Affiliate fundraising materials

Many Wikimedia affiliates are exploring how to build their capacity to fundraise externally—whether through grants, partnerships, events, or donor engagement. This page and related materials were created to support that journey.

On this page you can find lessons, templates, and step-by-step guidance developed through dozens of conversations with affiliates, regional program officers, and fundraising staff across the movement. This is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Wikimedia Affiliates vary in their size, structure, legal status, and goals. That’s why the materials are modular—so you can pick what’s most relevant to your needs and context.

The materials on this page can help you:

Understand your current fundraising capacity
Learn practical tactics to improve your efforts
Adapt strategies to your own affiliate’s goals
Move towards building long-term sustainability

The tools and templates are open to reuse, adapt, and translate. We encourage affiliates to use these materials in trainings, planning processes, and conversations with stakeholders.

Affiliates may also work with their respective Partnerships Manager or Regional Program Officer to explore whether additional support is available as they navigate these fundraising opportunities.

If you have any feedback regarding these fundraising materials, please leave it on the discussion page.

How to use the fundraising materials

This section helps affiliate leaders and fundraising staff understand what materials are available, where to find them, and how to integrate them into annual plans and day-to-day work. It supports both short-term activities (e.g. writing a grant) and long-term strategy building (e.g. partnership development).

The following materials and resources are available on this page:

Fundraising Handbook – Five comprehensive guides + tools
Templates – Emails, event checklists, planning tools

Resources by use case

Use case	Recommended resource(s)
Want to write your first grant	Handbook (Guides 1 & Guide 4)
Need to plan an outreach event	Guide 3 + Event Planning Template
Want to approach a donor	Guide 2 + Donor Email Templates
Need a long-term strategy	Strategy Template (Simple and Full) + Guide 5
Looking for examples	Handbook includes region-specific tips & examples

Wikimedia Affiliate fundraising handbook

The Wikimedia Affiliate fundraising handbook is divided into five sections:

Core Fundraising Strategies - Step-by-step guides to develop and execute fundraising activities
Communicating for Fundraising - How to write proposals and communicate your impact effectively
Sustainable Resource Development - Approaches for long-term partnerships and funding
Tools & Templates - Worksheets and planning tools to help you take action
Next Steps & Continued Learning -Tips for localization, learning, and support after this project

Each section can be used on its own or together as part of a broader fundraising effort. Feel free to adapt and translate the content to meet your local context.

Handbook: Wikimedia Affiliate Fundraising Handbook

Section 1: Core fundraising strategies

Writing a strong grant proposal

This guide will walk you through the key elements of a strong grant application, common mistakes to avoid, and practical tips for success.

Guide 1: Writing a Strong Grant Proposal

Building a donor engagement strategy

This guide provides practical steps to build and maintain donor engagement beyond just securing a one-time donation.

Guide 2: Building a Donor Engagement Strategy

Organizing online fundraising events

This guide offers a structured approach to planning and running a successful online fundraising event, from choosing the right format to engaging donors and measuring success.

Guide 3: Organizing Online Fundraising Events

Section 2: Communicating for fundraising

Writing impact-driven fundraising proposals

This guide breaks down the proposal writing process, covering tips on how to:

Clearly communicate their project goals and impact.
Align proposals with funder priorities.
Use data and storytelling to strengthen their case.
Increase their chances of securing funding.

Guide 4: Writing Impact-Driven Fundraising Proposals

Templates and tools

	Fundraising readiness checklist: Fundraising Readiness Self-Assessment (For Affiliates)
	Beginner-friendly fundraising checklist: Beginner-Friendly “Are We Ready to Fundraise
	Capacity assessment template for Program Officers: Fundraising Capacity Assessment - For POs
	Fundraising Strategy Templates: Simple Fundraising Strategy Plan Template and Fundraising Strategy Plan Template
	Donor outreach templates (initial contact, follow-up, updates) in Handbook
	Event planning template in Handbook
	Impact story template in Handbook
	Basic Proposal/Application Outline Template: Simple Grant Proposal Template

Acknowledgments

The fundraising materials on this page were developed by Siri Emilie Oldervik as part of her 10-month consultancy with the Wikimedia Foundation as Affiliate Fundraising Training Consultant.