Step 3: Recruit & Equip Your Fundraising Team

Why Step 3 Is Critical

Here’s the truth: fundraising is not a one-person show.
If you try to do it all yourself, you’ll burn out, miss opportunities, and leave money on the table.

But with the right team — even a small, scrappy team of volunteers, interns, or engaged board members — you can multiply your impact and raise money consistently.

Who Should Be On Your Fundraising Team

Your team doesn’t have to be big. Start small and grow as you raise funds.

• Volunteers & Interns → Great for early stage nonprofits with no budget.
• Part-Time Staff → As you begin raising money, bring in specialists (e.g., communications, grant writing).
• Full-Time Staff → As you scale, transition to a permanent fundraising department.
• Board Members → Tap into their networks and influence.

Remember: your team’s job is to execute your fundraising plan, not just brainstorm ideas.

Equipping Your Team

Your team needs materials to confidently reach out to funders. Work with them to create:

• Email templates
• Call scripts
• Fundraising appeals
• Grant templates
• Proposals
• Case for support documents
• Donation pages
• Follow-up and Stewardship scripts (thank-you notes, calls, updates)

When your team has plug-and-play tools, outreach becomes repeatable — and effective.

Activating Your Board

One of the most underutilized assets nonprofits have is their board.

Here’s how to make it easy for them to help:

• Map their networks in Step 1.
• Provide them with ready-to-use scripts and templates.
• Let them send the first connection message, then have your fundraising team step in to make the ask.
• Or, if they’re comfortable, support them so they can make the ask themselves.

This way, every board member becomes a fundraising partner — not just a name on paper.

Use AI to Save Time

You can use AI to:

• Define team roles (e.g., “Create a sample volunteer role description for a fundraising assistant”).
• Draft execution materials (emails, scripts, proposals, templates).
• Generate donor stewardship content (thank-you letters, social media posts).

This keeps your team moving faster without reinventing the wheel.

Where to Find Volunteers

If you don’t yet have the budget to hire, start with free platforms:

• VolunteerMatch.org
• Idealist.org
• Catchafire.org
• LinkedIn Volunteers
• Local universities / internship programs
• Faith-based or community organizations

With the right guidance, even volunteers can help you execute a professional fundraising system.

Action Items

• Decide what roles you need (volunteer, intern, staff, board).
• Use the AI prompts to generate role descriptions and fundraising materials.
• Recruit at least one helper (volunteer, intern, or board member) to share the fundraising load.
• Equip your team with the execution materials they’ll use daily.
• Prepare for Step 4: Launching Your Fundraising Campaign.

Remember: Your team is your engine.
The more equipped and supported they are, the faster and stronger your fundraising machine runs.