Funding Priorities: The Secret Weapon in Your Fundraising Toolbox

What if your next major gift was the result of a clear alignment between a donor’s passion and your organization’s purpose? At Maribeth Canning Consulting (MCC), we believe that defining and leveraging funding priorities is one of the most powerful steps a nonprofit can take to drive strategic, sustainable fundraising. These priorities serve as a bridge between your organizational vision and the values of your donors—making solicitations feel more like meaningful invitations than transactions.

What Are Funding Priorities?

Funding priorities, sometimes called funding opportunities, are not just line items or wish lists. They are mission-aligned, strategically defined opportunities for investment that clearly articulate what your organization needs in order to fulfill its vision.

Each funding priority typically reflects a big-bucket concept or program area that aligns directly with your strategic goals and values. Instead of returning to donors over and over to ask for their general support of your annual fund, you’re inviting them to help make something concrete and transformational happen. You are inviting them to a meaningful, value-aligned partnership.

Why They Matter

A clear set of funding priorities benefits both your internal strategy and external communications:

• For your team, they bring focus and cohesion. Your development, program, and leadership staff are all pulling in the same direction, rooted in your strategic plan.

• For your donors, they offer clarity and inspiration. Donors want to see where their gift is going and what it will accomplish.

When aligned with a strategic plan, funding priorities become a roadmap not just for fundraising, but for organizational growth and impact.

What Should a Funding Priority Include?

While the specific content may vary, a well-developed funding priority may contain:

• Program Name & Description – What is it and what does it do?

• Measurement & Evaluation – How will you track success?

• Population Served – Who benefits and why?

• Estimated Expense – What will it cost?

• Frequency – Is it ongoing, seasonal, or one-time?

• Partners – Are other organizations involved?

• Impact Statement or Client Testimonial – A story or data point that brings it to life.

• Leadership Endorsement – Why does this matter to the organization’s leaders?

• Opportunities for Expansion – Is there room for scale or innovation?

• Naming Opportunities – Is donor recognition available?

Turning Priorities Into Powerful Tools

At MCC, we help our clients use their funding priorities in a very practical and powerful way.

Once the priorities are developed, we utilize our marketing expertise to craft customized one-pagers that can be shared with individual donors. Each one tells the story of a specific need with just enough detail to be compelling, without overwhelming your donor. They speak clearly to the need, cost, and impact, which makes them especially effective in donor conversations.

When your fundraising team meets with a potential donor, they can use what they’ve learned about the donor’s values, background, and philanthropic interests to select the best funding priorities that align most closely with that donor’s passions. It’s personal. It’s strategic. And it works.

Want to Try It? Start with Our Free Template

We won’t give away all our secrets—but we will give you a great place to start. Download our free Funding Priorities Template on the MCC Resources Page to begin mapping your organization's priorities. It includes fields for everything listed above and is designed to spark the kind of cross-departmental conversations that lead to meaningful fundraising.