Fundraising

Financial sustainability can feel like a mountain to climb, but it is a key component of any UWC short course, and fundraising often forms a part of this. Sometimes it's large as with EU funding, for example, and sometimes it's lots of smaller donations.

Fundraising can be difficult, and some people train for years to become good at 'making the ask' to potential donors. In the UWC short courses spirit of sharing resources and knowledge, UWC International has pulled together the knowledge of these trained fundraising professionals to create a fundraising toolkit, which includes:

• Overarching fundraising hints and tips
• Advice for creating a strategy before you make your ask
• Advice for creating a Case for Support
• A pitch example, and
• Fact and data sheets on the UWC movement

Fundraising Hints and Tips

Below are a series of hints and tips to consider before you get started.

What to Fundraise for

There are various budget items which can be fundraised, not only scholarships for participants. Think about asking wealthy individuals, foundations, corporations and trade organisations, and/or governments and institutions for sponsorship (in kind or monetary) or donations (monetary) to cover:

• staff/facilitator stipend/salary
• transportation
• venue costs
• accommodation
• food and drinks
• IT and telecoms
• promotion and materials
• participant scholarships

Where Prospects can be Found

The best prospects have affinity with UWC’s mission and values; are excited about UWC’s impact; have the ability and propensity to give; and are known to UWC or to someone we know.

Prospects can be:

• UWC alumni, parents and existing members and supporters
• Friends of friends of friends
• Rich lists (vs) giving lists
• Online databases
• General media
• Specialist philanthropic press
• Through NC patrons/trustees
• Networking events

Researching Prospects

Research your prospects as much as possible before making the ask. For individuals, this includes:

• Personal information, family, background
• Career, education
• Board memberships, other roles/connections
• Personal/social relationships
• Assets
• Interests
• Charities supported, past donations, amounts
• Reputation, news articles

And for companies, foundations and the public sector, this includes:

• Priority CSR / funding / philanthropic / sponsorship / policy areas
• Available budgets and expenditure timelines
• Application process and timelines
• Formal and informal decision-making processes
• Use resonant language/jargon in your application
  • Important: plan for intense reporting to this kind of donor

Priorities to Consider

Here are some key things to consider before making the ask:

• Maximise time by focusing on a smaller number of most promising prospective donors for large gifts
• Access NC members’ networks of wealthy, influential people
• Leverage powerful alumni impact stories from your country
• Legal registration is (almost always) essential. Tax benefits to donors can be a plus.

Online Training

Free online training in fundraising can be accessed here (a selection of free online Fundraising courses and MOOCs from top universities and colleges) and here ('Fundraising for the Not-for-Profit' course).