SAMPLE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Mission: To provide free, high-quality coding education and mentorship to underserved high school students, preparing them for careers in tech. Fiscal Year: January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026

1. Overall Resource Development Goal
Our primary goal is to secure the financial and in-kind resources necessary to launch two new student cohorts, hire a part-time Program Coordinator, and upgrade our classroom technology.

Total Financial Goal: $250,000
Breakdown by Source:

Foundation Grants: $100,000 (40%)
Major Gifts ($5,000+): $75,000 (30%)
Corporate Sponsorships: $50,000 (20%)
Individual Donors (<$1,000): $15,000 (6%)
Board Giving & Network: $10,000 (4%)
In-Kind Materials & Support Needed:

15 gently used or new laptops for student use.
Pro-bono legal review of volunteer agreements.
20 volunteer mentors from the local tech community (4 hours/month commitment).
Donated software licenses for coding platforms.

2. Plan of Care for Donor Segments
This section outlines our specific strategies for initiating and nurturing relationships with each key donor group.

A. Major Gifts ($5,000+) - Goal: $75,000 from 5-8 donors Our approach for this segment is high-touch, personalized, and led by the Executive Director (ED) and Board.

Identify Prospects: The Resource Development lead will use prospect research tools (iWave) and board relationship mapping to identify 25-30 local tech executives, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists with a known interest in

STEM education or youth development.
Understand Their Passions: The ED will conduct initial "discovery calls" with the top 15 prospects, focusing on listening. Key Question: "Given your expertise in the tech world, what do you see as the biggest barrier for young people entering the field today?"

Listen and Learn: We will invite these prospects for an informal "Advisor Roundtable" with the ED to share their insights on our curriculum and program model.

Acknowledge and Appreciate: Within 48 hours of the roundtable, each attendee will receive a personal email from the ED summarizing the key takeaways and highlighting how their specific advice will be incorporated.

Showcase Their Impact: We will send a tailored one-page "Investment Brief" showing exactly how a $10,000 gift could fund a full student scholarship, including their laptop, software, and mentorship support.

Invite Them to Experience Our Work: Prospects will receive a personal invitation to our "Demo Day," where they can see student projects and hear directly from the youth we serve.

Introduce Them to Leadership: The ED will facilitate a coffee meeting between the most engaged prospects and the Board Chair to build trust and a deeper connection.

Make the Ask: The ED and Board Chair will meet with the prospect to make a specific, tailored ask (e.g., "Would you consider becoming the lead sponsor for our next student cohort with a gift of $15,000?").

B. Corporate Sponsorships - Goal: $50,000 from 4-6 companies Our approach is to offer clear, mutually beneficial partnership packages to local tech and engineering firms.

Plan of Care:

Identify: The board will identify 20 local companies where they have a warm connection (colleague, vendor, etc.).
Initiate: Board members will make a personal email introduction between the ED and their contact.

Present: The ED will hold a discovery meeting to understand the company's community engagement goals.
Propose: We will send a formal sponsorship proposal with clear benefit tiers (e.g., "Classroom Sponsor - $5,000," "Demo Day Presenting Sponsor - $15,000"), including marketing exposure and employee engagement opportunities.

Close & Steward: The ED will follow up to secure the partnership, and the board member will act as the primary relationship steward.

C. Foundation Grants - Goal: $100,000 from 3-5 grants Our approach is systematic and focused on foundations aligned with our mission.

 

Plan of Care:

Research: Using GrantStation, we will build a pipeline of 20 foundations focused on STEM education, youth workforce development, and serving underserved communities.

Qualify: The Resource Development lead will vet the pipeline, prioritizing foundations where we have a board connection or that have funded similar local programs.

Cultivate: Where possible, the ED will contact the Program Officer to introduce YCI before submitting an LOI.

Write & Submit: We will develop a master proposal and tailor it for the top 5-7 most promising grant applications each quarter.

Report & Steward: We will submit all grant reports on time and add Program Officers to our quarterly stakeholder newsletter.

D. Individual Donors (<$1,000) - Goal: $15,000 from 100+ donors Our approach is digital-first, focused on storytelling and clear calls to action.

 

Plan of Care:

Spring Campaign (May): A 2-week email campaign focused on raising funds for our summer program technology needs.

Social Media Drive (September): A one-week campaign on LinkedIn and Facebook featuring student testimonials and a "Sponsor a Student's First Coding Kit" theme.

Year-End Appeal (Nov-Dec): A multi-channel campaign including 4 emails, social media posts, and a "double your impact" matching gift challenge.

3. Resources and Tools Needed
CRM Software: Little Green Light ($55/month) to track all donor interactions, gifts, and relationships.
Grant Research Platform: GrantStation ($95/year through provider discount) for foundation research.
Fundraising Platform: Donorbox (free to start, platform fees apply) for online donation processing.
Marketing Tools: Canva Pro ($15/month) for creating professional marketing materials and social media graphics.

4. Roles and Responsibilities
Resource Development Lead (Board Member): Chairs the Resource Development Committee, oversees the execution of this plan, and manages the major gifts portfolio with the ED.
Executive Director (ED): Primary relationship manager for major donors and corporate sponsors; writes and submits major grant proposals.
Board Members: Achieve 100% giving participation, complete relationship mapping, make introductions to their networks, and act as ambassadors at events.
Volunteers (2): Assist with grant research, prospect identification, and drafting donor thank-you letters.

5. Fundraising Budget
Software & Subscriptions (CRM, GrantStation, Canva): $1,025
Prospect Research (iWave, 2-month subscription): $600
Small Donor Appreciation Event (coffee & pastries): $500
Total Estimated Cost: $2,125

6. Fundraising Calendar

Q1 (Jan-Mar):

Launch internal 100% Board Giving campaign.
Complete board relationship mapping.
Build foundation grant pipeline for the year.
Begin discovery calls with top 15 major gift prospects.

Q2 (Apr-Jun):

Submit 5 major grant proposals.
Hold "Advisor Roundtable" for major gift prospects.
Launch Spring individual giving campaign.
Begin outreach to top 10 corporate sponsor prospects.

Q3 (Jul-Sep):

Hold "Demo Day" event for prospects and community.
Make first round of major gift asks.
Launch September social media giving campaign.
Submit 5 more grant proposals.

Q4 (Oct-Dec):

Secure remaining corporate sponsorships.
Launch Year-End individual giving appeal.
Make final major gift asks for the year.
Send personalized holiday thank-you videos to all donors.

7. Progress Monitoring and Adjustments
The Resource Development Committee will review the following metrics monthly:

Financial: Dollars raised vs. goal (by stream).
Activity: Number of major donor meetings held, grant proposals submitted, new individual donors acquired.
Engagement: Donor retention rate, board participation rate.
The plan will be formally reviewed and adjusted quarterly based on these results.