8 principles to define a scalable, long-term fundraising strategy

By Atul Tandon

Suzy, the vice president of a nonprofit delivering health care in 70 poor countries, admitted she doesn’t have “the time or opportunity to think strategically.”

Her West Coast-based organization was enduring a “perfect storm” of problems: a new CEO; board demands to expand significantly the number of beneficiaries; and a fundraising team lacking experience, data and metrics for measuring results. If Suzy’s charity were a car, some might have called for an engine tune-up. Wrong. This organization needed a complete overhaul, a new way of doing business based on a new model of engaging supporters and donors.