Nonprofit Fundraising

As a nonprofit leader...

Your nonprofit fundraising strategy is the key to sustainable growth.

Most charitable nonprofits rely upon the generosity of individual donors for some or all of their funding, so nonprofit fundraising is a year-round activity. You got into the nonprofit world to make a difference, and you’re on a mission to serve your community. You’ve got dreams of making a big impact in your community, but you need more funding to make it happen.

If you’ve never raised money for your nonprofit before, or were unsuccessful at it, it’s hard to know where to start.

Truth is, most nonprofit professionals are experts at running their organization, not fundraising. And while most organizations experienced fundraising donation growth from 2015 through 2019, that trend reversed during the pandemic. Forty percent of organizations reported losses in total revenue for 2020, including 54% of arts organizations and 36% of all other nonprofits. And economic factors—like labor shortages, supply chain interruptions, and high demand for services—affected nonprofits’ operations.

If your cash reserves are low and you’re seeking funds, you might not know what options are available to raise money, which methods are right for your nonprofit, or where to find donors. Maybe you’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign before and it failed. Or you’ve been sending out tons of applications for grants and loans, and getting rejected, if you hear back at all. You keep thinking there’s got to be a better way. Well, what if there was? What if you got help with your nonprofit fundraising strategy?

it’s time to take action

Instead of...

Only planning in-person, fundraising events that take place during specific, allotted times throughout the year
Taking a narrow approach and targeting the same list of older donors year after year
Exhausting your donor list and repeat funders until they stop giving your organization donations and grants
Being passive, watching revenue and donations decline over a number of months or years, when you should be proactively changing your strategy
Or giving up entirely and closing your nonprofit due to lack of funds

You can...

Craft a fundraising story and nonprofit fundraising strategy to reach a broader audience, diversify your revenue sources, and gain the critical funding you need
Create an online, email, direct mail, individual donor, and/or social media campaign to connect with people who support your mission
Solicit donations while sharing your organization's mission, and building your nonprofit's audience and platform
Forge relationships and strengthen your bonds with community members through your shared mission
Take control of your destiny, promoting sustainable, long-term growth

And change the trajectory of your nonprofit's growth starting today.

Have you been wondering...

Nonprofit fundraising does all of those things!

When you craft a powerful story and share it with people, you can turn a crowd into an engine powering your nonprofit’s mission—building an audience of donors that become ambassadors for your organization. They’ll support your crowdfunding campaigns, Giving Tuesday, Annual Giving, or even an individual donor program. And what’s more, when you use our proven fundraising method, you’ll have a greater chance at success!

When you learn how to raise money, you take charge of your destiny

What CFYD Founder Iquo B. Essien learned about raising money, she learned on the ground at community-based nonprofits in New York City. Working as a Communications & Marketing Director, she saw the power of e-mails, direct mail, social posts, and newsletters that told an organization’s story. She saw that when you coupled an annual fundraising newsletter with a message about the impact those dollars would have on the world, how donors turned into an engine powering a nonprofit’s dream. And she realized that, when you craft a compelling story, package it up into an easily digestible format

(ie, emails, social posts, website, promo video), and share it with
people, along with a call to action (ie, give), the sky was the limit. And it unleashed a passion to share that knowledge with others. Iquo used those same skills to raise $15K in 4 weeks for her short film. And to launch an online fundraising program at an arts nonprofit, Hook Arts Media (pictured), that raised more on one day—Giving Tuesday—than ever before in the organization’s history. But with so many folks reaching out to her for help, often in the middle of failing campaigns, she recognized a need for a more comprehensive solution.

So, Iquo created a 60-day flagship course to teach women & BIPOC founders how to tell their story, market their work, and raise money. The course includes several types of fundraising…

…helping you craft a nonprofit fundraising strategy that’s right for you.

You’ll learn everything you need to...

past clients

ready to fund your wildest dream?

Enroll in Crowdfund Your Dream

Learn how to tell your organization’s story, market your work and raise up to $500K—in our 60-day flagship course.

What people are saying...

“Working with Iquo showed us how much thought we should be putting into understanding why our individual donors give. This work is really helping us put our thoughts in action—plus, we raised $10K in 24 hours on Giving Tuesday!”

“Iquo talked to our [Tory Burch Foundation] community about the kinds of crowdfunding, how to set up a crowdfunding campaign and tapping into your network to reach your goals. You (yes, you!) can fund your business using crowdfunding, no matter the stage of your company. The community that supports your vision is bigger than you think it is, and a strategic approach to your campaign can help it grow.”

need 1-on-1 support?

Hire a Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy Consultant

Jumpstart your nonprofit fundraising strategy with 1-on-1 consultation support. Our strategies have helped clients raise $10K in 24 hours on Giving Tuesday; $20K in an end-of-year giving campaign; $100K for a memorial scholarship fund; $200K for an educational nonprofit; and much more. Fill out our short application form, and we’ll assess if you’re a good fit for working with us!