Starting Point:

• Current donor base
• Solicitation mix and effectiveness of appeals, grants, events, major gifts and planned giving
• Restricted vs. unrestricted giving
• People:  Board, staff, donors and volunteers
• Technology infrastructure, including donor database, website and online giving experience
• Donor communications and stewardship:  How well are you telling your story? What happens after a donor makes a gift?
• Donor research—if you are doing it, how are you doing it
• Campaign readiness, if applicable

Destination:

• Where are your greatest opportunities? (low hanging fruit)
• How do your current fundraising practices compare with benchmarks and best practices in the field?
• A proposed mix among:  annual fund, special events, grants, major gifts and planned giving.
• How are branding, your website, marketing and PR supporting fundraising?

The Roadmap:  A comprehensive Fundraising Plan with 3-year financial projections and research-based recommendations.  Nothing canned here—we’ll be reviewing your numbers, your fundraising programs, and your website and marketing.  Well, there is invariably a section titled, “Build your Board” that focuses on the need for board members who can make impact gifts. We find that recommendation applies to virtually every small-to-mid-sized nonprofit.

Why MajorDonors.com?

1. Strategic business thinking:  Business backgrounds combined with extensive nonprofit experience
2. Quantitative and qualitative balance
3. Team approach:  Two senior consultants thinking about your nonprofit from different perspectives
4. Thorough understanding of small-to-mid-sized nonprofit space—what is realistic given the resources, and what modest investments are likely to produce the biggest returns?