Building Bridges

Our Roadmap to Launch

A step-by-step plan to get Building Bridges ready for fundraising

Our first goal is simple: get Building Bridges officially established, build the fundraising campaign and launch everything before Ramadan Insha Allah.

We'll work through the following steps together.

Step 1

Establish Building Bridges

  1. Register Building Bridges as a CIC.
  2. Apply for a business bank account.
  3. Set up a Stripe account to receive donations.
  4. Set up Fundraise Up, subject to eligibility, and connect the payment system.

Outcome: Building Bridges is officially established and has the systems needed to receive donations directly.

Step 2

Build the Brand and Website

  1. Finalise the Building Bridges name, logo and branding.
  2. Create a simple fundraising website.
  3. Build the donation page and connect it to the website.
  4. Set up one-off and monthly donation options.
  5. Test the website and payment system to make sure everything works.

Outcome: A professional online home where people can understand the mission and support it.

Step 3

Plan the Fundraising Campaign

  1. Agree on the main fundraising message and campaign strategy.
  2. Establish what we're raising money for and the fundraising target.
  3. Write the script for the main fundraising video.
  4. Plan how the campaign will be promoted across social media.
  5. Prepare the campaign for Ramadan.

Outcome: A clear fundraising campaign with the right message, strategy and plan.

Step 4

Film and Produce the Campaign

  1. Arrange a filming session at the Criterion studio.
  2. Film the main fundraising video.
  3. Professionally edit the main fundraising video.
  4. Prepare the finished video for the website and social media.
  5. Finalise the campaign ready for launch.

Outcome: A professionally produced fundraising video that explains the mission and encourages people to support it.

Step 5

Launch the Fundraising Campaign

  1. Publish the fundraising website and donation page.
  2. Launch the main fundraising video.
  3. Add the donation link to YouTube, Instagram and other social media profiles.
  4. Create supporting videos that direct people to the fundraising page.
  5. Begin promoting the campaign and collecting donations.

Outcome: Building Bridges is officially fundraising online, with donations going directly to its own account.

Step 6

Grow the Fundraising

  1. Develop a Meta advertising strategy.
  2. Identify which videos and messages are best suited for paid advertising.
  3. Guide Dowie on setting up and running ads, building on his previous experience.
  4. Explore ways to increase monthly donations.
  5. Review campaign results and identify opportunities to improve.

Advertising and other external costs will be covered by Building Bridges, with any spending agreed beforehand.

Outcome: A fundraising system that can continue attracting supporters beyond the initial launch.

Step 7

Ongoing Support Throughout the Year

Once the campaign is running, we'll continue supporting Dowie through our 12-month partnership.

  1. One strategy meeting every month at the Criterion office or online.
  2. Three planned studio filming sessions during the year, including two before Ramadan.
  3. Ongoing guidance on fundraising, marketing and organisational growth.
  4. Support with the agreed fundraising campaign systems.
  5. Planning for future campaigns and long-term financial sustainability.

Outcome: Building Bridges gradually develops the resources, supporters and structure to operate more independently.

Our First Priority

Get Building Bridges established and ready to fundraise before Ramadan.

We'll begin with the CIC registration, bank account and payment systems while our team works on the branding, fundraising strategy and video script.

Once those foundations are ready, we'll move into filming, production and launching the campaign.

Dowie, you don't need to figure everything out at once. We'll take it step by step, with clear responsibilities along the way.

The ultimate goal is to help you build something financially sustainable, so you can spend less time worrying about funding and more time doing the work you love.

May Allah put barakah in it.