One-page fundraising plan

A one-page, 12-month fundraising plan: goal by source, who owns what, a month-by-month calendar of asks and thanks, and a quarterly check.

Three editable formats: Word (.docx), Rich Text (.rtf) and plain text (.txt). Reviewed October 22, 2026.

How to use this template

Download it as a Word file (.docx), which opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice, or as Rich Text (.rtf) or plain text (.txt). All three are editable.

Fill in every blank. Blanks are in square brackets, like [ORGANIZATION NAME], and are highlighted in the preview below. Delete any bracketed notes you don't need.

Make it yours. Check it against your bylaws and your state's rules, and change anything that doesn't fit. Have your board approve it where it says so.

Printing? Print this page: the printout leaves out the site's menus and shows the template with lines for the blanks.

A fundraising plan says how much you'll raise this year, from where, who is responsible, and when each ask happens. For a small charity, one page is enough, and one page is more likely to be used. This template fits on a single sheet and covers 12 months.

Fill it in with your board or fundraising committee when you set the annual budget, and review it every quarter.

How to fill it in

Start from last year's actual results, not from what the budget needs. Then add realistic growth you can explain.
Split the goal by source: individuals, events, grants, businesses, other. Don't count on one source for most of the money if you can avoid it.
Name one owner for each line. A goal without a name next to it rarely happens.
Plan thanks as carefully as asks. Every month should have something that isn't a request for money. Our donor stewardship guide has ideas.
Put the year-end appeal in early. It usually needs planning from September. See our year-end giving campaign guide.
Remember receipts. For any single gift of $250 or more, the donor needs a written acknowledgment from you. Build the thank-you and receipt step into every campaign.

Preview

Fundraising plan: [ORGANIZATION NAME], [FISCAL YEAR]

Approved by the board on: [DATE]

Fundraising lead: [NAME]

Goal by source

Source	Last year (actual)	This year (goal)	Number of gifts or grants	Owner
Individual donors (appeals, online, monthly)	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	[NUMBER]	[NAME]
Major gifts	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	[NUMBER]	[NAME]
Events (net)	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	[NUMBER]	[NAME]
Foundation grants	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	[NUMBER]	[NAME]
Government grants	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	[NUMBER]	[NAME]
Business sponsorships and gifts	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	[NUMBER]	[NAME]
Other	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	[NUMBER]	[NAME]
Total	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]

Month by month

Month	Asks	Thanks and news (no ask)	Grants and deadlines	Owner
[MONTH 1]	[FOR EXAMPLE: SPRING APPEAL]	[FOR EXAMPLE: THANK-YOU CALLS]	[FUNDER, DEADLINE]	[NAME]
[MONTH 2]
[MONTH 3]
[MONTH 4]
[MONTH 5]
[MONTH 6]
[MONTH 7]
[MONTH 8]
[MONTH 9]	[FOR EXAMPLE: START YEAR-END PLANNING]
[MONTH 10]
[MONTH 11]	[FOR EXAMPLE: YEAR-END APPEAL MAILS]
[MONTH 12]	[FOR EXAMPLE: YEAR-END EMAIL REMINDERS]

Board roles

Every board member agrees to: [FOR EXAMPLE: MAKE A PERSONAL GIFT THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO THEM; MAKE FIVE THANK-YOU CALLS A QUARTER; INTRODUCE TWO NEW PEOPLE A YEAR].

Quarterly check

Quarter	Raised to date	On track?	What we'll change
Q1	$[AMOUNT]	[YES / NO]	[NOTES]
Q2	$[AMOUNT]	[YES / NO]	[NOTES]
Q3	$[AMOUNT]	[YES / NO]	[NOTES]
Q4	$[AMOUNT]	[YES / NO]	[NOTES]

Template from Golden Hint: goldenhint.org/resources/templates/fundraising-plan. Reviewed October 22, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

Checked on October 22, 2026. Rules and fees change, so follow the links for the current version.

IRS: Charitable contributions, written acknowledgments