The fundraising plan

A fundraising plan is a must to enable your organisation to have the confidence that it can generate income and run the services it provides.

The trick is to have a diverse range of income streams to help your charity to be more sustainable.

This webinar will focus on:

  • What questions to ask?
  • What implications to consider.
  • What actions you need to take to ensure your organisation’s wide engagement with your fundraising plan.
  • We will also look at frameworks and approaches for planning income diversification.

The planning process will be invaluable to help you decide what’s achievable with your current resources or if you need to invest to secure additional income from different streams.

To support the webinar we’ve developed a fundraising plan template – download the template.

The Fundraising Plan

A strong fundraising plan is essential for building sustainable income and long-term impact. It provides a clear roadmap, helping charities move from reactive activity to strategic, focused fundraising.

Successful organisations don’t chase every opportunity—they plan, prioritise and align fundraising to their goals.

Where to Start

Before building your plan, be clear on:

  • How much funding you need
  • What problem you are solving
  • What difference donor support will make

Fundraising starts with a clear case for support—without it, it’s difficult to engage funders or donors effectively.

Why a Fundraising Plan Matters

A fundraising plan acts as a roadmap, guiding decisions and keeping activity on track.

It helps you:

  • Stay focused on priorities
  • Use resources effectively
  • Confidently say no to low-impact ideas
  • Demonstrate credibility to funders

Without a plan, fundraising can become disjointed and inefficient.

Core Components of a Fundraising Plan

A simple framework to follow:

1. Where Are We Now?

Assess your current position:

  • Existing income streams
  • What is performing well (or not)
  • Available resources and skills

This baseline helps identify opportunities and gaps.

2. Where Do We Want to Be?

Set clear objectives, such as:

  • Increasing income
  • Retaining or growing supporters
  • Diversifying funding streams

Objectives should be specific, measurable and realistic to guide activity.

3. How Will We Get There?

Define the actions needed:

  • Fundraising activities and campaigns
  • Target audiences
  • Required resources and budget

This turns strategy into practical delivery.

Building a Balanced Fundraising Plan

A strong plan includes a mix of approaches:

  • Low-risk, proven activities for steady income
  • New initiatives to support growth
  • A balance of restricted and unrestricted funding
  • Both short-term income and long-term investment

This helps reduce risk and improve sustainability.

Prioritising Activity

Not all opportunities are equal. Focus on:

  • Low effort, high impact (‘quick wins’)
  • Activities with strong return on investment
  • Realistic delivery based on available capacity

Avoid spending time on high effort, low return activity.

Resources and Budget

Your plan should reflect what you can realistically deliver:

  • Staff and volunteer capacity
  • Skills and experience
  • Financial investment required

Budget for both income and costs, ensuring fundraising activity remains cost-effective.

Roles and Organisation-Wide Engagement

Fundraising isn’t just one team’s responsibility.

Successful plans involve:

  • Fundraising staff and volunteers
  • Service teams (sharing impact and stories)
  • Trustees and leadership (providing influence and credibility)

Organisation-wide engagement strengthens delivery and results.

Monitoring and Adapting Your Plan

A fundraising plan should not be static.

  • Review progress regularly
  • Adapt to changing circumstances
  • Test new approaches and learn from results

Flexibility is key—especially in uncertain environments.

Practical Tips

  • Start with a clear understanding of your current position
  • Focus on achievable priorities
  • Balance proven activities with innovation
  • Use data and evidence to guide decisions
  • Keep the plan simple and actionable

Final Thought

A fundraising plan is an investment in effectiveness—helping you raise more, use resources wisely and deliver greater impact over time.

Without it, fundraising risks becoming reactive. With it, you create a clear path to sustainable growth.

Webinar speaker

Gill Jolly

Director of Achieve Consultants Ltd and Associate Trainer with Directory of Social Change

Gill, Director of Achieve Consultants Ltd, is a charity professional with an extensive and proven track record in fundraising, training and charity management. She is passionate about helping organisations and individuals achieve their full potential in terms of securing income and growing funding streams.

Gill is well known across the sector having worked for over 30 years with many different charities as well as a trainer and speaker at regional, national and international conferences. She works for organisations in the voluntary and community sector on a consultancy basis as well as undertaking interim roles at a senior level. She is also an Associate Trainer with DSC.

She writes widely and has contributed to a number of books as well as being heavily involved with the Chartered Institute of Fundraising having initially helped develop the fundraising certificate and diploma qualifications. She herself has the Diploma in Fundraising and was awarded a Fellowship by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising several years ago in recognition of her contribution to fundraising.

Webinar Companion Documents

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