GENERAL FUNDRAISING AND CAMPAIGN GUIDANCE 

Many non-profits are finding that traditional sources of revenue—dues, governmental funding, or even a small circle of devoted donors—are insufficient to cover both current funding needs and long-term program sustainability.  Likewise, a number of non-profits are increasingly aware of how important reserve funds or endowments are to ensuring long-term financial stability.  Regardless of the age of the non-profit, building a solid fundraising program and laying the foundation for a concerted fundraising effort has become more and more urgent.

Charitable Development Consulting can help non-profit organizations of all types to build that foundation.  Among the ways we build that support are the following:

  • Drafting and guiding passage of Gift Acceptance Policies
  • Drafting and guiding passage of Endowment Policies, including endowment structure, investment and spending policies
  • Drafting and guiding passage of gift counting policies
  • Drafting and testing case statements for campaigns
  • Evaluate readiness for a campaign
  • Conduct feasibility studies for a targeted fundraising effort
  • Guide staff structure and infrastructure needs for a campaign
  • Evaluate vendor proposals for investment and administration of endowed funds
  • Train staff, board members, and other volunteers
  • Develop campaign organization and timing schedule
  • Evaluate website content and communications materials
  • Create and guide the use of detailed donor/prospect tracking systems
  • Accompany staff of selected visits with donors and donor advisors
  • Provide technical guidance on complicated gift plans

PLANNED GIVING SUPPORT

 

Given our definition of Planned Giving as any gift that takes more planning than writing a check, we believe that planned giving occupies an important place in the fundraising plan of even a small non-profit.  Planned giving need not be complicated and need not require a detailed knowledge of tax law, but without it, non-profits risk leaving up to 90% of the potential gifts on the table.  Our goal is to open the door to the broad range of giving options to all of our clients.

Among the topics we can address are the following:

  • Assessing readiness for developing a planned giving program
  • Developing guidelines for the structure and timing of a planned giving program
  • Conducting assessment of existing planned giving program to find effective ways of strengthening results
  • Structuring planned giving implementation and marketing plan
  • Drafting and guiding passage of Gift Acceptance Policies
  • Drafting and guiding passage of Endowment Policies, including endowment structure, investment and spending policies
  • Drafting and guiding passage of gift counting policies
  • Integrating planned gifts into larger umbrella campaign structure
  • Developing rationale for and structure of gift annuity programs
  • Developing rationale and structure for a legacy program and legacy society
  • Providing workshops for board members and professional advisors
  • Conducting focus group sessions for potential planned giving donors
  • Evaluate candidates for planned giving staff
  • On an on-going basis, we can also:
    • Provide technical services for developmental staff
    • Meet with donors, their families, and their advisors to evaluate estate and charitable options and possibilities
    • Provide on-going training for the entire development staff on ways of integrating planned gifts into their discussions with donors

SPEAKING AND TRAINING SERVICES

 

We speak regularly at regional and national conferences and seminars and can offer a variety of topics to clients and organizations seeking workshop facilitators and presenters.  Following are sample topics we might address:

  • Flexible Deferred Charitable Gift Annuities: the New Addition to Smart Retirement Planning
  • Focusing on Planned Giving: Using Focus Groups to Spread the Word
  • Ethical Concerns in Planned Giving Practice
  • How the PPP Standards of Conduct Affect Charitable Fundraising
  • Counting and Reporting Gifts: the New Paradigm
  • The Top Ten Tips for Building a Strong Planned Giving Program
  • Planned Giving for Younger Donors
  • Creative Uses of Retirement Plans to Build Philanthropy while Caring for Family
  • Planned Giving in Campaigns: the Secret of Success
  • Promoting the Benefits of Deferred Gift Annuities to Boomers
  • Ten Elements of a Strong Planned Giving Program
  • Turning Planned Gifts into Current Dollars
  • How to Use Planned Gifts to Finance Capital Projects
  • The Power of Planned Giving Stories
  • The Key Elements of an Effective Set of Gift Acceptance Policies
  • Closely Held Stock: an Overlooked Philanthropic Bonanza
  • Using Real Estate to Make Take-wise and Effective Charitable Gifts
  • The Magic and Magnitude of Charitable Trusts
  • Endowments: their Impact and How to Build Them
  • Why Non-Profits Should Have a Gift Annuity Program
  • What your Board Members Should Understand about Planned Giving
  • The Basics of Planned Giving
  • Philanthropy as a Lifetime Process
  • Talking to your Donors about Planned Gifts