Best Practices For Fundraising Idea Presentations

Most nonprofit pitches sound like a grant. The best ones feel like a mission you can’t ignore. Here’s how to pitch with clarity and conviction: 1. Lead with urgency, not your org name. “We’re [Org Name] and we…” loses people in 3 seconds. Start with: “Every 5 minutes, a teen drops out of school because they don’t see a future.” Hook first. Logo later. 2. Cut the resume. Tell a story. Nobody funds a list of programs. They fund outcomes, transformation, people. Try this: “Last year, Jamal almost became a statistic. Today, he’s interning at NASA. That’s what our work makes possible.” 3. Ditch the buffet approach. Pick one lane. Too many pitches try to do it all: education, food, housing, advocacy. Instead, say: “We do one thing exceptionally well: help first-gen students graduate and thrive beyond the diploma.” 4. Back it up with numbers. “We’ve helped over 3,000 students and 78% are now in college or full-time careers.” Impact data is your credibility badge. Use it. 5. Show the system you’re changing. You’re not just running programs. You’re fixing what’s broken. Explain the bigger picture: What problem are you solving for good? 6. End with vision, not desperation. Funders want to back momentum. Not uncertainty. Try this: “We’ve proven our model in 3 cities. Now we’re scaling nationally and inviting partners to help us get there.” A great pitch isn’t a plea. It’s a rally cry. You’re not asking for help. You’re inviting people to join a cause worth fighting for. Comment “Pitch” and I’ll send you the exact resource nonprofits are using to win over long term donors. With purpose and impact, Mario

When raising capital and speaking to investors, there are several key pieces of information you should have prepared to present yourself as credible, organized, and investment-ready: 1. Financials ▪︎Revenue, Profit Margins, and Cash Flow: Investors need a detailed understanding of your financial health. ▪︎Projections: Show financial forecasts for the next 3-5 years. Be ready to explain how you will meet your targets. ▪︎Burn Rate: If your business isn’t yet profitable, clearly explain how much money you are spending monthly and when you expect to break even. ▪︎Valuation: Be prepared to explain how you arrived at your current valuation. 2. Clear Use of Funds ▪︎Capital Allocation: Investors want to know exactly how their money will be used. Will it go toward hiring, marketing, product development, or scaling operations? ▪︎Milestones: Outline specific milestones the funding will help you achieve, such as launching a new product or entering a new market. 3. Business Model and Market Opportunity ▪︎Business Model: Clearly explain how your company makes money and how scalable the model is. ▪︎Total Addressable Market (TAM): Investors want to understand the size of the opportunity. How big is the market, and what share can you realistically capture? ▪︎Competitive Landscape: Be able to discuss your competitors and explain how you are differentiated. 4. Traction ▪︎Key Metrics: Have data to show growth (e.g., user acquisition, customer retention, sales, or partnerships). ▪︎Proof of Concept: Demonstrate product-market fit through customer feedback, pilot programs, or revenue generated. ▪︎Case Studies: Provide examples of how your product or service has performed successfully with real customers. 5. Team ▪︎Founders’ Experience: Investors often invest as much in the team as they do in the business idea. Highlight your team’s qualifications, relevant industry experience, and ability to execute the business plan. ▪︎Advisors: If applicable, mention any industry experts or reputable advisors involved with your company. 6. Exit Strategy ▪︎Investor Return: Explain how investors will make a return on their investment. This could be through an IPO, acquisition, or other liquidity event. ▪︎Timeline: Provide a realistic timeframe for achieving these exits. 7. Risk Factors ▪︎Challenges: Be honest about the risks your business faces (e.g., market competition, regulatory challenges, or technological development). ▪︎Mitigation Plans: Show that you have a clear strategy to manage these risks. 8. Legal and Compliance Information ▪︎Intellectual Property: If applicable, ensure that you have documentation related to patents or trademarks. ▪︎Regulatory Compliance: If your business operates in a regulated industry, be ready to discuss your compliance with relevant laws and regulations. 9. Pitch Deck Prepare a concise and visually appealing pitch deck summarizing all the above points. It should tell your business story while keeping investors engaged.

I bombed my first 15 VC pitches because investors were reading my slides instead of listening to me. Here’s why you need TWO versions of your pitch deck and how to craft each 👇🏾 If you’re fundraising, you should have two decks: 1. A shared deck 2. A presentation deck The difference between them is subtle but huge if you want to raise VC. 1️⃣ A shared deck - to be sent via email as you ask for introductions to investors, or send cold emails. - Use complete headlines that summarize key points - Include sufficient context so it makes sense without you - Make it skimmable with bold text highlighting key metrics - Includes citations/sources 2️⃣ A presentation deck - to be displayed during pitches to GUIDE your pitch, not do the presenting for you. - Limit text to 10 words per slide maximum - Use large, impactful numbers (57,000 companies!) - Rely on visuals, graphics, and icons to tell the story - Keep slides simple - YOU are the presentation, not the deck When I switched to this dual approach, it was easier to engage investors. They asked better questions. My pitches became conversations instead of my clicking to the next slide for the investor. The worst thing that can happen during a pitch is for you to share a great story or point about your traction, but the investor isn’t paying attention because they’re too busy reading the essay that you put on your slides. What questions do you have about your deck? Share them below!

In 30 years in corporate finance, I’ve: • Raised $100+ billion in debt capital • Raised $100+ million in equity capital • Helped a startup raise $2 million without a website, business plan, and staff If you want to raise money for your startup, here’s exactly how I would do it: 1. Plan Fundraising begins with a solid business plan. No one will give you money if you don’t have a clear roadmap for your startup. Make sure to: • Detail your business model • Identify your target market • Outline financial projections Remember — it can’t be a risky bet in the eye of the investor. 2. Nail Your Value Proposition Your positioning is crucial to get backed. Make sure you have a unique value proposition that sets you apart in the market. How do you do this? • Identify your unique offering • Show how you meet a need or solve a problem • Differentiate yourself from competitors Be the diamond in the rough that investors are seeking. 3. Dial in Finances Make sure you know your numbers like the back of your hand. • Understand your financial projections • Know your key metrics • Demonstrate financial viability Remember, nothing speaks louder to investors than robust financials. 4. Research Your Investor Tailoring your pitch to potential investors can pay dividends. It takes a bit more time but the effort will be worth it. • Understand each investor's interests • Know their investment thesis • Familiarize yourself with their portfolio Don't go in blind. Arm yourself with research. 5. Perfect Your Pitch A compelling pitch can make or break your fundraising journey. Nail yours with a • Captivating startup story • Well-articulated business plan • Robust financial arguments Your pitch is your time to shine. Make sure you nail it. 6. Network Fundraising is no different to business — your network makes a world of a difference. And by networking, you’ll open doors to new, potential investors. Grow your network by: • Sharing high-quality insights on LinkedIn • Attending industry events • Connecting with interesting investors online Familiarity beats cold outreach any day of the week. 7. Be Patient Don’t expect results overnight. Fundraising is a marathon, not a sprint. • Keep patient during the process • Learn from rejections • Refine your approach It's not about the speed, it's about the finish line. 8. Post-Investment Relationship The fundraising process doesn't end with a cheque. You never when you’ll need to raise the next round, so always make sure to: • Build strong relationships with investors • Update them regularly • Value their advice Maintaining good relationships is always important but it’s especially relevant when dealing with investors. Those were my tips for any startup looking to raise money. I hope you got some value out of this. Feel free to drop a follow for more content like this. #business #startup #fundraising

If your pitch deck can't pass the 30-second test, you've already lost the investor. I've sat through hundreds of pitch meetings over the past 20 years, and the pattern is clear: An investor decides in 30 seconds whether your deck is worth their time. No second chances. No mercy. Here's how to make those crucial 30 seconds count: 1. Lead with undeniable pain Investors care about problems first, not your technology. What urgent issue are you solving? Why is this a billion-dollar problem? "1 in 4 patients in rural areas lack access to diagnostic imaging, leading to preventable deaths." 2. Your one-line solution Explain what you do in plain English. No jargon. How is it 10x better than existing solutions? "Our portable AI scanner delivers hospital-grade imaging at 1/10th the cost in under 10 minutes." 3. Prove founder-market fit Why you? Why now? What makes you uniquely qualified to solve this problem? "I spent 8 years building healthcare systems that serve 2 million+ patients and personally experienced this problem when my mother couldn't get a timely diagnosis." 4. Show the scale Investors aren't just backing products. They're backing markets. How much money can they make once you scale? "$15B global market, growing 12% annually. Targeting 500 rural hospitals in year one." Look, storytelling is good. It's important. But your pitch won't get attention without PROOF. Proof of a burning problem Proof your solution works Proof you're the right team Proof the market is massive If you can't establish this in 30 seconds, no one will read past slide 3. What's the biggest challenge you've faced when pitching to investors? #funding #investors #startups #founders

When pitching your startup, on the "use of funds" slide, don't talk about what you will 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 this fundraise on. Instead, talk about what 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 you will deliver with it. Here's why: ¶ Investors want to know what our money is buying. Like any customer, what we care about is benefits, not features. ¶ You need to understand why investors ask about use of funds and answer the question behind the question - which is generally "can you achieve enough with this round to raise the next, higher-valued round?" You're arguing that this funding is enough to reach an important R&D milestone (if you're early) or a customer traction milestone (if you're later). So, describe that milestone, and explain why you are confident that you can get there with this size raise. ¶ Detailing how you'll spend the funds can be useful if you can use it to 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 your claim about you will achieve. But it doesn't stand alone. A use-of-funds slide that says "this will give us 18 months runway," or (even worse) "we're going to spend 90% on salaries and 10% on everything else" is worse than not having one at all. (Btw, even though your accounting software may break down expenses as salaries vs rent vs travel, that's not a helpful categorization. What we need, and what you also need to run your business, is a functional breakdown of how much is spent on R&D vs Sales & Marketing vs G&A, as that tells a lot about the stage of the company and its business model.) Investors pay attention not only to what you're saying, but to how you're saying it - framing, wording, body language, etc. The use of funds slide, which usually comes toward the end of the pitch, is often glossed over, and that's a missed opportunity. If you can come across as confident, pragmatic, and results-oriented, you'll put yourself ahead of most founders.