Fundraising Basics: The successful ‘elevator pitch’ for social entrepreneurs

You know the scenario – you’re at a conference, networking event or job fair and have just a few moments to “sell” yourself to a donor or employer. For a social entrepreneur, this “elevator pitch” is crucial to securing funding for innovative development business ideas meant to reduce poverty and increase economic opportunity around the globe.

“As an entrepreneur, you need to go into the room with a list of people who are going to be in attendance and you need to be really targeted about the conversations you’re going to have,” one industry expert told Devex.

Ideally, you’ll have established a relationship with a funder before you need the money. But if you haven’t, consider your pitch “the beginning of a conversation,” said Olivia Khalili of Cause Capitalism.

Remember: Competitions, grants and other funding opportunities are proliferating, making access to funds easier for a wide range of social enterprises – but also more competitive.