How to Fund Your VisionWorkshop for Starr Fellows, Brown University By Stephanie Morimoto, Brown 99 & formerVP, Regional Development,Teach For America October 19, 2010

Context: Teach For America FundingFY09 Revenue: $150.6M

21%

15% Corporations Foundations Government Individuals

30% 34%

Framework for Effective Fundraising1) Hone your pitch 2) Craft your long-term plan 3) Create and execute your funding map

1) Hone Your Pitchy Whats the big problem were trying to solve? y Why are we the unique solution? y Whats our vision for the future? Why is that important and urgent to you (the

prospective funder) and society overall? y Whats our plan to fulfill that vision?y If you have launched: What exciting impact are we already seeing in implementing

our solution?y What do we need to get there? Why now?

So your funders can answer: Why do I care?

Teach For America Exampley Problem: Academic achievement gap that exists between low-income y

y

y

y

students and wealthier peers driven by problems of poverty, lack of school capacity and political priorities Solution: Funnel nations most promising future leaders into low-income schools to narrow the achievement gap during their 2-year teaching commitment and become lifelong leaders and advocates for educational equity Vision: Grow over 5 years from 2181 to 4510 incoming corps members; 140 school leaders & 3 elected officials to 560 school leaders, 55 elected officials and 5 social entrepreneurs Plan: Continue competing for best corps candidates nationwide; enhance teacher effectiveness and alumni support; build an enduring institution to fuel growth WhatWe Need: $189M to fund our growth and not miss this unprecedented window of opportunity

2) Craft Your Long-Term Plany Craft a 3- or 5-year plan, depending on where your

organization is now y Outline intended impact, budget and fundraising targets

So your funders can answer: How do I fit into this plan? How can I make an impact?

Teach For America Example

3) Create & Execute Your Funding Mapy List all existing and past donors, hot and cold prospects y Assign ask amounts, likelihood of giving and last/next action so you can

prioritize y Hold yourself accountable for updating at least weekly and making progress y To identify new prospects:y y y y

Network, network, network Ask donors and champions for introductions. Use a wish list to jumpstart their ideas Scour similar nonprofits donor lists Foundations: Foundation Centers online database - http://foundationcenter.org/

So you can answer: How are we going to fund our budget? What should we prioritize doing next?

Funding Map Sample