As you introduce people to your cause, it can be very helpful to have some background materials.

The Case Statement: If you were called into a court of law and had to make a defense for your fundraising, what would you say? In a few paragraphs, powerfully express why someone should be interested in giving their hard-earned money to this venture. Why is it so important? Why is this the time? You might include a projected timeline for your nonprofits goals and how much it'll take to make those goals happen.

The Players: Whom are the people carrying out the work? Why are they captivated and enthralled by this project? How are you changing the lives of people? If you're the founder, tell your story. I'd include a listing of your board and a brief explanation of any existing strategic partnerships. People may emotionally want to give but they'll need this sort of information to rationally back-up their emotional decision.

Gift Ranges & Naming Opportunities/Sponsorship Levels: It's helpful to breakdown the amount you want to raise into different giving levels and/or sponsorship opportunities. Giving levels are often something like $500-$999, $1000-4999, $5000-9999, and $10,000+.

It can also be helpful to break your goals name-able chunks and projects like the "Joe CEO Honorary Training" or the "Big Corporate Airlines Institute." You might be able to use those to pitch to people that their names will be in the press releases and other publicity. This would be wonderful for your nonprofit and give the sponsor visibility as well.

Gift ranges, naming opportunities, and sponsorship levels can be extremely effective ways to "tangibilitize" giving, to help donors feel like they're giving something concrete. If you haven't yet, check out http://heifer.org/ to see how they make giving tangible. Be sure to check out the small print too. They're very clear that every gift is a gift to Heifer Project's mission, not necessarily to the goat or chickens you're "buying."

You'll also want to have your 501(c)3 documentation available when you get it. But start asking whether you have it or not. People give because the mission and vision grab them, not the IRS documentation. You'll probably want everything to be PDF'd so that you can email it easily (and not have to print up a bunch of stuff.)

Source: Marc. A Pitman of http://fundraisingcoach.com/.