraising initiatives. These worked examples show how you can use the templates in practice, helping you to visualise their own fundraising journey.
And yes, I now believe in unicorns. ?
Ready to strengthen your fundraising?
So if your charity is looking to build or refresh its fundraising plan, this resource is a great place to start. It’s practical, adaptable, and as it is in downloadable Word and Excel form, it’s designed to save you time. You can type straight into it and focus on what really matters: working and thinking together on how best to raise funds so that your charity can make a difference.
You can explore and download Charity Fundraising Templates here. I’d love to hear how you use them. And if you spot any unicorns along the way.