3 Ways Nonprofit Fundraising Is Like Fantasy Football

Fantasy football is a wildly popular fall pastime. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, about 33 million people play fantasy football every year.

Team owners spend countless hours evaluating players for the draft and adjusting their lineups throughout the season. It requires attention to detail, a great deal of knowledge, and an ability to constantly adapt to changing circumstances.

Nonprofit Fundraising Takes a Team

Nonprofit fundraising is much the same, but the stakes are much higher.

In the end, fantasy football is just that: a fantasy. Meeting your organization’s campaign goals isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s a very real need. Your sustainability depends on fundraising to maintain a staff, equip them with the tools they need, and carry out your mission.

When everyone on the team works together and executes the game plan, you’re that much closer to victory.

The Salary Cap

There is no end to the season, and there is no trophy to hoist while claiming the title of the Best In the World. Yet the competition is real.

Your charitable organization is going head-to-head with others for the same donor dollars. Your nonprofit fundraising team has a “salary cap,” the limit of available time and resources to meet your campaign goals.

Regardless of size all nonprofits face this same situation. It may mean you have to settle for a punt, completing certain campaigns and not others.

The solution to the salary cap is to keep ahold of the employees and volunteers who are really producing. Good intentions don’t always make for scores, so you have to keep your roster trimmed to the most valuable playmakers you can afford.

Free Agents

When your fantasy football team needs a certain player position you can often pick them up as free agents or off the waiver wire. This is often done to temporarily fill a gap due to injury.

Nonprofit fundraising can use this same technique to pull in talent and resources for campaigns. You may not need to hire a full-time public relations officer or social media marketer. These roles can often be filled with outsourced talent from agencies or freelancers.

What’s critical here is doing your homework on free agents. What’s their history with nonprofits? How have they demonstrated success? If they didn’t produce the desired results, was it because of the system they were in?

Backgrounding outsourced and freelance help can help ensure the success of your nonprofit fundraising campaigns and spare you an unnecessary long-term expense.

Building a Dynasty

In Dynasty Leagues, owners control teams over long periods of time–much like real football–including a rookie draft.

Your nonprofit wants to leave a lasting mark on the world. A key priority is maintaining and improving your talent level. You must retain quality team members and attract fresh, new talent.

Fortunately a lack of monetary funds doesn’t have to be a stopper. You can offer other incentives to keep building your nonprofit fundraising team. When every player buys into the system they feel a real sense of ownership, and production will increase.