Not-for-Profit-Building Blocks Framework
Fully Fund It's Not-for-Profit Building Blocks Framework was first developed by Shannon Anderson way back in 2013. The Not-for-Profit Building Blocks framework was created as a simple and practical change management tool to enable Shannon's charity clients to better understand what strategic information was unclear, missing, or unavailable to staff with fundraising responsibilities within their organisations.
Shannon then further developed the Not-for-Profit Building Blocks framework into a training workshop and a book so that more not-for-profit leaders could better understand the specific and practical things they could do to increase their likelihood of fundraising success across diverse funding streams.
Most not-for-profits will have some elements of these building blocks underpinning their important organisational work. Spending the time however, to get all these building blocks in place in a comprehensive way is when the game truly changes for not-for-profits in terms of their available options and ability to raise funds or to generate fee-for-service or fee-for-product revenue.
Individual Building Blocks Overview
1
External
Environment
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Get crystal clear on where and how your organisaion aligns with current social policy relevant to your cause.
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Make sure you are equipped with the most recent research, facts, and statistics related to your purpose or cause.ted to your purpose or cause.
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Take time to understand your organisation's unique attributes compared with other community organisations in your sector.
2
Strategy &
Business Plan
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Having a detailed organisational strategy is the cornerstone for any not-for-profit being able to raise or generate funds from multiple sources.
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A business plan will detail how your organisation will operationally execute its organisational strategy
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An annual operating plan will guide your team to deliver outcomes in accordance with your business plan.
3
Business, Program & Service Models
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Charitable organisations must take the time to develop and fully document their organisational business model, their program or service model, and/or their product ecosystem.
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You need to be clear about what evidence base informs your work and how to evaluate the impact of the work you do.
4
Organisational Stories
& Content
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It is important that not-for-profit organisations, regardless of size, succinctly document their origin story and the significant contributions of staff and volunteers along the way.
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Capturing and sharing the stories of the people who contribute to the important work of your organisation and the people who benefit from your services helps people understand why your organisation is so unique.
5
Funding
Needs
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Clearly scoping, costing, and prioritising your organisational funding needs is essential for focused fundraising or revenue generation.
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Taking the time to comprehensively document your funding needs will ensure you are well prepared to deliver targeted campaigns, engage donors, and to submit high-quality grant applications and funding proposals.
6
Financial Network of Influence
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Strategically and deliberately developing and nurturing a financial network of influence
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Once established, your organisation can utilise this network to proactively seek support, communicate key messages to external audiences, facilitate introductions, and support or actively contribute to your fundraising efforts.
Find out more about the not-for-profit building blocks and why each is important for successful fundraising and revenue generation in Shannon Anderson's ebook, YES You Can Fund It!