Background of Soliciting Funds for Non-Profit Organization
Soliciting funds is a problem for non-profit organizations because they cannot promise their investors a return and future profit. They are to raise funds by asking for donations and grants. To avoid frauds, laws make organizations disclose the information related to the purpose of soliciting and an approximate amount of money that is expected and will be spent. There are two ways in which funds can be raised.
The first one is a specific solicitation, which presupposes that the organization asks the investors to provide it with a particular amount of money for a concrete project. In this case, money can be spent only on the discussed purpose. General solicitation is not that precise and deals with raising funds for the organization in total. Received money can be used for various purposes, including salaries (Charitable and nonprofit fund solicitation issues, 2016).
Summary of the Proposed Learning Solution
As it is rather complicated to solicit funds for a non-profit organization, the usage of instructional design is recommended. It provides an opportunity to create a detailed guideline that will bridge the gap between the problem of raising funds for a non-profit organization and the solution of how to do this efficiently. The instructions are based on the learning experience and put systematically. They are thorough and include such factors as “learning theories, defining the goal, knowing your audience and the topic/task, creating measurable objectives, designing an instructional strategy, developing the instruction, assessing the learners, evaluating the course, and making revisions as appropriate” (What is instructional design, n.d.). Still, it is not a plan that should be followed step-by-step.
Justification
Instructional design is an appropriate learning solution to solicit funds for a non-profit organization, as it can be advantageous for all learners, educators, and professionals related to this sphere. It can be used in both face-to-face and e-learning classes, which allows satisfying a diverse population. Except for that, instructional design is cost-effective, as it allows to consider which problems can be solved without additional training that is likely to be rather expensive. Being extremely precise provides an opportunity to save time and streamlines the educational process. As the instructional design is not a plan of action, it is rather flexible and can be adjusted without any difficulties. Finally, the progress of its implementation can be evaluated when discussing performance (Lynne, 2012).
Needs/Audience Analysis
To make instructional design an effective learning solution, the needs of the individuals who use it should be analyzed (Rupa, 2007). Advantageously, this method can be utilized for both face-to-face and e-learning learning courses, which means that the limitations regarding the place of learning are overcome. Still, special training may be needed to ensure that all participants can have equal access to learning materials.
The goal of instructional design as a learning solution is to communicate knowledge, the skills, and attitudes needed to solicit funds for a non-profit organization to the learner in the most simple and meaningful way (Culatta, 2013). Learning outcomes/objectives:
- Receive knowledge of how to solicit funds for a non-profit organization. The learners understand in what way the company can receive funds. They get to know particular examples from practice that shows how to theoretical knowledge can be utilized, which is beneficial for current and future professionals, as they require less time for adaptation.
- Understand how to build relationships with a potential investor. While learning, people get to know what skills they should have to attract investors and how they can be used. The attitudes towards organizational processes and investors are also explained. It allows the representatives of the organization to understand how they should act to improve performance and appeal to potential investors. This knowledge is critical, and its advantage can be assessed with the number of investors and the sums they share.
- Know what is needed to receive funding legally and have no issues in the future. As non-profit organizations do not provide financial benefits to their investors, they are to show that the funds are used efficiently. The learners get to know how to cooperate with investors and act legally. The number of issues reduces and lawsuits are not likely to occur if everything is maintained decently (Fundraising management concentration, n.d.).
Target Audience
The instructional design related to soliciting funds for non-profit organizations is targeted at a class of students who study marketing and fundraising. The course is appropriate for both populations including those who are just getting acquainted with such subjects and those who already have some working experience but lack knowledge in the investigated area. Being available as an e-learning course, it can gather students who live in different countries but have good knowledge of the language. Still, cultural peculiarities should be taken into consideration, as they are not the same in different locations, which affects relationships with investors. In this way, the most benefit will receive the learners who live or/and work in the US.
References
Charitable and nonprofit fund solicitation issues. (2016). Web.
Culatta, R. (2013). Learning theories. Web.
Fundraising management concentration. (n.d.). Web.
Lynne. (2012). 5 benefits of using an instructional design model. Web.
Rupa. (2007). Needs analysis. Web.
What is instructional design? (n.d.). Web.