Synopsis
The fundraising database serves as a centralized record of fundraising leads, funding opportunities, donor prospects, sponsorship opportunities, internal campaigns, and other potential funding sources relevant to The InterPlex. It will help us maintain key information about funding sources, eligibility requirements, relationship status, proposal development, deadlines, potential value, outcomes, and other data. This database is intended as a comprehensive means of tracking a diverse funding strategy that includes grants, donations, sponsorships, partnerships, and community fundraising initiatives.
1. Asana database template
Assuming use of Asana as task manager, I suggest using the following fields in a database template for tracking fundraising opportunities:
| Field | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Opportunity Name | Text | Name of funding opportunity, donor prospect, campaign, partnership, or other fundraising lead |
| Funder | Text | Organization or individual associated with the opportunity |
| Opportunity Type | Dropdown | Government Grant, Foundation Grant, Academic Institution, Civil Society Organization, Individual Donor, Fundraising Campaign, Other (specify in Notes) |
| Funding Source Category | Dropdown | Government, Foundation, Academic, Civil Society, Individual, Internal Campaign |
| Thematic Focus | Text | Relevant funding priorities, subject areas, or program themes |
| Potential Value | Text | Estimated funding amount or range, if known |
| Geographic Eligibility | Text | Eligible countries, regions, or jurisdictions |
| Opportunity Status | Dropdown | Identified, Researching, Contact Initiated, Relationship Building, Proposal Planned, Proposal In Progress, Submitted, Awarded, Not Pursued, Declined, Closed |
| Relationship Status | Dropdown | No Contact, Contact Established, In Discussion, Ongoing Relationship |
| Priority | Dropdown | High, Medium, Low |
| Proposal Required | Dropdown | Yes, No, Unknown |
| Proposal Lead | Text | Team member responsible for preparing or coordinating proposal development |
| Partnership Required | Dropdown | Yes, No, Potential |
| Partner Organization(s) | Text | Potential or confirmed collaborators for joint applications |
| Application Deadline | Date | Submission deadline, where applicable |
| Decision Date | Date | Expected or actual funding decision date |
| Primary Contact | Text | Relevant program officer, donor representative, or organizational contact |
| Contact Information | Text | Email address, phone number, or other contact details |
| Website | URL | Opportunity webpage or relevant organizational website |
| Assigned Team Member | Text | Team member responsible for managing the opportunity |
| Last Action Date | Date | Most recent activity related to the opportunity |
| Next Action | Text | Immediate next step to advance the opportunity |
| Funding Outcome | Dropdown | Pending, Awarded, Declined, Withdrawn |
| Amount Awarded | Text | Amount received, if funded |
| Recurring Opportunity | Dropdown | Yes, No |
| Related Contributor(s) | Text | InterPlex contributors related to or affiliated with this institution |
| Associated Project(s) | Text | Relevant InterPlex projects, initiatives, or programs |
| Notes | Long Text | Eligibility requirements, proposal ideas, communications history, strategic considerations, reporting requirements, or other relevant information |
| One of the advantages of structuring fundraising information in a database is the ability to sort, filter, group, and create custom views based on different fields. For example, filtering by Application Deadline allows us prioritize time-sensitive opportunities, while grouping by Opportunity Status provides a clear overview of the fundraising pipeline. Sorting by various fields will allow us to track different aspects of the fundraising pipeline and refine our overall strategy. |
3. Basic governance norms
- Create one record per fundraising lead, funding source, campaign, donor prospect, partnership opportunity, or grant opportunity
- Record opportunities as soon as they are identified, even if no immediate action is planned
- Update opportunity and relationship statuses whenever circumstances change
- Track proposal deadlines, submissions, and funding decisions promptly
- Record funding outcomes and awarded amounts accurately
- Maintain accurate contact and eligibility information
- Use Notes to document proposal ideas, communications, lessons learned, and strategic considerations
- Record unsuccessful applications and declined opportunities to preserve institutional memory and inform future fundraising efforts
- Periodically review inactive opportunities and determine whether they should be reactivated or closed
- File official documents related to fundraising, e.g., award letters, in our Google Drive, following 3.3 File naming best practices and 3.4 File organization best practices, to ensure a paper trail and institutional archive
Related
3.2 Contributor database
3.6 Recruitment database
3.8 Task management
4.2 Institutional partnership database