Fundraising Strategies & Best Practices for Nonprofits
Proven Strategies to Grow Giving and Expand Your Impact
Whether you're launching a capital campaign, cultivating major gift prospects, or rethinking your annual fund, having the right strategy makes the difference between a good fundraising year and a transformational one. AFP's fundraising strategy resources draw on decades of research and real-world practice from fundraising professionals across the sector, giving you tested approaches you can adapt to your organization's unique mission and donor base.
Explore in-depth guidance on capital campaigns, major and planned giving, annual funds, endowments, grant writing, and special events. You'll also find resources on emerging challenges facing the profession, including how to respond to long-term declines in donor participation with creative, inclusive approaches that reach new audiences and deepen relationships with existing supporters.
From first-time fundraisers building foundational skills to experienced development directors looking for fresh thinking, AFP's library covers the full spectrum of fundraising strategy.
Let’s face it: nonprofits are under more pressure than ever. With federal funding cuts, economic uncertainty, and growing needs in our communities, it’s getting harder than ever to do more with less. And if your nonprofit is relying on just one main source of income, things can feel especially...
In this AFP ICON Summer Sessions Spotlight, Aimée Lindenberger shares how she crafts messaging that normalizes the conversation about legacy giving by leaning on her background in philanthropic psychology. To learn more, join her for her session during AFP ICON Summer Sessions, taking place...
November 4, 2025 (1-day) 1:00-5:00 PM Eastern $209 USD (Members); $279 USD (Non-Members) Long-term sustainability is critical to any nonprofit’s success, and one way to build this is through a gift planning program. In this deep dive, you’ll go beyond the basic concepts of legacy and non-cash asset...
Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die to get there. This familiar saying captures an uncomfortable truth: death is inevitable, yet we instinctively avoid confronting it. For planned giving professionals, this cultural taboo creates a peculiar challenge. We're often coached to...
“Right now, there’s no secret sauce. The sauce is being made right now. The old approach is not going to get it,” Christopher Beck, CAP, IPA, associate director of planned and individual giving at the High Museum of Atlanta, told hosts Emily Leitzinger, MS, CFRE, CNP and Dr. Allison Quintanilla...
Grant funding is a vital revenue stream for many animal-focused organizations, helping to cover everything from shelter upgrades to community education. But as federal funding uncertainty grows, so does competition for individual donors and private grants. Whether you're a small rescue or a large...
The Table Was Always Open When I began my career in fundraising, I didn’t realize how much my childhood had prepared me for it. Growing up in a big family, one of nine kids, our home was always buzzing with activity. My father was a lifelong volunteer, dedicating his time to St. Vincent De Paul, the...
1:00-2:00 PM Eastern | Presenter: Chuck Sigmund Eligible for 1 CFRE Education Point Discover AI-driven solutions for productivity in grant management tasks and workflows. In session 2 of this two-part series, we will work through the process of responding to a request for proposal in the exact...
1:00-2:00 PM Eastern | Presenter: Chuck Sigmund Eligible for 1 CFRE Education Point Discover AI-driven solutions for productivity in grant management tasks and workflows. In this two-session series, participants will first learn to leverage the power of Copilot to research and find potential grant...