Fund development is an essential component to ensuring a grantmaking organization will have the necessary resources to award grants that will affect change in their community in the future. Fund development is fundamentally different than fund raising as it encourages relationship building and not one-time encounters and donations. Opportunities for growth exist in every community and fund development and relationship building are integral activities that YAC members can play a major role in. The Michigan Community Foundations Youth Project Committee recommends that each YAC engage in fund development activities to assist with the continual growth of the YAC’s endowed fund and the community foundations’ other funds on an annual basis and that YAC members interact with donors on a formal and informal level twice annually.
Fund Development Overview – An excerpt from “Guidelines and Resources for Establishing a YAC,” this document provides valuable background information about engaging YACs in the fund development process.
Fund Development Basics – A tool assembled by the Michigan Community Foundations Youth Project Committee, this document answers basic questions about fund development.
Fund Development Plan – Developed by the Michigan Community Foundations Youth Project Committee, this resource outlines several major steps in the fund development process.
Letter to YAC Parents – A resource from the Capital Region Community Foundation, this document provides an example of letter that can be sent to YAC members parents during fund development campaigns.
Tax Credit Brochure – Designed by the Berrien Community Foundation, this brochure is an effective way to explain the Michigan tax credit to YAC donors.
Ten Reasons to Give to Community Foundations – This resource, developed by the Michigan Community Foundations Youth Project Committee, provides a list of 10 reasons donors give to community foundations and is a great resource for inclusion in fund development marketing materials.
Youth Contribute to Community Foundation Growth – Commissioned by the Council of Michigan Foundation and authored by Dr. Karen Tice, this resource explains the benefits of using youth in fund development efforts and provides lessons learned from studying different models.
