A nonprofit's ongoing, year-round effort to raise unrestricted operating support from a broad base of donors.
The annual fund is the recurring fundraising program through which a nonprofit raises general operating support each year. Unlike a one-time campaign, the annual fund runs continuously and relies on a broad base of donors giving at modest levels, typically producing unrestricted funds.
Annual fund activity often includes direct mail and email appeals, year-end giving drives, and online donation forms. It is the engine that keeps the lights on and also serves as the pipeline that identifies future major gift and planned-giving prospects.
Because the annual fund depends on bringing donors back year after year, improving donor retention and converting one-time givers into recurring donors is central to its long-term health.
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Donations a nonprofit can use for any legitimate purpose, with no donor-imposed limits.
The percentage of donors from one period who give again in the next, a core measure of fundraising health.
Donations set up to repeat automatically on a schedule, such as monthly or annually.
The surge of charitable donations that occurs in the final weeks of the calendar year, especially December.
Manage donors, volunteers, members, and events together in one nonprofit platform, for one predictable subscription with no cut taken from donations.
