What are the qualities of a good fund raiser

1. THE FUNDRAISERIn theory, anyone can be a fundraiser. You don't have to belong to a particular professional body; you don't have to take exams; you don't even have to have done it before. However, it is important that you get the right person to do it. The fundraiser will be saying all kinds of things about your organisation and making all kinds of promises on your behalf; if he or she says or does the wrong thing, it will reflect badly on you. So what do you need to be a good fundraiser?

1. Time: It is often said that fundraising is simple, but not easy. It is not rocket science (although sometimes people try to make out that it is!) but there are few quick fundraising fixes. The biggest factor is time.
2. KnowledgeWhen talking to potential donors, you must be able to answer their questions - and there can be lots of questions! These can range from the very general - such as 'what exactly will my money achieve?' - to the very specific - such as 'how many wheelchair users attend the lunch club? Although you can't be expected to know everything, the fundraiser who keeps on promising 'to get back to you over that one' will find the going gets pretty tough.

3. PlanningEisenhower once said: 'Plans are nothing; planning is everything'. In other words, a beautifully written fundraising plan that just sits on your top shelf gathering dust doesn't get any money raised. However, it is absolutely vital that your fundraising is planned and thought through.
4. Commitment and confidenceThis is one of the most important qualities in any fundraiser. It soon becomes clear to the outsider if people are just going through the motions because they have been landed with the job, or that they don't think it will work.

5. Stamina and persistenceFundraising can be a hard and dispiriting business. More people will say 'no' than 'yes'. People who agree to do things will suddenly drop out, or do them badly.

6. Truthfulness and realism: When money is tight it is very easy to become 'funder-led'. This is where you devise a piece of work just to try and get money rather than because you actually want to do the work.

7. EquipmentYou will need at least a telephone (ideally with an answering machine) and a word processor and printer. You don't necessarily have to buy them; you may well be able to borrow or scrounge them from members, supporters, local companies or whoever.

8. Willingness to ask
'JUST ASK FOR THE MONEY!'
Was it the charity's image? Was it the cause? Was it donor fatigue? No, it was simply that the people had never been asked. We often assume that just because people know we are there and that we need the money then they will dig into their pockets. They may well, but only if we ask them to

9. OpportunismThe good fundraiser makes things happen. For example, the difference between an OK event and a successful one could be the fact that a celebrity turns up.

10. LuckYou may just happen to say the right thing at the right time, or bump into someone who could be a useful contact.

Golden Rules of Fund raising:
1. Fundraising is a people businessPeople do not give to organisations; they do not give to abstract concepts. They give to help people or to do something to create a better world.

2. Fundraising is about projects, not organisationsA lot of fundraising tends to be about individual pieces of work (often called projects) rather than the organisation as a whole.
You may well need to break your organisation's work up into individual chunks and raise money for each, whether this is for a new roof on the village hall or for a drug awareness programme in schools.
3. Fundraising is about personal relationships
However, two issues often arise at this point:
You feel that you may not currently know the right people.

4. Fundraising must be relevant.

5. The more personal the better
Donors like to be treated and appreciated as individuals,

6. Fundraising is sellingFundraising is a two-stage process. The first thing you have to do is show people there is an important need and that you can do something useful about it.
then the second stage of asking for money becomes easy.

7. Giving is a matter of trustPeople give money to you on the understanding that you will do certain good things.
It's not all about cash nowDonors tend to give money to organisations and causes they have heard of.
to know your donors personally; make them feel a valuable part of things; and try to show that you are as keen to listen to what they have to say as to tell them what you want from them.

You may not always be the best person to do the actual asking.