Strategic fundraising starts with naming your North Star. What would the world look like if your work were done? That vision — your North Star — is the foundation for your day-to-day efforts, your mission, and your ultimate vision. It gives your staff and board the inspiration and focus to plan strategically and fundraise with a bit of gusto.
Mission and Vision
Guided by your North Star, ask: Who are we? What do we do best and feel most called toward? How do we fit into our community? What story do our programs, budgets, and donors tell about who we are?
Are our daily operations, mission, and vision statements aligned with our North Star?
Your mission defines what you are doing right now, while your vision paints a picture of the world as it will look once your mission is accomplished. Your values grow from your North Star — and anything that falls outside that sphere may not be relevant and could be trimmed to increase your nonprofit’s strategic effectiveness.
Example of a mission and vision statement with a clear North Star:
- North Star: No child goes hungry in school, ever.
- Mission: To eliminate school hunger by ensuring every child has access to free food vouchers.
- Vision: A future where every student can learn, grow, and thrive without the barrier of hunger.
Naming your North Star lays the foundation for effective daily operations, powerful mission and vision statements, and a strong bridge to strategic fundraising success.
Strategic Fundraising
Programs
"What program is being fundraised for?" — a question every staff member, board member, and donor will ask.
Create a visual chart. Write your North Star in the center. Around it, list the crucial programs that directly support it — along with their associated costs. This becomes the core of your fundraising strategy. Anything that doesn’t connect to those programs may not be relevant to be fundraising for.
Budgets
List what fundraising activities will meet your program’s needs. This could be online fundraising, grants, corporate sponsorships, or even planned giving. P.S. Here is a past article on how to launch a planned giving campaign. Match each program with the most appropriate fundraising tool. Remember, reaching your North Star depends on strong financial analysis — make sure your fundraising efforts deliver a meaningful return after accounting for all administrative and labor costs.
Pro Tip: Make sure you have a recurring monthly giving option! It’s a simple but often overlooked tool that provides reliable, recurring income. Feature it front and center on your website, and promote it a few times a year. Use social media, email campaigns, ambassadors, easy renewals, and clear messaging to make it successful.
Donors
Your donor demographics tell a powerful story about your North Star. Who cares most about your mission and vision — and why? Understanding this is key to strategic fundraising.
Once you understand your donors — their demographics, motivations, giving patterns, and engagement levels — you can grow your donor file intentionally. A good donor file should always include:
- Who donated
- When they donated
- For what purpose
- Stewardship notes (how you communicated and thanked them — ideally more than once a year!)
Conclusion
Naming your North Star gives direction, purpose, and inspiration. When your mission, vision, programs, budget, and donors all align with that star, your fundraising becomes intentional, strategic, and aligns your team in creating the world you wish to create. In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, it says, 'When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it.' So, set your intention, build your dream team, and make a plan.
Need help? Contact the nonprofit professionals at Mighty Penguin today!
