The strategic purpose of event fundraising is to activate generosity through curated experiences.
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Raising Capital & Fundraising
Many founders launch social enterprises so that they can operate transformative programming alongside their business. They may see the opportunity to generate contributed revenue as a “bonus.” Rarely do founders launch social enterprises because they believe that raising capital itself has as much intrinsic value as other activities in the business plan. Instead, raising capital is seen as a side gig, a temporary activity that will occur on the margins until the enterprises generate enough revenue to sustain the ecosystem.
We have designed the following pages to support ESEs in centering your capital-raising activities as intrinsically valuable within your business model. You will witness our desire to build out your fundraising infrastructure and strategy rather than hide it as a symptom of a less-than-optimal earned revenue strategy. Why?
Raising capital allows you to build a movement around your organization. The act of giving generously can be transformational to individuals and institutions. Fundraisers alone have the power to build generosity within our culture. The degree of generosity in a community is arguably correlated to a thriving community.
We recognize that each ESE will have a different approach to raising capital. Some may be fundraising through grant writing or inviting major donors to give philanthropic gifts. Some may be seeking impact investors or other types of competitive financing. Some may be contracting with government agencies to provide employment services. Across all of these activities we see a common denominator–someone on your team makes an ask. It is within these proposals, pitches, applications, or appeal letters that your team does the work of raising capital. We have designed the resources in this section to support both the art and science required.
Featured Resources
Continuing Education Series: Raising Capital Through Mission-Aligned Loans
Continuing Education Series: Government Funding & ESEs 101 | Getting to Know Each Other
Continuing Education Series: Government Funding & ESEs 201 | A Perfect Match or Toxic Relationship?
Continuing Education Series: Fundraising Strategy
All Fundraising Resources
Devising an external communications plan that aligns with your organizational goals will help you reach your target audiences where they are, present them with information that resonates, and move them to take action.
The following overview offers guidance on the types of messages that convert audiences and customers into lifelong donors.
There are five broad strategies in fundraising and, depending on the organization, one or all five of these strategies can be chosen.
The strategic purpose of grant fundraising is to activate institutional generosity. Grants are a common choice for ESEs as workforce development is a priority of many grantmakers.
The strategic purpose of major gifts is to activate generosity through personal, high-touch donor relationships.
Investing in the development of a few strong, core marketing assets will ultimately save you and your team time as you connect with new audiences, as well as deliver a strong, reputable first impression of your business.
With such widespread use and increasing impact on consumption habits, leveraging social media platforms should be a component of your social enterprise’s marketing efforts.
It has become increasingly important that we be able to understand not simply that a program is a “good cause,” but rather that its social returns argue for increasing our investments in their work.
Storytelling is one of your social enterprise’s most powerful marketing tools. Sharing the stories of your employees and leadership, as well as your business’ impact on the world, creates an emotional connection to your work - and sets you apart from your competitors.