Keys to Association Fundraising

Associations ask people to open their wallets a lot. Member dues. Conference and event fees. Products and services. Donations to an affiliated charitable foundation. Is it reasonable to ask for an add-on donation as well?

It’s a tricky but not impossible step to take, and Tommy Amal, MS, CFRE, Chief Advancement Officer at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, suggests that associations might be selling themselves short by not considering that additional ask to give, or support giving efforts. “Think about some of your more seasoned association folks who’ve been part of your association for years,” he says. “They don’t want to be on the board, they don’t want to be on a committee, they don’t want to do all of that stuff anymore. But they might be willing to raise money.”

Amal shared a few suggestions for what fundraising can look like at an association and how to pilot it.

Have a purpose—and know what you’re saying yes to. Much of NACAC’s fundraising efforts are focused around the Center for Innovation in College Admission  (opens in a new tab), which is dedicated to exploring new ideas in the field. The Center is an integral part of NACAC, but not all donations are created equal, and grants and donations need to be factored into what reflects well on the organization. “[The Center] moves faster in some ways and is much more lean than like your typical association arm,” Amal says. “One of my sayings, and I’ve said this to our board and our leadership team, is ‘All money ain’t good money.’ To make sure that we are funding this thing the right way long term, we have to make sure that we’re getting funders and philanthropists that actually can work together.”

Start small. Adding a donate button on your association’s website can offer a quick and easy education about your community’s appetite for philanthropy. (Talk with your association’s lawyer about donation limits and disclosures depending on your IRS status.) Beyond that, NACAC has assembled an advisory board made up of philanthropists and highly engaged members to discuss best practices. Its early efforts, begun in 2023, were modest but served as proof of concept. “We started with a low-level philanthropy dinner and reception,” Amal says. “We invited a bunch of folks that have won awards, former board members, just to see who would have an appetite to just attend something. We also started a very simple email campaign that went out to our membership that literally just said, ‘This is what we have going on. Would you consider donating?’”

Pay it back. The Center operates as an integral part of NACAC, with a specific focus on advancing new approaches to admission, access, and student success. But because the Center feeds into NACAC’s larger mission, it works to support the parent organization’s efforts too. “We’ve been able to do what I would strategic investment across the organization,” Amal says. “You’re able to look across the organization at priorities that might be underfunded and, when aligned with a grant’s purpose, intentionally include the relevant department in the proposal and budget. That support can help a team expand its capacity, add a position, or pursue projects that might not otherwise be possible.”