Building the Foundation for Stronger Fundraising

What does it take to move a nonprofit’s fundraising forward?

In this episode of the Nonprofit Thrivability Podcast, I spoke with Rebekah Prieto, Director of Development and Marketing at Parenting Matters, about her experience with The Patterson Foundation’s Fueling Dynamic Fundraising initiative and what has changed within her organization since participating.

Rebekah came into the program with nearly a decade of fundraising experience. Rather than starting from scratch, Fueling Dynamic Fundraising gave her an opportunity to revisit familiar practices, learn what had changed in the field, and identify areas where Parenting Matters could strengthen its approach.

One of the biggest takeaways was that strong fundraising requires more than simply making an ask. It requires infrastructure.

For Parenting Matters, that has meant implementing formal fundraising policies, improving communication with the board, developing a case for support, creating a more intentional annual fundraising plan, and strengthening donor stewardship.

Turning learning into action through consulting
The course was only one part of Parenting Matters’ Fueling Dynamic Fundraising experience.

A select number of participating organizations are chosen to receive additional one-on-one consulting support, and Parenting Matters was one of them. The organization worked with consultant Jennifer Abbott to develop a major donor program.

Parenting Matters wanted to focus more intentionally on individual donors but had questions about where to begin. Through the consulting process, Rebekah and Executive Director Katie Becker worked through how to define major donors for an organization of their size, evaluate donor data, develop stewardship strategies, and build a plan they could put into practice. Jennifer also provided action steps between meetings and connected them with additional resources when needed.

That work is already shaping how Parenting Matters connects with supporters. The organization is meeting with donors more regularly, creating more intentional touchpoints, and finding new ways to demonstrate the impact of their support.

The ripple effects
The impact has extended beyond fundraising tactics.

• Rebekah described stronger collaboration between development and executive leadership, greater staff understanding of their role in philanthropy, and a clearer framework for deciding which fundraising opportunities to pursue.
• The organization’s annual plan now helps the team stay focused rather than trying to act on every new idea.
• Most importantly, Rebekah sees the policies, plans, donor strategies, and board engagement as part of a stronger fundraising infrastructure that can support Parenting Matters for years to come.

Watch or listen to the full episode of the Nonprofit Thrivability Podcast to hear how Fueling Dynamic Fundraising helped Parenting Matters build the systems and relationships needed to take its fundraising to the next level.

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