Building Nonprofit Capacity: Fundraising

                                           Assignment 2

Professor: Dr. Julie A. Pietroburgo, Visiting Fulbright Professor

Objective: To give students experience in selecting and developing appropriate tactics for raising
critical funds necessary to a nonprofit organization’s capital project.

 Resources: Students will refer to readings and class notes particularly from  classes 6 and 7. In
addition, Chapters 8, 9, 11 and 13 of the readings from the Seltzer text, “Securing your
Organization’s Future” provide useful guidance in developing specific fundraising tactics.

Exercise Description:

1.    Students will review the Case Statement for the Ronald McDonald House Capital Campaign which
may be found at

http://www.capitalcampaigns.com/case_statements/case_mcdonald_house.php

2.    Students will consider the various fundraising techniques we have discussed; i.e. personal
solicitation, internet solicitation and special events and determine which will best foster giving
among mid-range donors to the Ronald McDonald House (those who annually have given between $200 and
$500 to the organization).  Two techniques will be selected and described..  A paper of at least
three pages will be prepared describing and justifying these tactics as they apply to the Ronald
McDonald House capital campaign. This paper may be thought of as a preliminary fundraising plan for
the campaign.

3.    Your paper should be explain the tactics (what they are and how they will be carried out) and
justify their use in effectively raising the necessary monies.

Grading: A total of 50 points is possible for this exercise. Criteria for grading of the exercise
include:

·         Completeness (are the three elements described in sufficient detail)

·         Accuracy (do the descriptions of the tactics comply with established fundraising practice
as described in class and readings)

·         Justification (does the plan appropriately support these tactics as most effective in
raising the necessary funds)

·         Quality of written product

·         Timely submission