Fundraising
can seem like an impossible task for many National Wildlife
Refuge Support (“Friends”) Group members. Most
groups are made up of volunteers who care deeply about their
refuges, but who feel overwhelmed by the idea of raising
the funds they need to make their organizations succeed
in the long run. Despite this common concern and living
on shoestring budgets, Friends groups around the country
report extraordinary successes. Yet, we all want to do more
and that takes money.
The
purpose of this book is to provide a framework that will
help your group become successful fundraisers. Raising funds
is really all about making friends. It is your friends who
will become your most ardent supporters—and they will
show their support through their financial contributions.
If you position your group to make and keep lots of friends,
you will find ourself succeeding at raising funds.
This
book is not intended to be a detailed “how to”
guide on fundraising—there are some excellent books
and videos listed in the resource section. Instead, the
stories and concepts presented in this book are meant to
help you assess your group’s approach to “friendmaking”
and organizational management, both of which are key to
raising funds.
