Tools to Make the MIDBI Calendar™ Successful
As we enter another year, nonprofits should take the time to implement a fundraising strategy.
Your organization should already have a long-range plan that is revisited each year to
determine the next actionable steps. Leadership can revisit this plan throughout the year to
determine the successes and opportunities for improvement within the organization.
Part of this strategy can include a MIDBI Calendar™ to reflect the organizational milestones and
deadlines. This calendar focuses on the five major elements of funding to reach fundraising
goals:
1. Major Donors
2. Individuals
3. Donor Database
4. Board of Directors
5. Institutions
For more information, read Cathedral’s paper on the basics of the MIDBI Calendar™ and how to
create a strategy with incremental achievements. For this Topic of the Month, we will focus on
tools that can be used with the MIDBI Calendar™ to keep your nonprofit on schedule to meet its
organizational goals.
Major Donors Move Management
The Major Donor component of the calendar is extremely important to the financial success of
the organization. Major donors require a great deal of work to cultivate and maintain. It is the
responsibility of the Board of Directors, Director of Development and the Executive Director to
acquire these donors for the organization and to maintain an ongoing relationship. Often major
donors may be willing to contribute, but have never been asked or are forgotten about after the
first donation. The Board member or executive who brings in a major donor should be the one
responsible for managing that relationship. Because a donor has previously given to the
organization one year doesn’t mean they will give every year. This makes the relationship piece
essential. It is not an effective strategy to only approach a major donor once a year for a
donation instead of being touched multiple times throughout the year as part of a donor
relationship management system.
Cultivating the relationship with a donor is a difficult task that takes work from the Board
member and organization. The relationship begins when initial contact has been made with the
donor by the organization. Before any money has been given, the Board member who owns that
relationship has to be in constant contact of the donor. Meeting with a donor over dinner,
guiding them through a tour of the facility, or bringing them to a gala or event for the
organization are all ways to introduce a donor to the organization.
If a donor is interested in giving to the organization they need to be asked. A formal ask by
either a Board member or the Executive Director should be set up through the different means
listed above. Usually major donors will require assurance that the money is going to an
organization that they trust and believe in. Often times the “ask” will be followed by a request
from the donor for more information. Major donors usually want to know how their money will be
used in the organization. They will want the organization to demonstrate the position of the
organization and the viability it has to fulfill its mission.
The cultivation of a major donor is truly a collaboration between the board member and the
executives of the organization. And when the donor agrees to make a donation, it becomes the
responsibility of both the relationship manager and the organization as a whole to keep up a
lasting relationship. Follow up is the only way to ensure that a donor will continue to support the
organization with large gifts. The donor wants to feel like their gift made a difference and that
they are a valuable resource to the organization. If they feel valued, they are more likely to be a
continual donor for the organization.
The value is created and the relationship is best managed through a dashboard in which each
donor is filed. The following dashboard outlines various details on the key elements of the
relationship. This dashboard includes:
 Name
 Donation amount
 Relationship manager
 Running log of when contact is made with the donor throughout the year.
This database will allow the organization to keep an account of these individuals, thus
increasing the probability of an annual gift from them. This dashboard will allow the organization
to track the “moves” that are made with a major donor, from a cultivation coffee to a formal ask
to follow-up.
Dashboard
For nonprofits, one of the hardest things to plan and monitor is the fundraising efforts for the
organization. In addition to utilizing the MIDBI Calendar™, leadership can implement a funding
dashboard to track and monitor the funding streams coming in during the year. A dashboard
should be customized to the needs of the nonprofit, but each one should have the name, type of
donation, amount and relationship owner. This dashboard functions similar to a Major Donor
Moves Management, except it includes all the revenue streams for the organization including
foundations and intuitions.
The relationship owner will oversee the donation and is the main contact for the donor.
Many times this is because the relationship owner knows the major donor, has a contact in the
foundation or was the person soliciting the funds. Fundraising requires endless attention and
maintenance. Because a nonprofit relies on funding from outside sources, ample time should be
devoted to these strategies and relationships. Just as a business spends the resources and
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time to bring revenue in, an organization should dedicate a similar amount of time and effort to
revenue generation.
The dashboard allows an organization to be efficient in their fundraising approach so that they
can still have time for programming. Organizations are generally staffed with few staff and many
volunteers, thus limiting the amount of time that an organization can dedicate to either
programming or fundraising. The calendar can help shorten the amount of time by cataloging
the pertinent information in one place. Information from prior years will also help analyze trends
that may be developing with certain donors. If a donor gave a large gift last year but has not
sent anything for the current year, then the organization can reach out to the individual and stay
on top of contacts. The same applies for foundations. Looking at trends from previous years
may shed light on what to expect for the current year, as well as what strategies were effective
for contacting that particular foundation.
Grant Wheel
A Grant Wheel is used as an effective way to manage a grant writing effort for a nonprofit. The
wheel accounts for every step in the process of grant writing. This tool documents all
information and progress for each foundation. In the sample wheel below, the first step to every
grant writing process is the collection of data through research.
It is crucial that the information collected
during this phase be documented in the
wheel as a first step. The research
phase will allow the writer to identify
what requirements for grant
consideration may be, as well as
deadlines and guidelines.
After the research has been done and
the grant requirements align with the
organization, the writer may initiate an
approach. Generally, this first approach
is done by a simple Letter of Interest
(LOI) that is sent to the foundation. The
letter highlights the organization, what
grant they are seeking, along with an
amount, and contact information.
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After the LOI has been sent, the writer must follow up with the foundations. If the foundation is
interested in the organization, they will request a full proposal for consideration. The follow up
process may be able instrumental in acquiring this interest. Often times, the foundation will send
a letter or email to the contact and request the full proposal with requirements and deadline.
This can be where the grant process ends if there is no in further interest by the foundation of
the organization. If a full proposal is requested, the writer must collect all required documents
and fill out an application form to submit for review. Components of a full proposal usually
include:
 Mission, Vision and History of the Organization
 Program Description
 Program Budget
 List of Board of Directors
 Three years audited financials
 Organization 501c3 Determination letter and 990
 Foundation Grant Application
After the package has been sent, the writer again must follow up with the foundation regarding
the status. This package is reviewed by a Foundation Board of Directors who distributes funds
throughout the year. Some foundations will review at specific periods throughout the year that
could be annually or quarterly, and some review on a rolling basis. The follow up becomes
important in receiving this information on review.
If the organization has been awarded a grant by the foundation, the wheel is updated with the
amount and date of award. The writer then reports the grant to the Board of Directors and
passes the funds to the finance committee or bookkeeper for the organization. The wheel is a
continuous cycle because funds are available ever year and applications must be renewed for
each fiscal year. The Grant Writing process takes vigilance and disciplined upkeep for it to be
successful. For more information read our detailed paper on the Grant Wheel and how to
successfully implement it in your nonprofit.
Some additional things to consider when managing fundraising strategies would include: make
review of the grant wheel a weekly process. Reviewing the status of every donor on a weekly
basis forces the organization to be vigilant with follow ups and conscious of fundraising goals.
The organization should also consider setting short term goals that help the organization reach
the larger fundraising goal for the year. Short monthly or quarterly goals will help the
organization’s fundraising efforts span a full year rather than once at the end of the year. Lastly,
be creative with fundraising to individual donors. Events throughout the year provides the
organization a time to draw supporters together and create an atmosphere for generosity and
powerful messages. Galas, auctions, speaker breakfasts, or anniversary parties are all ways to
fundraise to individuals at any time during the year.
Conclusion
It has been said “That which is monitored, tends to improve.” But there is perhaps nothing more
difficult than managing a database. A deep appreciation of the importance of keeping good
data must be stressed to those responsible for fundraising. It is crucial to continually update
and maintain these tools or they lose their effectiveness. A good rule of thumb is to review the
grant wheel once or twice a month. Larger organizations can consider hiring a full-time or parttime grant writer whose main focus is to update and push grants through the grant wheel. This
practice will yield the best results. Similarly, donor relationship management is a full-time job
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and is extremely important for keeping major donors coming back.
The use of the MIBDI calendar is valuable to any nonprofit organization for organizing the
various fundraising streams. The calendar can easily be accessed by many individuals in the
organization and printed for review. When the information input into the calendar is stored and
tracked, the organization is able to manage fundraising and meet organizational milestones and
deadlines.
Additional Information
1. For additional reading on Donor Retention, read the following article:
http://www.guidestar.org/rxa/news/articles/2014/donor-retention-faqs.aspx
2. For additional reading on Major Donors, read the following:
http://www.guidestar.org/rxa/news/articles/2014/stay-the-course-to-raise-major-gifts.aspx
3. For additional reading on Grant Writing, read the following:
http://www.guidestar.org/rxa/news/articles/2014/benchmarks-to-guide-yourgrantseeking.aspx
Peter Giersch is COO of Cathedral Consulting Group, LLC and a Managing Director in the
Midwest Office. Jessica Zignego is an Associate in the Midwest office. Margo Elborough is an
Intern Associate in the Midwest office.
For more information, please visit Cathedral Consulting Group LLC online at
www.cathedralconsulting.com or contact us at info@cathedralconsulting.com.
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