How will you reach your donors with your message?

• Use this section of your business plan to explain how you will market your organization to potential donors and generate revenue.
• You might use a combination of direct mail, advertising, and fundraising events.
• Detail the key activities and programs that you’ll use to reach your donors and raise money.
• Be clear about whom you’re directing the request to, and think about the questions they might have and what they would want to see.
• Make sure you’ve done your homework regarding the costs involved with your plans. This is where the financial section of your plan will work hand in hand with this one.
• Be consistent with your numbers, and ask for enough to cover your needs fully so you don’t fall short and remain unable to complete your goals. At the same time, don’t ask for more than you need.

Below are the parts that you have to focus on:

1. Funding Goal

How much funding do you need to move forward with your goals? How did you arrive at this figure?

2. Terms

What will investors get in exchange for their investment in your company?

3. Use of Funds

How will you invest the funding that you secure from funders/investors?
Provide a very basic breakdown, either by amounts or by percentages, of how you plan to allocate the funds you receive.

For example:

30%: R&D

20%: Marketing

35%: Product Development

15%: Key Hires

4. Milestones

How will the funding help you achieve your key milestones and in what amount of time?

5. Why Invest? / Conclusion

Finish your Funding section with explaining why investors should get involved with your company.

• Is it the experience of your team?
• The originality of your product?
• The size of the market?

Make sure to identify a few key factors that make your company a great opportunity from an investment perspective.

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References

1. Business Plan Funding, accessed October 2020, https://us.accion.org/resource/business-plan-section-8-funding-request/