Development is the growth of the mission. To accomplish this you need a strategy. During a recent CFRE training, these 13 points were mentioned as key elements of a nonprofit’s development plan. Understanding this flow is often a pain point at many organizations and I’m glad to see this clarified. Credit: Jack Alotto, MA, CFRE.

  1. Purpose
  2. Strategic / Financial Goals
  3. Strategies for Achieving Goals (to achieve a million-dollar gift we might need to hire X major gift people, and we have Y number campaigns that target $ or more in giving)
  4. Operational Policies
  5. Targeted Constituencies
  6. Analysis of Potential by Constituency
  7. Cultivation Strategies
  8. Solicitation Strategies
  9. Action Plan (Timetable & Income Benchmarks for Each Strategy)
  10. Who is Responsible (Responsibilities of staff, volunteers)
  11. Marketing Needs of Each Strategy (campaigns and goals)
  12. Budget & Funding for Each Strategy
  13. Indicators of Success
  14. Evaluation (Monitoring of Process)