201 - 6 Stages of Building a Fundraising Program: Part 1 - The Bootstrapping Phase

Andrew and Rhen are back to launch a new series on the six stages of building a development office. Their framework breaks down fundraising growth into six phases, and it gives development professionals a way to pinpoint exactly where their organization stands - and what it takes to reach the next level. This week, Andrew and Rhen chat about stage 1, the Creation (or Bootstrapping) Phase, and they're speaking specifically to organizations just getting started in fundraising. They dig into what these organizations need to nail down before they can even think about building a sustainable program. At this stage, it's all about data collection and calendars. Andrew flags the activities you can safely ignore for now, and he introduces Petrus's BOAT program as a practical next step for organizations at this level. Next week, we move from the survival mode of stage 1 into the systems and repetition of stage 2. Throughout this series, Andrew and Rhen will help you see exactly where your fundraising program is headed, and they'll highlight what it takes to get there at each step along the way.