One Voice: Coaching to Increase Community-Based Fundraising

One Voice, a non-profit based in Jackson, Mississippi, enables civic engagement in the formation of public policy through leadership development, research support, training, and technical assistance. They invested in a joint project with the NAACP state table to increase the capacity of Mississippi civic engagement groups, which included fundraising training and a microgrant to launch their strategic campaigns.

One Voice saw the struggles of the local NAACP branches firsthand, including a lack of resources and infrastructure, in addition to the challenges of operating in many instances as the only community organization in the area. One Voice utilized a grant from Progressive Multiplier to offer training on fundraising best practices to each branch and a microgrant to launch its own strategic fundraising campaign. 

Staff at 13 branches completed the program, learning how to give an “elevator pitch,” summarizing their efforts to potential donors, and how to set goals and create their own fundraising campaigns. For many branches, the training was an eye-opening experience, helping them to look at fundraising as a year-round activity that stretched beyond an annual banquet. 

The 13 branches raised $12,000 to increase their local resources and engage additional community members. The training program achieved results that will have a lasting impact as these branch staff can employ their fundraising knowledge in long-term efforts. 

One Voice works toward achieving a progressive civic infrastructure in the American South by supporting local and state policy development through training and collaboration across issue areas and geography.