The document provides guidance on creating a fundraising task map for an organization by listing elements to include on a calendar such as existing program events, training conferences, organizational development events, board meetings, onsite counsel visits, strategic projects, existing special events, awareness events, signature events, campaign interviews, direct mail programs, newsletter communications, monthly receipt solutions, and weekly prospect cultivation. It emphasizes the importance of planning fundraising activities and events well in advance to successfully achieve fundraising goals and expand a nonprofit's offerings.

2. FUNDRAISING TASK MAP
You can make better “workflow” decisions if
You can see the entire “workload” at once
What is an Advancement Calendar?
Advancement, effort by a nonprofit that progresses and oversees the total of all donations
received by an organization during the year including operations, special projects, capital
campaign, and endowment.
Calendar, a system of determining the beginning, length, and divisions of a year and for
arranging the year into days, weeks, and months.
Please purchase four dry-erase 90-day
calendars with sharpie sized dry-erase
colored markers. Four 90-day calendars
provide one year's worth of
advancement overview. (It is very
important that four 90-day calendars be
purchased and not a single one year
calendar. You will need the larger per-
day spaces on the 90-day calendar in
order to do the job correctly). When 90-
day calendars are purchased they should
be completely blank. There are no days
or months pre-printed on the calendars.
Please fill in the days and months for an entire year
beginning with next full month post first month client
service. In other words, use a black marker to fill in the
days and months beginning with next full month (eg. If
it’s February 16th please start your calendar dates
beginning March 1st.
In order to successfully achieve MAJOR GIFTS RAMP-UP
goals an annual calendar of tasks/events must be
established to identify existing points of contact
(cultivation touches) or to establish new points of
contact. Please post on calendar the following elements,
dates, and deadlines:
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3. TASK MAP CHECK LIST:
 Existing Program Events-DATES:
What major annual events (not related to fund-raising) should be scheduled that would be
considered staff intensive and involve delivery of service? These would be events that are part
of your normal programming that support your primary mission. If you were running a summer
camp; What weeks of the year require “all hands on deck” and how could you rearrange
workflow to better meet the strenuous demand?
 Training Conferences- DATES:
Is there a special week of the year where
all the different nonprofits in your
particular field gather for a national
conference? If so, do you lose one-third of
your staff resources during that time? Are
the annual training conferences that your
team attends to meet certain licensing
standards?

 Organizational Development Events - DATES:
What annual moments do you host that involve internal team development? Organizational
Development (OD)? Dates that need to be put on the advancement calendar include Board
Training, Board Retreats, Staff Retreats, Volunteer Training, or Strategic Planning Weekends?
 Board Meetings – DATES:
Most Nonprofit Executives miss the opportunity to
grow and cultivate their board by turning each official
gathering into its own special event. What level of
appropriate attention can be given to these moments
to value members and their volunteerism? Monthly,
bi-monthly, quarterly, or annual board meetings need
to be recorded on your advancement calendar.

 Onsite Counsel – DATES:
Many organizations use outside third-party consultants
for program expansion, organizational development,
fundraising counsel, etc. When suitable, make sure you
plot your consultant’s onsite visits to coincide with key
moments that would be used to build excitement and
relationship with key prospects. Also mark the calendar
with weekly teleconference counseling calls for entire
year.
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4. TASK MAP CHECK LIST (cont.):

 Strategic Projects – DATES:
What key initiatives need to be planned in advance so your project can be time intensive. For
example, case for support creation will require staff collaboration, potential ad hoc board
committee meetings, full board of director’s review for approval, copy due dates, art work due
dates, print dates etc. Make sure plenty of time is given to these projects to ensure they
succeed.
 Existing Special Events - DATES:
These moments could include any public
ceremony designed to raise money or to
attract community prospects to your mission
that aid in prospect cultivation. Some of these
events could include:
Private Receptions Research Forums Graduations
Open House Homecoming Events Auctions
Dedication Ceremony Golf Tournaments Banquets
Retirement Party Sporting Events A-Thons
Anniversaries Benefit Concerts Dance/Balls
Media Events Dessert Receptions Ground Breaking
Giving Clubs Denominational Gatherings
Any special event requires collateral document development including event programs,
invitations, case documents etc. Make sure your advancement calendar accounts for copy due
dates, artwork deadlines, invitation drop dates, etc.
 Awareness Events – DATES:
An awareness event is a uniquely creative
breakfast or lunch moment that highlights
your nonprofit’s mission and delivers a
compelling case for support. The purpose
of an awareness event is two-fold. First, it
creatively invites the “RIGHT PROSPECTS”
to learn about your mission. Second, it
encourages your “EXISTING SUPPORTERS”
to participate at a higher level. Please
correctly plot on your advancement
calendar all aspects of your awareness event including but not limited to, venue selection, host
committee formation, collateral document development, invitation packages, etc.
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5. TASK MAP CHECK LIST (cont.):

 Signature Event – DATES:
A signature event is a full blown production
that carries the "genetics" of the nonprofit’s
mission into the donor prospect market place.
"Signature event" is a term encountered, most
frequently, in the nonprofit sector to describe
an organization's major annual solicitation
fundraising event.
 Campaign Interviews – DATES:
In our current development culture, the campaign interview functions not only as the process
by which we gather information to determine project viability but as a vital component of the
actual solicitation process as well. When campaign interviews are performed following MAJOR
GIFTS RAMP-UP the combined process contributes to both the identification of new gifts and
their solicitation. Due dates that must
be considered include case
development, questionnaire
development, campaign interviews,
interview reports, etc.

 Direct Mail Program – DATES:
It’s important to establish on your
advancement calendar the direct mail
solicitation schedule for the entire year
the existing to ensure that MAJOR
GIFTS RAMP-UP doesn’t interfere with
existing solicitation communications. In
some cases the existing mail schedule
will be used as a promotional tool in MAJOR GIFTS RAMP-UP. Direct mail is defined as mass
mail sent by a nonprofit organization directly to prospects for the purpose of solicitation. For
the purpose of workflow please include due dates for mail copy, mail art, mail print, and mail
drop deadlines.

 Newsletter Communications Program – DATES:
Again, for the same reasons, direct mail must be considered for tactical reasons. All dates for
newsletter communications must be recorded on the advancement calendar. MAJOR GIFTS
RAMP-UP can benefit from this infrastructure if it’s already in place. For the purpose of
workflow, please include due dates for article copy, newsletter art, newsletter print, and
newsletter drop deadlines.
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6. TASK MAP CHECK LIST (cont.):

 Monthly Turn-Around Receipt Solution- DATES:
Promoting MAJOR GIFTS RAMP-UP to your existing donors via the receipting process is a cost-
effective and easy way to raise the profile of your offering and case for support. The proper
promotional piece can raise the level of visibility of events, planned giving, living memorials,
referrals, and more. Generally promotional pieces are scheduled on a thirty day cycle. e.g. If
you’re about to have a non-fundraising
awareness event include a SAVE-THE-DATE card
to donors who have sent a one-time gift of $500
or more. If you’re about to launch an endowment
campaign include a reply piece, that if returned
by the donor, entitles them to a WILL PLANNING
KIT compliments of your nonprofit.
 Weekly Prospect Cultivation – DATES:
Cultivation is defined as, the act of contacting
donors via mail, phone, personal contact, etc.
specifically intended to increase interest in and
enthusiasm for the work of an organization. It is
recommended that at least one full day be set
aside exclusively for field work and should
include contacts, visits, and solicitations with
prospects in the Development Director’s
Portfolio, President/Executive’s Portfolio, and
different Board Member’s Portfolio.
CONCLUSION:
The public has entrusted the care of a nonprofit organization to a board of directors who is
responsible on an annual basis to advance the mission of the agency. It is not sufficient to
simply maintain the status quo but to expand a nonprofit’s offering to the population entrusted
to their care. This commitment is only realized when your organization takes the time to
diligently write and record your workflow “Task Map”. This critical process ensures that your
team has charted a course for mission expansion.
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7. AUTHOR – FUNDRAISING TASK MAP
James P. LaRose, CFRE, CNC - Founder - James P. LaRose Companies
Phone: (803)808-5084 Email: jimmy@development.net
James P. LaRose, CFRE, CNC known around the world as “Jimmy LaRose the Fundraiser's
Fundraiser," continues to transform nonprofit executives tasked with the raising of money in a
tumultuous 21st Century economy. His passion for the nonprofit sector is without bounds and
his love for the leaders who serve is unparalleled. His heroes are those men and women of the
charitable world who lay down their lives daily for the hurting and the
hopeless. He’s spent the last twenty years supporting executives,
volunteers, staff and board members across six continents who spend
themselves in service to others. Jimmy is fond of sharing with
professionals that, "Money chases after ideas, and there will always be
generous people who will amply support a great dream backed by a
sound plan." Jimmy is the founder of the National Development Institute,
Development Systems International and ProPlatforms.com. He is the
author of the internationally recognized fundraising series MAJOR GIFTS
RAMP-UP and is the designer of the MAJOR GIFTS RAMP-UP CLOUD, a
complete back-office for nonprofit executives. Jimmy led the design team that established
Certified Nonprofit Consultant (CNC), a credentialing process that supports nonprofit executives
committed to sharing their management experience with their peers. He is the co-founder of
the CauseCause.com platform, an online social media community network that supports
citizens of the world committed to advancing the common good. He is the co-founder of
DonorScope.com, a web-based research portal that identifies philanthropists, altruists, and
leaders and their capacity to give to causes for which they personally care. Jimmy has been
credentialed by the National Development Institute as a Certified Nonprofit Consultant (CNC)
and holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification. He is the founding President
of the Western Maryland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and is a
graduate of AFP's Faculty Training Academy (FTA) and has been
named by the AFP as a “Subject Matter Expert” on the raising of
money. Jimmy has also served as a specialist with the U.S. State
Department's Speakers Bureau and has traveled the world working
with embassies, foreign governments, and leaders to promote
philanthropy and civil society in developing countries. He is a
graduate of Indiana University's Executive Leadership Program,
Indianapolis, IN, the National Planned Giving Institute, Memphis, TN,
Tennessee Temple University, Chattanooga, TN and the Word of Life
Bible Institute, Schroon Lake, NY. Rev. LaRose was ordained as
minister of the gospel by the Ecumenical Church of Christ in 2010 to
further support his service to the hurting and the hopeless around
the world. Jimmy and his wife Dianne make their home in Columbia,
SC and are blessed with three children and three grandchildren.
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8. ADDITIONAL ONLINE FUNDRAISING RESOURCES:
www.JimmyLaRose.com www.MajorGiftsRampUp.com
www.ConsultingCertification.org www.NonprofitConferences.org
www.DonorScope.com www.Development.net
www.PAXglobal.com www.eMediaFundraising.com
www.FundraisingFarmer.com www.twitter.com/jimmylarose
www.facebook.com/nonprofitdevelopment
Development Systems International
P.O Box 2675 - Columbia, SC 29202
Voice: 803-808-5084
Fax: 803-808-0537
jimmy@development.net
www.Development.net
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Unauthorized Reproduction is Prohibited