Finances & Fundraising
Stable funding is one of the most critical and persistent needs an Affiliate has. Basic operating costs of a program should include the salary and benefits for a full-time Executive Director, Program Director, AmeriCorps members and other staff, office supplies and overhead, and the cost of implementing essential services such as after-school and summer programming, parent meetings, field trips and excursions, as well as the coordination of volunteers and mentors and transportation for these events. Each Affiliate’s budget will vary with the cost of living differences in its specific location. As IHDF Affiliates grow and their fundraising efforts become more successful, new budget items can be added:
Maximizing Dollars: Simple Ways to Stretch Funding
Cultivate a Strong Volunteer Base
Volunteers can serve as tutors, mentors, after school program assistants, event planners and staff, and much more. Volunteers are often an organization’s best advocates and ambassadors and begin as or become donors.
Request Donated Services & Facilities
Using donated services and facilities keeps costs down and helps existing funds go further. Recruit volunteers and board members with expertise in professional services like law and accounting who may be interested in giving their time.
Seek In Kind Donations
Using donated services and facilities keeps costs down and helps existing funds go further. Recruit volunteers and board members with expertise in professional services like law and accounting who may be interested in giving their time.
Develop Community Partnerships
IHDF programs are not stand-alone organizations. By building strong community partnerships and expanding the number of people and organizations available to call on for assistance, we increase the impact the program has on the community and the Dreamers we serve. Often, partnering with experienced providers to fill a specialized need is often more efficient and yields better results than solving the problem from the ground up.
