Setting Fundraising Goals For Events

Here's how I would raise $5,000 a month, every month, if I were a small charity: No galas. No grants. No huge donor base required. Just a simple, repeatable system that actually works. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 50 donors at $25/month = $1,250 in predictable revenue. That's your foundation. Name it something meaningful. Make joining feel like belonging to something bigger. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸. Yes, every week. Not a newsletter—an ask tied to a specific need or a story that connects them to your organization. Most small nonprofits under-ask and under communicate by a mile. Your donors WANT to help. Let them. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟱𝟬 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. A simple "thank you" or quick impact update. No ask. Just connection. These texts take 30 minutes and keep your best supporters feeling seen. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶-𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿. A 3-day push with a clear goal and deadline. "Help us raise $2,000 by Friday to fund summer camp scholarships." Urgency + specificity = action. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆. Within 48 hours of their first gift. The conversion rate will surprise you. This isn't complicated. It's consistent. The charities hitting their goals month after month aren't doing anything fancy. They're just showing up in the inbox, telling great stories, and making it easy to give. What would you add to this list?

Only 0.05% of startups founders successfully raise venture capital. That's 1 in every 10,000 founders. If you want to improve your odds, you have to prioritize your investors. Here’s how I did it to successfully close my pre-seed 👇🏾 You often hear that fundraising is like sales. While they aren’t 100% similar, a through line is that, like in sales, not every prospect is equal. Successful founders prioritize their target funds before they start raising. To make it simple, categorize investors by four categories: location, stage, sector, and (most importantly) whether or not you can get a warm intro. Then, prioritize with this framework: Low priority: Match on one criteria (location, stage, or sector) Medium priority: Match on 2-3 criteria High priority: Match on all three + clear path to warm intro A key point is that the status of a fund does NOT equal priority. For example, a notable fund like Andressen Horowitz is, on paper, a good fit for my company Chezie: - They invest in B2B SaaS ✓ - They invest in pre-seed/seed stages ✓ - They've backed other HR tech companies like ChartHop ✓ But I put them as medium priority because I didn’t have anyone who could introduce me. Sure, I could send a cold email, but since warm intros matter so much, not having one meant that prioritizing them would probably be a waste of time. Raising VC is about getting momentum. Prioritizing funds means that you save the best for last. This means that by the time you get to that perfect-fit, high-priority fund: 1. You know your pitch forward and backward 2. You have responses to every question that a VC is going to ask 3. You *might* even have a commitment from another fund to create some real FOMO for that investor Investors won’t say this but the best chance you have to get a check is the first meeting you have. Prioritize your funds so you’re pitching your top targets when you’re most ready. For other founders who’ve raised, how did you go about prioritizing investors? Share in the comments!

September to December is a *hot* period for nonprofit fundraising. Many foundations and donors are back to their desks after the summer and looking to make their closing funding rounds before the end of the year. If I were an advisor in your nonprofit organization, this is what I would suggest prioritizing in your fundraising plan from this month through the end of the year: 🫂 Curate Relationships Curating relationships with existing donors or key stakeholders is one of the most overlooked practices in fundraising. Only chasing new donors or funding opportunities goes at the expense of trust-nourishing and enthusiasm of those donors and stakeholders who are already "warmed up" about your work and mission. Don't make this mistake, and create space to strengthen the bonds with those who are already there. Think about personalized engagement and regular touchpoints to make them feel part of your mission and deepen their commitment to your cause. ⭐ Impact Storytelling Creating visibility around all the things your organization and your team have achieved throughout the year is a powerful avenue to leverage your commitment and attract the attention of donors and stakeholders ready to fund. Don’t be generic or conservative when it comes to showing the outputs, activities, results, community feedback, and transformations your work generated. Donors want to feel like they can make a tangible contribution to the end goal of your impact mission. Showing this to them in a compelling, story-based approach will help them understand what and why they are funding. 💰 Do Your Budget Know your number and make your financial plan clear. Prepare a budget that outlines your organization’s funding needs for the next 2 to 5 years. Identify the core areas that require sustained resources and ensure your strategy is aligned with long-term objectives. Create a strong narrative around why these areas need funding, how they will serve your impact goals, and why mobilizing resources into these areas will be foundational in securing sustainability and scalability to your work. 💥 Optimize Your Strategy You must have learned a lot in the past 9 months and got a lot of feedback, observations and lessons learned around your work. This is the perfect time to integrate the learnings into your overarching organizational strategic plan and fundraising strategy and adjust it according to the things you have now gained more clarity on, such as your new targets and goals. -------- Hey! I am Margherita, senior nonprofit consultant and advisor. I am open to working with nonprofit organizations in social justice and accelerating their development goals through fundraising, financial planning, organizational development, and operations. My fee model is equity-informed and open to accommodating all budgets. Contact me to learn more!

So you want to raise funds. Here is the playbook that we share with our portfolio founders: 1️⃣ Develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy It should address the following: - Capital runway. How much time do you have before you run out of cash? Understanding your timeline will help you set realistic fundraising goals. - Desired raise amount. How much funding do you need, and how does it align with your growth objectives? Be clear on the rationale behind the amount. - Fund allocation. How do you plan to use the capital? As investors, we want to see a detailed plan on how funding will drive growth. - Target valuation. Do you have a realistic price in mind? It’s important to align your expectations with current market norms and investor appetite. 2️⃣ Target the right investors Not all investors are the same. Every VC will have their own investment thesis and value proposition. To optimize your efforts, be strategic and selective. - Research extensively. Start with a broad list of potential investors and narrow it down based on their historical investments and current interests. - Refine your list. Focus on investors who are not only aligned with your sector but also have a record of backing startups at your stage of growth. Aim to cull your list to no more than 50 high-quality targets. - Understand their process: Learn about their decision-making processes. This will help you tailor your pitch and anticipate their questions and concerns. 3️⃣ Run a tight process Understanding VC dynamics is crucial when you’re fundraising. One key aspect to be aware of is the 'herd mentality'—many VCs may delay commitments to see how your startup progresses. VCs are always buying time. Combat this by: - Condensing your fundraising timeline. Aim to complete your initial meetings with potential investors within a tight window. For example, having 20 meetings in 2 weeks is far more effective than spreading out a few meetings over several months. - Creating a sense of urgency. Let them know that other investors are also showing keen interest—but always be honest. Never exaggerate or fabricate interest; VCs will find out, and it will damage your credibility. --- Fundraising is an all-consuming job. But recognize that it's not just about securing capital. It’s also about buying time to rapidly experiment, find product-market fit, and scale up. --- Here at Antler, we maximize your success for the entire life cycle of your company. From being your earliest backer to a long-term capital partner who provides follow-on funding and access to other institutional investors. If you're a founder of an early-stage startup, get funded by reaching out to us at antler.co/apply

Fundraising is a 9-month process, and it's confusing to know where to start and why it takes so long. I break it down into bite-size pieces 👇 It is important to state the obvious, the best businesses get the funding. This means.. don't take your eye off your business, even for a second, that is a trap and a kiss of death. Fundraising needs to become a FUNCTION of your #business, much like payroll is. Every day you can set aside an hour for these tasks if it is critical to your survival. Follow this pattern and repeat ensuring to improve each time. 🚨 Do not sit with the same pitch deck for 9 months and wonder why nothing is happening 🚨 1️⃣ Starting Point: Begin by crafting a concise one-page document and impactful #investors outreach content to grab attention from the start. 300 characters is a good challenge. 2️⃣ Curate a Target List: Focus on quality over quantity. Identify and target genuine investors within your sector who are more likely to be interested in your business. Aim for a list of no more than 15 potential investors. 3️⃣ Light Outreach and Evaluation: Initiate a light outreach process to gauge responses. Use this opportunity to assess your strengths and weaknesses. A lack of responses may indicate areas for improvement, such as a boring, beggy narrative or poor targeting. Use the data gathered to inform your full deck build. 4️⃣ Build a Deck: Develop a 10-slide investor presentation and create a simple 3-year forecast. Ensure your deck highlights the unique value proposition of your business and showcases its growth potential. The model should show the reality today, and your potential upside. (Think about a betting slip, it shows how much £ you can win). 5️⃣ Research Additional Investors: Expand your target investor pool by researching and identifying the next 10 potential investors each week who align with your business and sector. 6️⃣ Revisit Original Investors: Share your updated documents with the initial set of potential investors. Provide them with the latest information to maintain their interest. 7️⃣ Engage with New Investors: Begin outreach to the next 10 potential investors on your list. Track outcomes such as email opens and responses. While securing meetings may be challenging, focus on meaningful interactions and progress. 8️⃣ Build Your LinkedIn Presence: Create engaging content on LinkedIn that aligns with your outreach narrative. Aim to post twice a week and actively engage with the community by commenting on at least three posts per day. Like and interact with relevant content to increase visibility. 9️⃣ Nurture meaningful relationships: Don't just spam people, become relevant in their network, and provide insight, analysis, and contribution. Most #entrepreneurs only repeat and rinse steps 5 and 6. That won't work. The whole thing has to move, adapt and iterate. The 1% who do this, see great results. 99% of people don't bother and give up after a few weeks and blame the pandemic. What do you think?

I’ve reviewed hundreds of pitch decks. Most miss the mark. It’s not the idea…it’s the process that breaks down. Fundraising is brutal. But it doesn’t have to be chaotic. For every "yes," expect at least 17 "no's." But here's the truth—most rejections have nothing to do with you. The process? Exhausting. The risk? Higher than you think. But great preparation can keep you in control. Here’s how to ace your fundraising game: 1. Start with a curated list: Include firms that know your stage and space. Skip the big names if they aren’t logical fits. 2. Prioritize this round: Keep focus on VCs ready to invest now. Future introductions can wait until after you close this deal. 3. Cut distractions early: “One more meeting” can derail momentum. Avoid spreading yourself thin with unproductive conversations. 4. Perfect your intro package: Share a compelling email with traction highlights. Your pitch deck? Keep it sharp and relevant. 5. Work in waves: Pitch 10 firms at a time. Adjust and improve after each round based on real feedback. 6. Nail your narrative: Address objections in your deck with an appendix. Every “no” brings you closer to your next “yes.” 7. Rehearse relentlessly: Practice your pitch until you can deliver it blindfolded. The best investors demand the best performances. 8. Sequence your meetings: Start with lower-priority VCs to refine your flow. Save your dream investors for when you're at your peak. 9. Stay grounded: Fundraising feels personal, but it’s not. Every rejection is about their priorities—not your worth. 10. Leverage backchannels: Use current investors to get insights post-meeting. Some feedback will only come through trusted intermediaries. Fundraising may drain you, but a solid strategy ensures it doesn’t defeat you. Prepare like it’s a marathon and cross the finish line stronger. P.S. What’s your go-to strategy for investor meetings? Cc: Eric paley #startups #fundraising #pitching

You don't need to build a massive data room to start fundraising. It's a huge waste of your time and needlessly delays you getting started. Investors don't need to see your articles of incorporation on the first date. Giving them everything at once is overwhelming and needlessly leaks your info early. Here’s the systematic approach I teach: The Progressive Data Room. You drip-feed information based on investor engagement. These aren't set in stone below and will vary if the investor asks for some things earlier. The key is to protect your most important information until they have shown real signs of interest such as multiple meetings or a term sheet. → Stage 1 (Initial Interest): The Teaser Your teaser deck or executive summary. That's it. Think of it like a 30-second TV commercial. Your goal here is to get the first meeting. → Stage 2 (Post-First Meeting): The Validation They're interested and want more. Now you share core materials. • Financial model (3–5 year forecast) • Strategic roadmap • Product demo video • Team bios and roles • Detailed market analysis • User research or insight backing the problem • Competitor analysis • Testimonials, pilots, or case studies • LOIs, MOUs, pilot agreements • Anonymised customer list (only if requested) • Press coverage or PR (nice to have) • Risks and mitigations (nice to have) → Stage 3 (Deep Due Diligence): The Full Works They're serious and talking terms. Now, you open up or complete the full data room: • Cap table modelling spreadsheet (current and future rounds) • Term sheet (if applicable) • Corporate and legal documents: – Articles of Association – Shareholder Agreement – Share register – Previous investment documents such as SAFEs or convertibles • Historical profit and loss statements (management accounts) • Annual accounts • Key contracts and IP assignments • Registered patents (if any) • Customer lists Treat your data room like a conversation, not a document dump. It protects your company information and gives you more time  to pull together documents as momentum builds. 👋 I’m Sutin Yang, SeedLegals Angel Investor of the Year 2025, 5 years experience leading accelerators, former entrepreneur, and ex-JPMorgan investor with 12 years’ experience. 📌 Follow me for more useful fundraising tips and stories.

If you're an entrepreneur seeking capital, you'll know the fundraising process is stressful and time consuming. I raised a small pre-seed back in 2021 within a couple of months but decided not to raise again last year. I've found that the fundraising process is usually always the same though, so I've laid out my step-by-step guide to help you in your investment journey: 1. Build relationships with investors years before you start raising. ➡️ I built my network from scratch by engaging without an ask. 2. Decide to build and launch a venture. Engage with investors that you may be approaching soon. ➡️ Gauge enthusiasm for the space and understand investability. 3. Build prototypes from your own funds. ➡️ Entrepreneurs are risk takers. If you don't like risk, don't be an entrepreneur. 4. Get interest from potential customers to validate your venture need. ➡️ The more the better; but one is better than none. 5. Build your deck and model - iterate, refine and design. ➡️ They are the intro to your business and first impressions matter. Don't waste them. You are in control. 6. Reach out to investors with a deck. ➡️ Give context and explain what you've done and are going to do in depth. But remember investors are time poor and have other businesses chasing their attention. 7. Speak to those that want to speak and thank those that don't. ➡️ Be courteous always. You don't know what's going on in the background. A 'no' today might be a 'yes' tomorrow. 8. Follow up with deep answers to any questions they have. ➡️ Show you have given consideration to their questions and are internalising what they have to say. 9. Thank them, whether they choose to invest or not. Ask if they think there's any other way they could support you. ➡️ Some investors may say no, and others may say not now. But they could add value elsewhere, so make them advocates. 10. Have sub agreement, articles and resolutions ready to go. ➡️ Keeping records and getting your paperwork sorted early is essential. It will save time and money in the future. 11. Take money, issue shares and keep building. ➡️ This is a process, not an event. Keep momentum up and tackle the most important things first. 12. Provide regular updates with asks when needed. ➡️ Investors have an interest in your success. Info is key here: the good, bad and ugly. 13. Treat their money as if it were your own and focus on the goal. ➡️ Be conscious that this is other people's money. Spend wisely, look for returns and measure. 14. You may need to raise again, so burning bridges is self defeating. ➡️ Don't think transactionally. Relationships matter. 15. Fundraising is a means, not an end. ➡️ The goal is not a TechCrunch editorial, it's to have the fuel to build something great. What do you think is the most important step in the fundraising process? Would you add anything else? 💭 #tech #startups #finance #venturecapital #fundraising

Stop launching your #GivingTuesday or year-end fundraiser at $0. I’ve watched too many strong campaigns underperform simply because they went live before showing even a tiny hint of momentum. Behavioral science backs this up. People are far more likely to act when they see others already doing the thing (social proof and herd behavior), and they’re more motivated when a goal looks “in motion,” not untouched (the goal-gradient effect). Here’s the smarter play: 1️⃣ Anchor the campaign with early supporters. Line up 3–5 early gifts from board members, champions, or monthly donors before you go public. You’re creating social proof that lowers the mental risk of giving. 2️⃣ Don’t press send at $0 raised. An empty thermometer reads like uncertainty. Even a small amount of visible progress signals that backing you is safe and worthwhile. 3️⃣ Name the momentum. “12 supporters already jumped in this morning” activates bandwagon behavior more effectively than any clever subject line. 4️⃣ Stack micro wins. Short progress updates throughout the day amplify the goal-gradient effect. The closer you appear to the finish line, the faster people give. 5️⃣ Help latecomers feel early. Don’t frame them as behind. Highlight what their gift unlocks next so they feel part of forward motion, not filling a gap. Most nonprofits blame donor fatigue. Often, the real issue is momentum fatigue — asking before you’ve built any. Want my Brave Fundraisers Guide with the scripts and prompts that help campaigns start strong? Comment BRAVE and I’ll send it to you. #nonprofits #funding #fundraiser #marketing #fundraising

I once talked to the CEO of an animal charity. She couldn’t understand why their fundraising wasn’t “performing well” and blamed the fundraiser for this. But when I quizzed her about the charity’s approach, it became clear that fundraising was entirely 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: applying for the odd grant when it popped up, sending out an appeal when income dipped, or relying on one‑off events to plug gaps. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆. Fundraising isn’t about chasing opportunities as they appear. More activity often isn't the answer. In fact, it pretty much never is about doing more. It’s about: • 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 – knowing what you need to raise and why. • 𝗔 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 – setting out which income streams to prioritise and how they fit together. • 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 – building long‑term relationships with donors, not just one‑off asks. • 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – tracking what works, learning, and adapting. When fundraising is reactive, it feels like running on a treadmill: lots of effort, little progress. When it’s strategic, every action builds towards something bigger. That’s why in my 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴, strategy is an important piece of the pie. Each spoke of the wheel — from systems and stewardship to messaging and measurement — only works if the hub is strong. Without strategy, the wheel wobbles. With it, everything turns smoothly.