21778 Fundraising and Revenue Streams for Sports, Events and Not-for-Profits
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · Spring 202621778 Overview
- University of Technology Sydney
- Spring 2026
- 6 credit points
- Postgraduate
- Management
- Pre-recorded lectures, on-campus tutorials
- Group and individual coursework
What the subject is about
Fundraising and Revenue Streams for Sports, Events and Not-for-Profits is a postgraduate management subject at the University of Technology Sydney, worth 6 credit points and taught in the Spring session.
- Assessed by An individual revenue stream evaluation report (30%), a group sponsorship pitch with a ten-page document and tutorial presentation (30%), and an individual fundraising plan (40%).
- Hardest step Turning a list of revenue streams into analysis: rating each on reliability, autonomy and fit with the mission, then recommending changes the organisation can actually resource.
- How to prepare Compute the revenue shares of your case organisation from its own annual report before writing, and keep a SWOT built from those figures beside you.
What you get in the full 21778 Study & Assessment Guide
- 11 chapters, 48 pages — every assessed topic, week by week
- 33 original practice questions, each with a model answer
- 11 worked examples, solved the way 21778 marks
- 18 computed figures, redrawn from the course’s own numbers
- Before-you-submit checklist for the Assessment task 3 (40%) — what markers reward, what costs marks
Free on this page: assessment table, chapter map, one worked example, key terms, FAQ. The rest is in the full study & assessment guide.
How 21778 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment task 1: Revenue Stream Evaluation Report (Individual) | 30% | An executive summary of 1,500 words (plus or minus 10%) critically analysing how well a case organisation’s current revenue streams meet its fundraising needs and objectives, with three recommendations; a SWOT in the appendix is recommended. Due 8 September, 11:59pm. |
| Assessment task 2: Sponsorship Pitch (Group) | 30% | A strategic partnership or sponsorship pitch to a private sector organisation: a ten-page pitch document due 14 September, then a tutorial presentation in Week 9, 10 or 11 with about three minutes of pitch and ten of questions. |
| Assessment task 3: Fundraising Plan (Individual) | 40% | A report of up to 2,000 words (plus or minus 10%) developing three in-depth recommendations for fundraising and revenue generation, covering objectives, strategies, feasibility, timeframe and evaluation. Due 2 November, 11:59pm. |
Weights come from the Canvas task pages: tasks 1 and 3 state 30% and 40% of the subject’s marks, and task 2 is listed at 30 points, which completes the 100. Read the Subject Information on Canvas for general assessment details and the Important Guidance page for assessment policies.
Assessment structure
What other students are asking about 21778
- Where can I find lecture notes or study guides for 21778 at UTS?
- The 21778 study guide in AskSia Library covers Fundraising and Revenue Streams for Sports, Events and Not-for-Profits in 11 chapters, with the assessment table, a chapter-by-chapter topic map, key terms and a worked example, free to read on this page.
- Is there a final exam in 21778?
- No final exam is listed in the offering this AskSia Library guide is built from; 21778 is assessed by Assessment task 1: Revenue Stream Evaluation Report (Individual) 30%, Assessment task 2: Sponsorship Pitch (Group) 30%, Assessment task 3: Fundraising Plan (Individual) 40%.
- What does 21778 cover on theories of fundraising and the resource-based view?
- In AskSia Library's 21778 guide, the Theories of Fundraising and the Resource-Based View chapter explains resource generation, marketing and social connection · critique · five resource types · (Weeks 1 and 2).
- What does 21778 cover on the strategic revenue mix: sectors and sources?
- In AskSia Library's 21778 guide, the The Strategic Revenue Mix: Sectors and Sources chapter explains government, private, third sector and household streams · computing revenue shares · (Weeks 2 and 3).
- What does 21778 cover on reliability, autonomy and normative theory?
- In AskSia Library's 21778 guide, the Reliability, Autonomy and Normative Theory chapter explains programmatic, tied and untied revenue · benefit types · the Million Paws Walk case · (Weeks 2 and 3).
Current 21778 dates
| Date | Item | Control |
|---|---|---|
| 8 September, 11:59pm | Assessment task 1: Revenue Stream Evaluation Report due | The schedule lists Assignment 1 as due in Week 7. |
| 14 September, 11:59pm | Assessment task 2: pitch document due | Group presentations then run in the Week 9, 10 and 11 tutorials. |
| 2 November, 11:59pm | Assessment task 3: Fundraising Plan due | Week 12 includes a drop-in session to prepare the final assessment. |
Dates are as published in the three Canvas assessment task pages and the teaching and learning schedule. Confirm exact deadlines and submission settings in the live LMS.
What 21778 covers
21778 runs over the Spring 2026 session. Weeks 1 to 4 build the toolkit: why organisations fundraise, the theories, the strategic revenue mix and the fundraising audit, including the digital world. The later weeks turn to ethics and law, the fundraising ask, corporate, individual and government giving, events and campaigns, and evaluation.
Assessment is three coursework tasks: an individual revenue stream report, a group sponsorship pitch and an individual fundraising plan.
Why Organisations Fundraise: Mission and the Plan
purpose before revenue · three definitions of fundraising · the plan as a living document · (Weeks 1 and 2)Money as a means, not the mission
This chapter opens the subject where the Week 1 lecture does: a not-for-profit, and many Australian sports and events organisations, exist for a purpose that is not income.
- Purpose versus income in not-for-profits
- Sport and events as not-for-profit activity
- Three definitions of fundraising
- The purpose, strategy, revenue and impact loop
- Why a fundraising plan matters
- Testing an option against the purpose
Theories of Fundraising and the Resource-Based View
resource generation, marketing and social connection · critique · five resource types · (Weeks 1 and 2)Three lenses and a resource map
The second Week 1 video sets out three theories of fundraising: resource generation, marketing and social connection, each picturing the donor differently.
- Fundraising as resource generation
- Fundraising as marketing
- Fundraising as social connection
- How each theory pictures the donor
- Critiquing a fundraising theory
- The resource-based view of the firm
The Strategic Revenue Mix: Sectors and Sources
government, private, third sector and household streams · computing revenue shares · (Weeks 2 and 3)Where the money comes from
Week 2 introduces the strategic revenue mix, the blend of income streams an organisation relies on.
- What makes a revenue mix strategic
- Bowman on blending revenue sources
- Government, private, third sector and household streams
- Where to find revenue figures
- Computing revenue shares
- The national charity revenue picture
Reliability, Autonomy and Normative Theory
programmatic, tied and untied revenue · benefit types · the Million Paws Walk case · (Weeks 2 and 3)What kind of money is it?
Week 2 describes every revenue stream by two variables, reliability and autonomy, and sorts revenue into programmatic, tied and untied.
- Reliability and autonomy of revenue
- Programmatic, tied and untied revenue
- Private, group, public and trade benefits
- Relational benefits
- The Million Paws Walk decision
- Arguing a case with two theories
Portfolio Theory and Resource Fit
diversification and its costs · sustainability, independence, capacity, profile · screening a stream · (Weeks 2 and 3)Diversify, but only what you can run
Portfolio theory says that spreading income across several streams lowers financial risk, and the Week 2 reading weighs the benefits of diversification against its issues.
- Portfolio theory in fundraising
- Benefits and issues of diversification
- Resource dependence
- Sustainability, independence, capacity and profile
- Recomputing fee dependence
- Correlation between revenue streams
The Fundraising Audit: External Environment
PEST in Australia · competitors, collaborators and peak bodies · ideology and megatrends · (Weeks 3 and 4)Reading the world outside
Week 3 introduces the fundraising audit, the “where are we now?” stage of planning.
- What a fundraising audit is
- Macro factors and the PEST framework
- Political and economic factors in Australia
- Sociocultural trends in giving
- Competitors and similar organisations
- Peak bodies and partners
Digital Fundraising and Peer-to-Peer Giving
benefits and limits of online giving · the posting rule · social impact theory · trust · (Week 4)Online giving, honestly assessed
Week 4 treats technology as the factor that has permanently disrupted donor engagement.
- Technology as a PEST factor
- Information, community and action
- Benefits of digital fundraising
- Problems and slacktivism
- The 1:1:1 posting rule
- Peer-to-peer fundraising
The Internal Audit and SWOT Analysis
structure and processes · an evidence-based SWOT · repairing weak entries · (Weeks 4 and 5)Looking inside, then joining the picture
Week 4 closes the fundraising audit with the internal environment: the structures and processes that decide whether an organisation can act on what the external audit finds.
- Why an internal audit is needed
- Organisational structure for fundraising
- Fundraising processes
- Building a SWOT from evidence
- Using the SWOT in Assessment 1
- Repairing a weak SWOT entry
Who Gives in Australia: Giving Data and Policy
individual, government and corporate giving · sector revenue data · matching the ask · (Weeks 7 to 9)The giving landscape in numbers
The schedule gives Weeks 7 to 9 to corporate, individual and government giving.
- Sources, forms and routes of giving
- Trends in individual giving
- Concentration of donations
- Government funding of charities
- Corporate donations, sponsorship and partnerships
- Why businesses give
Ethics, Law and Sponsorship Partnerships
DGR status and fundraising regulation · partner screening · sponsorship tiers and the pitch · (Weeks 5, 7 and 8)Rules, values and the pitch
Week 5 covers ethics and law in fundraising, and Assessment 2 asks for a sponsorship pitch that evaluates ethical, legal and other considerations.
- Deductible gift recipient status
- Who regulates fundraising in Australia
- Australian Consumer Law and fundraising
- Ethics of partnerships and value alignment
- Sponsorship tiers and value propositions
- How the sponsorship pitch is marked
Building the Fundraising Plan: Objectives to Evaluation
the seven plan elements · event feasibility · monitoring, evaluation and timeframe · (Weeks 6 and 10 to 12)From recommendations to a costed plan
The final assessment asks for three in-depth recommendations that strengthen a case organisation’s revenue mix, built around seven elements from purpose to monitoring and evaluation.
- The seven elements of the plan
- Writing a measurable objective
- Financial feasibility of an event
- Event margins and assumptions
- Indicators for each revenue stream
- Reporting cadence and timeframe
It starts from a simple observation: the core purpose of a not-for-profit is not necessarily related to how it earns income, and the same is true of many Australian sports and events organisations, which are themselves not-for-profit entities.
The subject teaches you to understand fundraising, read the environment an organisation raises money in, and build a fundraising plan that serves its objectives.
How the ideas build
The first weeks set out definitions and three theories of fundraising, then a resource-based view that asks what an organisation can actually mobilise.
Week 2 introduces the strategic revenue mix: the blend of government, private sector, third sector and household revenue, judged on reliability, autonomy, normative fit and portfolio diversification. Weeks 3 and 4 cover the fundraising audit, from PEST factors, competitors, peak bodies and ideology to the internal environment and the digital world.
Later weeks treat ethics and law, the fundraising ask, corporate, individual and government giving, events and campaigns, and evaluation.
How it is taught and assessed
Key concept lectures are pre-recorded on Canvas and tutorials run face to face on campus with a case study approach.
Cases include a community cricket club with a published fundraising plan, the RSPCA’s Million Paws Walk and a peer-to-peer challenge for people experiencing homelessness. Assessment is three coursework tasks, an individual revenue stream evaluation report, a group sponsorship pitch and an individual fundraising plan, and each rewards analysis supported by research more than description.
Worked example · free
Judge a club's revenue mix against its own plan
- 1Current fee share: 48,397 ÷ 73,886 = 65.5%. The operating result is 73,886 − 92,171, a deficit of $18,285.
- 1With the first appeal, revenue is $85,286 and the fee share is 48,397 ÷ 85,286 = 56.7%.
- 1With both appeals, revenue is $100,286 and the fee share is 48,397 ÷ 100,286 = 48.3%, below the 50% objective, if fees and other lines hold steady.
- 1Weakness: both appeals ask the same families and alumni, so the streams are diversified but the donor base is not; a bad registration year could hit fees and both appeals together.
Key terms
- Strategic Revenue Mix
- The deliberate blend of revenue streams an organisation relies on, chosen to fit its social mission, its resources and its environment rather than simply to maximise income.
- Fundraising Audit
- A detailed review of the internal and external factors likely to affect an organisation’s ability to raise funds, answering the question of where it stands now.
- Resource-Based View
- A strategy perspective that analyses tangible and intangible resources; applied to fundraising, it identifies everything an organisation can mobilise to raise funds for its mission.
- Reliability
- The degree to which a revenue stream can be expected to keep arriving over time, for example as annual and repeating rather than one-off income.
- Autonomy
- The freedom an organisation has to decide how a stream’s money is spent, high for untied gifts and low for revenue tied to a specific purpose.
- Tied Revenue
- Money given for a specific purpose or usable only in a specific way, such as a grant that can be spent only on lighting.
- Normative Theory
- An approach that judges whether a revenue mix is right by matching who receives each type of benefit with who pays for it.
- Portfolio Theory
- The idea that spreading income across several streams lowers financial risk, weighed against the cost and capability each extra stream demands.
- Peak Body
- A not-for-profit whose members are smaller organisations in a similar field; it lobbies, researches and supports its members.
- Deductible Gift Recipient
- A tax status that lets donors with taxable income claim a deduction for gifts of more than $2 made to the entity.
- Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
- Fundraising in which supporters raise money from their own networks on behalf of an organisation, using the trust they already hold with friends and family.
- Slacktivism
- Low-cost public displays of support online, such as likes or shares, that do not necessarily lead to donations or volunteering.
- Sponsorship Tier
- A priced level of partnership, such as Bronze to Platinum, in which a larger investment buys a larger, cumulative set of benefits for the sponsor.
21778 FAQ
How is the fundraising subject at UTS assessed?
Through three coursework tasks. The Revenue Stream Evaluation Report is an individual executive summary worth 30%. The Sponsorship Pitch is a group task worth 30 points, combining a ten-page pitch document with a tutorial presentation and questions. The Fundraising Plan is an individual report worth 40%, due on 2 November. Each task page links to the Subject Information for general details.
Can I use generative AI in the assignments?
Yes, for suggesting ideas, proposing outlines, generating drafts, getting feedback and polishing writing. Each task requires you to declare that use in APA citation format, following UTS Library guidance, and to keep the chat transcript for the subject coordinator. Vivas or interviews may be used to check your work, and inadequate answers can lead to a mark of zero.
What does strategic revenue mix mean?
It is the planned combination of income sources an organisation depends on, drawn from government, the private sector, the third sector and households. Strategic means each stream is chosen because it suits the mission, the resources and the environment. The lecture stresses that not all dollars are equal, because each source carries its own conditions, costs and expectations.
What is the difference between reliability and autonomy?
Reliability asks whether money will keep arriving, such as annual rather than one-off income. Autonomy asks how freely it can be spent: untied gifts score high, while programmatic or purpose-restricted revenue scores low. A government contract may be dependable yet tightly restricted, so a sound evaluation rates every income line on both dimensions separately.
What goes into a fundraising audit?
An external review of macro factors, usually with PEST, plus similar organisations, potential collaborators such as peak bodies, and current and potential donors. An internal review then examines structures and processes. The findings meet in a SWOT, which Assessment 1 recommends placing in its appendix and drawing on in the executive summary.
What should a sponsorship pitch include?
An overview of the case organisation and its needs, why the prospective sponsor should support it with benefits for both sides, and the nature of the deal, whether long term, short term or event based. The document must also evaluate ethical, legal and other considerations, including whether the sponsor’s values align with the organisation’s aims.
How is the final fundraising plan structured?
Around three in-depth recommendations that strengthen the revenue mix, supported by the organisation’s financial and non-financial resources. The task lists seven elements: purpose and need, current streams, objectives, strategies and tactics, financial feasibility, a realistic timeframe, and monitoring and evaluation. Recommendations carry half of the rubric’s points.
Questions students ask in each 21778 chapter
- Why is fundraising called a means to an end?
- Because a not-for-profit exists to deliver a purpose, such as community sport or animal welfare, and money is only one resource it needs. The Week 1 lecture quotes Temple (2016) describing fundraising as resting on organisational mission, so every activity is judged by whether it advances that purpose. Chapter 01 · Why Organisations Fundraise: Mission and the Plan
- What are the three theories of fundraising in Week 1?
- Resource generation sees fundraising as instrumental to organisational goals and donors as philanthropists. Marketing applies a market orientation, treating donors as customers making rational choices. Social connection sees fundraising as the bond of communities and donors as members who help communities flourish. Chapter 02 · Theories of Fundraising and the Resource-Based View
- Why is not-for-profit revenue often unrelated to purpose?
- A business usually earns from the thing it exists to do, but a not-for-profit may fund a youth orchestra through grants, sponsors, donations, tickets and camps. The lecture stresses this gap, which is why each stream must be chosen for its fit with the mission rather than simply its size. Chapter 03 · The Strategic Revenue Mix: Sectors and Sources
- What is the difference between tied and untied revenue?
- Tied revenue is given for a specific purpose or can only be used in a specific way, such as a grant for lighting. Untied revenue goes to the organisation to use as it sees fit, so it can pay for core costs like rent and insurance that funders rarely name. Chapter 04 · Reliability, Autonomy and Normative Theory
- What is portfolio theory in fundraising?
- Borrowed from finance, it holds that an organisation can reduce financial risk by spreading income over several streams instead of depending on a single one. The Week 3 case applies it to ask whether an event had become a high-cost, high-risk stream within the RSPCA’s wider fundraising portfolio. Chapter 05 · Portfolio Theory and Resource Fit
- What is a fundraising audit?
- The Week 3 reading defines it as a detailed review of any factors likely to affect an organisation’s ability to raise funds, both internal and external. It answers where the organisation stands now, read against its vision and mission, before objectives and strategies are set. Chapter 06 · The Fundraising Audit: External Environment
- Why must information and community come before the call to action?
- A stranger asked to donate without context has little reason to act. Supporters who understand the cause and see others involved are far more likely to give, so a campaign builds information and community first and places the ask on top of them. Chapter 07 · Digital Fundraising and Peer-to-Peer Giving
- Why is an internal audit needed as well as an external one?
- Opportunities found outside are worth little if no one inside has the time, skills or processes to act on them. The internal audit checks structures, such as whether a full-time fundraiser exists, and processes, such as how donations are received and partners are managed. Chapter 08 · The Internal Audit and SWOT Analysis
- How much do Australians donate to charity?
- The Productivity Commission puts donations to charities above $13 billion in 2021, a real rise of 26% on 2017, and counts about 6 million formal volunteers in 2022. It also finds a shrinking share of taxpayers claiming a deduction for gifts, while the average claim from those who still give keeps rising. Chapter 09 · Who Gives in Australia: Giving Data and Policy
- What is DGR status and why does it matter?
- Deductible gift recipient status lets people with taxable income claim a deduction for gifts over $2. The Productivity Commission finds that roughly 80% of all charitable giving already flows to organisations holding it, and that the status also signals legitimacy, which can influence support such as corporate sponsorship. Chapter 10 · Ethics, Law and Sponsorship Partnerships
- What are the seven elements of the fundraising plan?
- The task lists an overview of purpose and the need for fundraising, analysis of current revenue streams and activities, fundraising objectives, key strategies and tactics, financial feasibility, a realistic timeframe, and a monitoring and evaluation plan. Your three recommendations run through the middle elements. Chapter 11 · Building the Fundraising Plan: Objectives to Evaluation
How to prepare for the assessments
Start each week by writing the case organisation’s purpose in one sentence, then map its revenue lines into the four sectors and compute every share from one annual report. Rate each stream on reliability and autonomy separately, run the normative check of who benefits and who pays, and note which resources each stream consumes. Keep a running SWOT in which every entry carries a figure or a named source.
When the audit weeks arrive, add only PEST factors you can tie to that organisation. For the pitch, write for one sponsor’s decision and rehearse answers to questions rather than slides. For the final plan, cost every event line by line, state the assumptions beside the totals, and match each monitoring measure to an objective. Use the tutorials for feedback, since tutors answer questions in class but do not read drafts.
In the last week, reread each rubric and check that your largest section serves the criterion with the most points.
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