In this session we will discuss the different types of government funding available to ESEs from federal, state, and local government agencies, and options for pursuing these funding resources. We will also hear from a Redefine Alliance Community ESE about their experience seeking and executing government contracts. This session was part of the Fall 2023 Raising Capital & Increasing Revenue CE Week.
Topic: Raising Capital & Fundraising
Raising Capital & Fundraising Resources
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.
The strategic purpose of corporate sponsorship fundraising is to activate corporate responsibility through meaningful value propositions. Corporate Sponsorship is a common choice for ESEs as the business will already have corporate partners.
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.
Development operations or development infrastructure are the systems and practices that function behind the scenes on a fundraising team. They are things like clarifying your team’s division of labor, prospect research, gift processing, gift acknowledgment, and data administration.
The strategic purpose of major gifts is to activate generosity through personal, high-touch donor relationships.
The strategic purpose of event fundraising is to activate generosity through curated experiences.
The strategic purpose of annual giving is to activate generosity through compelling content. Annual giving is probably the most common strategy in fundraising.
This is a helpful resource for those seeking to better understand the terminology and concepts related to Employment Social Enterprises (ESEs) and the broader field of social entrepreneurship.
There are five broad strategies in fundraising and, depending on the organization, one or all five of these strategies can be chosen.