“But We Don’t Have the Money!” — A Nonprofit’s Guide to Funding Your Revenue Dreams

Let me guess. You just heard about building a revenue engine for your nonprofit, your eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, and then reality smacked you in the face harder than a rejected grant proposal.

“This sounds amazing, but we don’t have $2,500 just lying around!”

Well, friend, I have news for you. No nonprofit has money “just lying around.” If they did, they wouldn’t need a revenue engine in the first place. But here’s the plot twist: there are people out there who literally get paid to give away money to nonprofits like yours. Wild concept, right?

Let’s talk about how to stop being broke and start being strategic.

The Magic Words: “Capacity Building Grant”

These three little words are about to become your new best friends. Say them with me: “Ca-pac-i-ty Build-ing Grant.”

Capacity building grants are like fairy godmothers for nonprofits, except instead of turning pumpkins into carriages, they turn your big dreams into actual organizational capabilities. And the best part? Funders absolutely love them.

Why? Because they’re not throwing money at your immediate crisis (again). They’re investing in making you stronger, smarter, and more sustainable. It’s like the difference between giving someone a fish and teaching them to fish, except in this case, you’re learning to run a fish farm that funds your mission forever.

What These Magical Grants Cover:

• Staff training (like learning how to build revenue streams)
• Strategic planning (aka “figuring out how not to be broke”)
• Technology upgrades (because Excel from 2003 isn’t cutting it)
• Leadership development (turning you into the nonprofit superhero you were meant to be)
• Revenue diversification (the fancy way of saying “multiple income streams”)

Here are some ways to fund your organizations participation in our program

The Foundation Route: Playing the Long Game

Timeline: 6-12 months (I know, I know, you need money yesterday) Success Rate: Moderate to high with proper targeting Best For: Organizations that can plan ahead and craft compelling narratives

Foundation program officers are like nonprofit matchmakers. Their job is literally to find great organizations to fund. Your job is to show up looking like the perfect match.

The Foundation Playbook:

• Research foundations that fund capacity building in your sector
• Start with smaller, local foundations (they’re less intimidating and often more responsive)
• Write a proposal that makes them feel like heroes for supporting you
• Follow up professionally (translation: don’t stalk them)

Pro Tip: Look for foundations that specifically mention “organizational effectiveness,” “capacity building,” or “sustainability” in their guidelines. These are your people.

The Corporate Sponsorship Route: Local Business Love

Timeline: 2-4 months (much more reasonable) Success Rate: High if you target well Best For: Organizations with local community connections

Local businesses want to support their community, and you ARE their community. Plus, they understand the concept of investing in business development because, hello, they’re businesses.

The Corporate Approach:

• Target businesses that already know and respect your work
• Frame it as “organizational development” or “strategic planning”
• Offer recognition opportunities (businesses love good PR)
• Keep the ask reasonable ($1,000-$2,500 range)

Script That Works: “Hi [Business Owner], as you know, [Your Nonprofit] has been serving our community for [X years]. We’ve been selected for a strategic development program that will help us increase our impact and sustainability. Would [Business Name] consider sponsoring our participation at the $2,500 level? We’d love to recognize your investment in our community’s future.”

The Board Investment Route: Internal Champions

Timeline: 1-2 months (the fastest option) Success Rate: Very high if positioned correctly Best For: Organizations with engaged boards

Your board members already believe in your mission. They just need to understand that this isn’t an expense—it’s an investment in the organization they’re already committed to supporting.

The Board Pitch: “Board friends, we have an opportunity to invest in our organization’s future sustainability. This strategic development program will help us build revenue streams that reduce our dependence on traditional fundraising. We’re asking each board member to invest $350-$500 in this initiative. Think of it as seed money for our financial independence.”

Bonus Points: Frame it as “board development” because technically, they’ll learn alongside you.

The Crowdfunding Route: Community Power

Timeline: 1 month (if done right) Success Rate: Moderate to high with good community engagement Best For: Organizations with strong supporter networks

Your community already supports your mission. Now they can support your sustainability. It’s like a GoFundMe, but with more purpose and less awkward family dynamics.

Crowdfunding Success Formula:

• Clear, compelling story about organizational growth
• Specific funding goal with transparent budget
• Regular updates and gratitude
• Incentives for different giving levels (recognition, updates, exclusive content)

Sample Campaign Message: “Help us build a sustainable future! We’re investing in strategic training to create new revenue streams that will support our mission for years to come. Your $25, $50, or $100 gift helps us move from ‘constantly fundraising’ to ‘consistently funded.'”

The “But What If They Say No?” Backup Plans

Look, rejection happens. Even to amazing nonprofits with brilliant missions and compelling cases. Here’s what you do when Plan A becomes Plan “Nope”:

Plan B: The Partnership Split Find 2-3 other nonprofits in your area and split the cost. You all go through the program together, share the experience, and suddenly $3,500 becomes $1,200 per organization. Plus, you get built-in accountability partners. Win-win-win.

Plan C: The Fee-for-Service Bootstrap Start offering basic workshops or consulting to other nonprofits immediately. Charge $500-$1,500 per workshop, use the proceeds to fund your development. It’s like using earned income to fund learning about earned income. Meta, right?

Plan D: The Major Donor Conversation Sit down with your top 5-10 donors and explain the investment. These are people who already believe in your mission. They might just believe in your sustainability plan too.

Plan E: The Fundraising Event Pivot Instead of your usual gala/5K/silent auction, host a “Future Fund” event specifically to raise money for organizational development. People love funding the future.

Ready to Stop Being Broke and Start Being Strategic?

Wow! We had over 100 nonprofit leaders from around the world register for our Revenue Engine training. Amazing to see so many mission-driven organizations ready to break free from the grant lottery and build something sustainable.

I know nonprofit life is crazy busy, so in case you missed the live session, here’s your replay where you’ll see organizations generating $50K-$250K+ annually from programs they were already running:

👉 Watch Your Revenue Engine Training Replay

Look, I get it. You’re probably thinking, “This all sounds great, Anisha, but where do I even start?”

Here’s the thing: most nonprofits are sitting on revenue goldmines without realizing it. They just need someone to help them see the opportunities hiding in plain sight.

If You Think We Can Help You Stop the Funding Struggle, Take These Next Steps:

Step 1: 📋 Download the Revenue Engine Checklist This free resource will help you assess whether your organization is ready to build sustainable income streams. (Spoiler alert: you probably are.)

Step 2: 📞 Book a Call With Me Let’s talk about your specific situation and see if there’s a revenue opportunity you’re missing. No pitch. No pressure. Just a conversation about your mission and potential.

Step 3: 📊 Get Your Custom Revenue Opportunities Report Complete this 3-minute survey and I’ll send you a personalized report within 24 hours showing 2-3 actionable strategies tailored specifically to your organization and mission.

This isn’t some generic template. It’s a real analysis of YOUR potential based on what you’re already doing.

The best part? It’s completely free. No strings attached. Just actionable insights you can use immediately—whether you work with us or not.

But here’s the reality: every day you wait is another day you’re leaving money on the table. Another day of grant stress. Another day of wondering if the lights will stay on.

You have two choices:

1. Keep doing the same fundraising dance, hoping this time will be different
2. Take 30 minutes today to explore what sustainable revenue could look like for your organization

Ready to fund your mission instead of hunting for it?

The nonprofits that thrive aren’t the ones that never need money—they’re the ones that get really good at creating it. Your community is counting on you to be around for the long haul.

Let’s make sure you are.

Talk soon,

Anisha Robinson Keeys
President & Founder, ARK Consulting Group
Where “We Don’t Have the Money” Goes to Die

PS – Please forward this to any nonprofit leader who needs it. We’re stronger when we help each other build sustainable organizations.