Not a clearly defined plan. We had a website, Facebook page and a sizeable email list to begin putting out the word that we wanted to assist people with TNR, within about a 40-square-mile area. Rather than us trying to identify where the cats were, individuals knew about colonies or a neighbor feeding a couple strays, etc., etc. We also printed a million little quarter sheet flyers to help spread the word. We would pass these out at our different events, like every month we held $10 microchip clinics. And since our local shelter had no TNR plan in place, we made sure they knew that we were offering assistance. The biggest piece, we partnered with a low-cost S/N clinic for reduced pricing.
In addition, we got several grants to help fund our efforts. Through the process of applying for grants, I learned that grantors love collaboration. They want to see that you are teaming up with a spay-neuter clinic to do TNR at a reduced rate (this was, like, 2012 - 2016 and we could generally "fix" cats for $25 or less), or working with a city to target a specific area of town, and the city is funding a portion of the work. Also, whenever possible, we would encourage the cat caretakers or an individual who let their own cats multiply to participate in the process, either financially (whatever they could afford) or trapping or transport, etc. We S/N'd a lot of feral cats. I'm guessing around 6,000 over four years.
And then everyone wants data... lots of data to show the results of your efforts. Grantors also generally want your nonprofit to be well established (at least three years) before funding your first project; after that, they will fund pretty consistently once they see the results of your work and know their money was well spent.
Good luck to you. The cats need all the help they can get.
Monica Mestas