Insight|News

A strong culture of philanthropy can serve as a unifying force within a nonprofit organization. 

Reinforced through strong partnerships, shared goals, clear metrics, and consistent processes, a culture of philanthropy is paramount to aligning the work of an organization’s development and marketing teams. At their best, the work of these departments can be collaborative and complementary, elevating their organization’s trajectory. Yet, it is not uncommon to find these teams at odds, pursuing distinct or even conflicting goals and priorities.

So, what are the core components of a culture of philanthropy? And what are some tangible steps to enhance internal coordination between development and marketing teams?

With over 25 years of experience in higher education, program development, and nonprofit advancement, CFA Principal-West Coast Kristin Love answers these questions and offers strategies to increase internal alignment while enhancing your organization’s culture of philanthropy.

Building a Strong Foundation for Growth

Not always visible on the surface, a culture of philanthropy is more akin to an organizational undercurrent. Despite the plethora of ways that a culture of philanthropy can manifest within a nonprofit, a recent study examining shifts in the culture of philanthropy identified four common components that make this seemingly ambiguous term more tangible.

By definition, nonprofits are dependent upon philanthropy to carry out their mission and remain economically viable. When a culture of philanthropy is a core element of the organization’s broader culture, it provides a mutually reinforcing set of beliefs, accountabilities, and actions that prioritize fundraising at every level of the organization. As a result, all staff – from the top to the bottom – understand their role in advancing philanthropy within their organization and appreciate the role of philanthropy in advancing their work.

Strengthening the Donor Cultivation Cycle

The benefits of aligning development and marketing teams around a shared culture of philanthropy are visible within every stage of the donor cultivation cycle. While there are clear distinctions between annual and major giving cultivation cycles, strong partnerships between development and marketing are vital for nurturing donor relationships at all philanthropic levels.

• Discovery: Marketing can offer development a relevant lead generation pipeline by reviewing data such as open rates, click-throughs, and social media activity to identify new donor prospects amongst new and highly engaged constituents.
• Cultivation: Development can partner with marketing to create and execute communication plans and donor engagement opportunities that feature a balance of program impact and philanthropic storytelling relevant to a wide range of target audiences. 
• Solicitation: Marketing can support development in the design of compelling appeals, proposals, and supporting materials to inspire new, renewed, and increased giving.
• Stewardship: Development and marketing can partner to retain current donors through consistent and creative storytelling that reaches constituents through a variety of formats and channels, providing donors with various opportunities to identify with the organization. 

Fostering Greater Connectivity Between Development & Marketing

Whether your organization seeks to establish a stronger culture of philanthropy or simply wants to enhance collaboration between development and marketing functions, pursuing these key steps will help move the needle on both fronts. 

1. Build relationships between development and marketing teams at all levels.
   While few staff are eager to add another recurring meeting to their calendars, development and marketing leaders must come together to prioritize team building, support ongoing communication, and provide a clear line of sight to mutual priorities. 
   
2. Establish shared goals articulated within a comprehensive development plan.
   Development planning is a collaborative process that articulates the goals, strategies, activities, and accountabilities of each fundraising program. The benefits of the development planning process and resulting document extend far beyond the development team by articulating points of connection and fundraising-related accountabilities across marketing and other functions within an organization. 
   
3. Identify separate leading indicators to drive specific accountabilities. 
   While development often gets the glory as the revenue-generating team, marketing deserves credit for their pivotal role in the fundraising success of an organization. To balance the share of credit, establish metrics that will focus actions and accountabilities within each team. Rather than relying solely on lagging indicators such as dollars raised – a metric that is often attributed solely to development – organizations can lean into activity- and outcome-based leading indicators that will distinguish the roles of development and marketing staff while actively engaging both teams throughout the donor cultivation cycle. 

It is important to note that these tactics are relevant to and can be adapted for organizations with any number of development and marketing staff. Regardless of your role (development, marketing, or both) or the size of your team, establishing fundraising as a shared and integrated responsibility is sure to have a lasting impact on your organization’s internal culture and external impact.  

Partner With Us

CFA’s consulting team is adept at partnering with development and marketing teams alike to enhance their organization’s culture of philanthropy while maximizing fundraising success. If you are interested in exploring how CFA can partner with your development and/or marketing teams, contact CFA today.

Kristin Love, Principal, West Coast

Kristin is a proven capacity-builder, collaborator, and change-maker in the philanthropic space, with over 20 years of experience in higher education, program development, and nonprofit advancement. Prior to joining CFA, Kristin served as Vice President for Development at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. At LMU, she oversaw efforts to evolve development structures and processes to motivate an accountability-driven environment, partnering with academic and administrative leadership to align goals and priorities in pursuit of increased philanthropy.  

Before LMU, Kristin held leadership roles in the advancement offices at Colorado College and University of Denver, championing creation of new initiatives at both institutions that integrated engagement and philanthropy. Her career experience includes development roles at large national and small local nonprofits, as well as global organizations such as JDRF International. Her passion for mission-centric fundraising work and the positive impact it can have on institutions and organizations began as a work-study student in the grants office at her alma mater, Baylor University, where she earned a BBA in public administration and Spanish.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Kristin spent over two decades in Colorado before relocating with her family to the Los Angeles area in 2020. The mother of 15-year-old twins, Kristin enjoys watching her daughter’s athletic pursuits, and son’s music and acting endeavors. In her free time, she can be found traveling or at a potter’s wheel.

Email Kristin

Kendall Carlson, Content Writer

A frequent contributor to CFA’s digital content, Kendall Carlson has spent her career advancing nonprofit organizations across the Twin Cities. With 16 years of experience, Kendall brings a balance of strategic and operational leadership spanning fundraising, program development, evaluation, and strategic planning.

Most recently, Kendall served as Development and Communications Director at Hired, where she diversified revenue for the organization’s $11M budget and increased individual giving by 60%, led a rebrand, and launched an organization-wide data for impact initiative. Prior to Hired, Kendall served at Greater Twin Cities United Way, where she led an advancement strategy team to increase investment and engagement from the organization’s top corporate and major donors.  Kendall is known as a strategic, solution-oriented leader with a high capacity for detail and commitment to quality. She launched her consulting practice, Luminate Consulting, in 2022 to bring her skills in fundraising and program strategy to nonprofits seeking sustainable growth.

Grantmaking institutions are an essential part of a nonprofit’s fundraising strategy and come in many shapes and sizes – from corporate and private foundations, community and regional foundations, to collectives and intermediaries. According to Giving USA, foundation and corporate donations comprised 25% of all philanthropic support in 2023, underscoring the vital role grantmaking entities play within the nonprofit landscape. 

While engaging with grantmakers often requires more planning and preparation than individual donors, the cultivation and stewardship strategies share many similarities. The main challenges lie in identifying the best-aligned institutions and building trusting relationships with their staff.

CFA’s Principal Mid-Atlantic Johnny Burleson with over 20 years of nonprofit advancement experience, offers recommendations for successfully engaging grantmaking institutions. Joining him is CFA’s Senior Project Manager John Teknus, who brings insights from his previous role as a portfolio analyst with the Open Society Foundation (OSF).

Identifying Aligned Opportunities

While it can be easy to fall into a pattern of engagement with a core set of funders, proactive prospect research should be a regular priority of every development team. Using online tools such as Foundation Directory, Candid, Instrumental, or DonorSearch can expedite lead generation while supplemental research via funder websites can provide other vital insights as organizations narrow their list of grantmaking prospects.

John emphasizes, “Thorough research is crucial. Understanding a funder’s priorities and giving patterns can significantly increase your chances of securing support.”

While the expanding array of information available online can result in long lists of prospective funders, strategically prioritizing institutions that are a good fit is essential. By concentrating on funders whose missions and giving patterns align most closely with your organization’s programs, target audience, and geographic focus, your research and subsequent engagement efforts will have a much stronger return on investment. 

As your top priority institutions are identified, assemble a list of their board, trustees, and key staff to aid in identifying any connections your organization might request an introduction from. More on that below!

Preparing to Approach Grantmakers

Before reaching out to a grantmaker, nonprofits should be equipped with key internal plans and documents to support the next stages of engagement. Often developed in close collaboration with an organization’s leadership, finance, and program staff, grant proposals typically require detailed organizational narratives and program plans, budgets and timelines, financial and annual reports, as well as lists of board members, leaders, and funders. 

“Complex funders often require detailed documentation,” notes Johnny. “Having comprehensive, up-to-date organizational documents ready can streamline the application process and demonstrate professionalism.” John adds, ” Having these documents prepared and up to date will enhance your ability to strategically and meaningfully engage with these grantmaking institutions.”

Strategies for Cultivating Grantmakers

When it comes time to make an introduction, personal connections are conducive, but not always essential, for engaging with a new grantmaking entity. Johnny advises his clients to take a proactive approach in engaging with grantmakers outside of a solicitation request; a strategy that is particularly effective for individual donors as well.

John agrees, “Building relationships with grantmaking institutions is about more than just seeking funds. Engage them as partners in your mission, and you’ll often find they offer valuable insights and connections beyond financial support.”

Identifying advocates within your network with personal or professional connections to grantmakers can help to open doors that may otherwise remain closed. However, the lack of a connection should not hinder your organization from reaching out. A concisely articulated introduction of your organization outlining your alignment to the institution’s funding priorities as well as suggested next steps for engagement will increase the likelihood of continued conversation.  

Requesting a meeting and seeking the targeted advice from their staff can provide invaluable insight while building a strong foundation for future support. As CFA recommends in a recent article on Donor Cultivation and Stewardship, strategic engagement with the staff at grantmaking institutions may look similar to approaches taken with individual donors: an invitation to an upcoming event, program tour, or personalized email update on targeted initiatives or strategic plan milestones. 

However your organization seeks to engage with grantmakers, these critical relationships can yield a multifaceted return on investment by engaging their staff as top shareholders in your organization’s vision and strategic direction. In addition to consistent, long-term support, these critical stakeholders bring influence, connections, guidance, and insights that can further advance the work and mission of the organizations with whom they closely engage. 

Best Practices for Stewarding Grantmakers

Strong relationships with grantmaking institutions enable a robust understanding of funding priorities and a clear line of sight to upcoming funding opportunities, better positioning your organization to submit compelling and well-aligned grant proposals and increasing the likelihood of an award. Similar to individual donors, the relationship with a grantmaking institution is far from over once a grant is approved; it has really just begun.

“Effective stewardship is key to long-term partnerships,” John explains. “Regular, tailored communication that goes beyond formal reporting can help maintain and strengthen these crucial relationships.”

While many grantmaking entities will provide detailed reporting guidelines and preferences for recognition, these milestones offer the opportunity to strengthen the relationship while maximizing the investment through added expertise and connections. For example, a conversation with the grantmaker may uncover ways to bring their staff closer to the programs they are investing in to offer advice and guidance, while unique public relations and recognition ideas may offer exposure for both the funder and grantee. With a trusting relationship established, existing funders are also oftentimes able to recommend and provide leads to other grantmakers. 

As your organization establishes relationships with key grantmaking personnel, creating a segmented communication strategy will enable more relevant and tailored communications through the stages of cultivation as well as stewardship. Johnny advises his clients to create stewardship plans that align to the size of the grant and distinct preferences of the funder. Building from a complementary set of communication strategies for individual donors, informational progress updates and organizational announcements in addition to personal outreach can serve as complementary strategies to strengthen the relationship.

Whether or not your organization has a history of securing significant investments from grantmaking institutions, Johnny recommends that organizations continue to proactively identify and establish relationships with new funding prospects. Seeking advice, testing ideas, and inviting funders to engage more closely will expand your pipeline, allowing your organization to remain nimble as funding levels or priorities shift while opening doors for future support.

Partner With Us

CFA’s consulting team is highly experienced in supporting all aspects of our clients’ fundraising strategy, including cultivation and stewarding institutional grantmakers. If you are interested in exploring how CFA can enhance your organization’s strategy and pipeline of grantmakers, contact CFA today.

Johnny Burleson, Principal, Mid-Atlantic

Johnny comes to CFA with over 20 years of nonprofit advancement experience in the arts and cultural, educational, and human services sectors. His proven track record of high-trust, high-performance leadership spans multiple areas of expertise, including campaign planning, major gifts, corporate and foundation relations, and government relations.

As Principal, Mid-Atlantic, Johnny oversees projects spanning CFA’s suite of fundraising counsel services. Johnny believes in aligning donors’ passions with innovative ideas, emphasizing the importance of promoting philanthropy through coalition-building and partnerships to achieve the greatest impact.

Prior to joining CFA, Johnny served as Chief Advancement Officer for North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, where he successfully restructured development and membership operations and transitioned the organization from a transactional approach to an institution-wide culture of philanthropy. Johnny also oversaw the planning of the largest fundraising campaign in the museum’s history.

Prior to his role at NCMA, Johnny held the position of Director of Strategic Partnerships with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, playing a pivotal role in building and stewarding local, state, and national relationships to bring philanthropic and federal resources to North Carolina in support of stronger, healthier communities. Johnny’s extensive career also includes 17 years in higher education philanthropy and advancement. He began at his alma mater, North Carolina State University, where he received a BS in Textiles with a focus on the Italian textile industry. Additionally, he held leadership positions at Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina School of Government in Chapel Hill.

Johnny has volunteered as board member for several North Carolina nonprofits, including Preservation North Carolina, Triangle Land Conservancy, Lost Province Center for the Cultural Arts, Ashe County Chamber of Commerce, and Ashe County Arts Council. Outside of work, Johnny can be found on Old Orchard Creek, his blueberry farm located in Ashe County, NC. His farm is on the National Historic Register and is also protected by a conservation easement, reflecting his personal passion for the mountains, the arts, historic preservation, water, land, trails, local food, and sustainable agriculture.

Email Johnny

John Teknus, Senior Project Manager

As Senior Project Manager at CFA, John is tasked with the design and implementation of organizational and information management tools and strategies to deliver best-in-class service for CFA’s team and clients. 

John brings a nuanced understanding of project management that draws on his extensive background in strategic planning, grant management, and partnership development. Leveraging past experience and a deep-seated passion for relationship building, John aims to create bespoke strategies that align with the unique needs of CFA’s partners.

John has a diverse range of experience, including his time at Youth Enrichment Services and St. John’s University. As a Prevention Specialist at Youth Enrichment Services, John effectively communicated with local officials and community members, addressing issues impacting students and schools. During his tenure as a Community Partnerships Associate at St. John’s University, he successfully directed the operations of social service centers across the New York metro area while managing a cohort of dedicated undergraduate students. These experiences honed his leadership skills, community engagement expertise, and ability to navigate complex organizational environments.

Most recently, John served as a Portfolio Analyst at Open Society Foundations, where he played a pivotal role in managing grants across five portfolios in the Economic Justice Program. John excelled in building relationships with external stakeholders, internal colleagues, and organizational officials, fostering collaboration and facilitating effective communication. Furthermore, his due diligence interviews and audits on organizations provided valuable insights for decision-making processes, contributing to informed and strategic grantmaking. Through his exceptional skills in project management and stakeholder engagement, John made a significant impact on his team’s strategic goals to promote economic justice and social change.

A native of Long Island, New York, John holds a MA in International Relations and Comparative Politics from St. John’s University and a BA in Political Science from Canisius College. When he’s not working, he can be found exploring the New York area with his partner, Nora.

Email John

Kendall Carlson, Content Writer

A frequent contributor to CFA’s digital content, Kendall Carlson has spent her career advancing nonprofit organizations across the Twin Cities. With 16 years of experience, Kendall brings a balance of strategic and operational leadership spanning fundraising, program development, evaluation, and strategic planning.

Most recently, Kendall served as Development and Communications Director at Hired, where she diversified revenue for the organization’s $11M budget and increased individual giving by 60%, led a rebrand, and launched an organization-wide data for impact initiative. Prior to Hired, Kendall served at Greater Twin Cities United Way, where she led an advancement strategy team to increase investment and engagement from the organization’s top corporate and major donors.  Kendall is known as a strategic, solution-oriented leader with a high capacity for detail and commitment to quality. She launched her consulting practice, Luminate Consulting, in 2022 to bring her skills in fundraising and program strategy to nonprofits seeking sustainable growth.

Job Postings:

• Fundraising Consultant

TITLE

Fundraising Consultant

POSITION TYPE

Full-time, FLSA exempt

LOCATION

Remote with 40% travel

PURPOSE

Creative Fundraising Advisors (CFA) is building capacity as we bring the best and brightest people and ideas to work with our mission-driven, nonprofit clients. We are looking for a dynamic professional with a growth mindset and deep expertise in direct fundraising experience and demonstrated expertise creating, implementing, and growing fundraising programs. Interested applicants should be motivated by the opportunity to contribute to a highly responsive, entrepreneurial environment and to continually innovate on fundraising consulting to meet our clients’ needs. 

The Fundraising Consultant will work remotely with the CFA team and our non-profit clients across the United States with 40% travel to client and team meetings required. Initially, the Fundraising Consultant will provide expertise and strategy to new and existing clients managed by CFA principal consultants. Over time, the successful candidate will also have the opportunity to manage their own portfolio of clients.

Reporting to the Head of Consulting, the Fundraising Consultant is key to CFA’s commitment to providing comprehensive and creative solutions to clients. In addition to providing counsel to multiple nonprofit organizations in the planning stages, quiet phases, and public phases of multi-million dollar campaigns, CFA also provides ongoing fundraising counsel to organizations of all sizes. The Fundraising Consultant uses their own experience, best practices, and a creative approach to develop strategies and solutions – each to the unique needs of the client. The Fundraising Consultant will join a team with over 200 years of combined fundraising experience, providing a fresh perspective from which to serve our clients.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist with and, over time, lead multiple client engagements simultaneously with a primary focus on development assessments and fundraising counsel, as well as campaign feasibility studies and campaign counsel
• Analyze organizational capabilities and create strategies and recommendations for successful fundraising programs at all giving levels and from all potential revenue sources
• Conduct internal interviews with client board and staff, feasibility study interviews with donors and prospects, and lead community listening sessions and focus group discussions
• Create customized reports for clients with findings and recommendations for future organizational success, including development assessment and feasibility study final reports
• Serve as a resource to the client’s development team, leadership, and Board of Directors
• Collaborate with the CFA team to ensure data analysis, strategies, recommendations, and counsel are sound approaches that maximize client success
• Support business development by participating in new business calls, drafting proposals, collaborating on CFA articles and webinars, attending conferences, etc. 
• Assist with writing and strategy to deliver compelling and visionary case summaries and other fundraising collateral
• Participate in weekly meetings with the CFA team, client teams, and other meetings as necessary via video conferencing

REQUIREMENTS

• 5-10 years of nonprofit fundraising and campaign experience, including direct experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and planned gifts from donors
• Highly effective communicator with excellent writing, listening, presentation, and facilitation skills, and a strong affinity for delivering reports and presentations to staff, boards, and other key stakeholders
• Knowledge of fundraising best practices
• High sense of urgency, responsiveness, and exceptional attention to detail required, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously 
• Highly proficient user of Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and Zoom applications required; additional familiarity with donor database applications preferred
• Ability to learn and adapt to various technology platforms and applications
• Ability to work remotely and collaborate with a team in a fast-paced, remote-first environment
• Bachelor’s degree preferred

COMPENSATION

The salary band for a Consultant at CFA is $80,000-$100,000, benchmarked to the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, and depending on experience and qualifications. There is room to grow over time based on a strong ability to regularly exceed expectations and demonstrate skills growth or take on additional responsibility. 

Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Participation in personal and company performance bonus plan 
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans covered 90-100% by the company
• Generous paid time off plan with 13 holidays including your birthday and two weeks of accrued vacation in your first year 
• Company support for Giving Back including one paid day of volunteering service and a charitable giving match of up to $1,000 per year
• Fully remote working schedule
• 401(k) plan with a 1:1 employer match up to 4% of total compensation
• Remote office setup, stipend, and supplies allowance
• Cell phone stipend
• Personal professional development allowance
• Flexible spending and dependent care tax free savings plans
• Life insurance covered 100% by the company 

TO APPLY

Please email your resume with a cover letter describing the ideas and experience that you’ll bring to CFA with “Consultant” in the subject line to: [email protected]

ABOUT CREATIVE FUNDRAISING ADVISORS

Creative Fundraising Advisors (CFA) is a full-service fundraising consulting firm based in Saint Paul, Minnesota with more than 200 years of collective experience in philanthropy. Since our founding in 2014, we have raised more than $3 billion in partnership with our nonprofit clients throughout the country. We help our clients think big and lead with vision and compelling ideas that compel a community of donors to offer their support and inspire volunteers to action. We position our clients for success, bringing our knowledge and skills to the complex business of planning and fundraising. CFA focuses on arts & cultural, human services, education, and environmental organizations. 

We value collaboration, transparency, integrity, creativity, equity, and change. These values guide our business decisions, company policies, and expectations of our employees, business partners, and clients. 

CFA believes that diversity and inclusion are critical to strong partnerships and better business results. Our culture is grounded in respect and appreciation for each person’s unique perspective, strengths, abilities, and contributions. It is our expectation that CFA and its employees, business partners, and clients treat each other with dignity and respect at all times.

(Listed in chronological order)

• Science Museum of MN receives $6.5 million, its largest individual donation ever
• Every Meal finalizes purchase of new building to fight food insecurity 
• San Francisco Ballet receives a $60 million anonymous gift
• United Theological Seminary announces creation of new, tenure-track, endowed faculty position through philanthropy 
• Entertainment Community Fund launches the $160 million Essential Campaign
• Triangle Land Conservancy surpasses goal to conserve 25,000 acres of land in the Triangle by 2025
• 92NY launches $150 million Campaign for the Next 150 with $30 million lead gift from Jody Arnhold
• Neighborhood House opens new facility to expand community services
• Friends of the Mississippi River announces $5 million “Our River” Campaign
• Rancho Obi-Wan announces vision for the SAGA Museum
• Land of Sky P20 receives a $1.5 million YouthBuild grant to support training and apprenticeships to prepare young people to succeed in high-demand careers in Western North Carolina 

The start of a new year is an optimal time for fundraising professionals to evaluate progress and make adjustments to reach their goals in the coming year. If you are ready to refresh your fundraising strategy, fundraising metrics can play a transformative role in assessing progress toward individual, departmental, and organizational fundraising goals.

Importance of Fundraising Metrics 

While fundraising may be an art, it is improved by the science of data. By using data to define success, fundraisers can create accountability-driven plans that lead to increased philanthropy.

CFA Principal-West Coast Kristin Love has more than 20 years of experience of applying fundraising metrics in higher education, program development, and nonprofit advancement. According to Kristin, “The right combination of quantitative and qualitative data brings focus, promotes accountability, and ultimately helps drive a culture of philanthropy.” 

Data can encourage productivity for a fundraising team. “What gets measured, gets done,” says Kristin, adding, “Regular analysis of key metrics can impart value and enable progress toward an organization’s top priorities.” 

Identifying Effective Fundraising Metrics

Traditionally, organizations have relied on lagging indicators, such as dollars raised, to evaluate the performance of fundraising staff. These indicators are reflective of past—not current—activities, which means they are not the most accurate points to assess current fundraising behaviors.

For a more accurate depiction of current fundraising progress, Kristin recommends instead relying on activity- and outcome-based leading indicators that measure moves management in real time, such as:

• Modes and rates of donor engagement
• New donor qualifications
• Solicitations at appropriate giving levels
• Percentage of overall portfolio giving

These leading metrics can inform time management, improve accountability, and increase giving and donor retention. By coupling quantitative indicators with qualitative measures of organizational values and team culture, an organization can build comprehensive and predictive measurement systems to drive future fundraising success.

Implementing a Fundraising Measurement Plan 

If you are ready to implement metrics into your fundraising plan, Kristin recommends identifying a clear starting point for introducing them into a team’s workflow, emphasizing that, “It is incumbent upon leaders to establish a new beginning for integrating fundraising metrics as part of a broadscale reset.” 

A testing period can validate data with input from team members while also establishing new cultural norms and baselines for new metrics. Kristin suggests starting with data that is readily available and consistently tracked. A full integration of fundraising metrics requires buy-in at all organizational levels, clear and consistent methods for reviewing and applying data insights, and a commitment to continuous improvement and accountability. 

Consistent use of key fundraising metrics has distinct benefits at all levels of an organization:

1. For frontline fundraisers, a data-driven approach enables purposeful, strategic check-ins with managers and endorses productive fundraising behaviors. The consistent use of leading indicators also contributes to more consistent moves management and donor engagement across an organization. 
2. For fundraising leaders, the combination of leading indicators supplemented by qualitative, organizational metrics provides a strong foundation for hiring, decision-making, training, and portfolio optimization. For example, analyzing fundraising data between team members enables leaders to pinpoint activities that lead to success. Leveraging these insights enables leaders to intentionally celebrate and encourage effective fundraising behaviors while identifying training opportunities and scaling effective strategies through cross-collaboration.

Integrating key fundraising metrics into regular practice requires a commitment to continuous improvement and tracking of the metrics themselves, as well as data-informed fundraising strategies. As fundraising momentum builds, Kristin encourages fundraising leaders to continue refining and evolving their data to ensure ongoing relevance, provide sustained accountability, and identify new insights that will continue to drive fundraising results.

CONTACT US

CFA offers a customized, capacity-building approach to help organizations elevate their fundraising strategy through increased data integrity, sustainable reporting systems, and data insights. If your organization is interested in integrating fundraising metrics to drive philanthropic results, contact CFA today to explore how we can help.

Kristin Love, Principal, West Coast

Kristin Love comes to CFA as a proven capacity-builder, collaborator, and change-maker in the philanthropic space, with over 20 years of experience in higher education, program development, and nonprofit advancement. Prior to joining CFA, Kristin served as Vice President for Development at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. At LMU, she oversaw efforts to evolve development structures and processes to motivate an accountability-driven environment, partnering with academic and administrative leadership to align goals and priorities in pursuit of increased philanthropy.  

Before LMU, Kristin held leadership roles in the advancement offices at Colorado College and University of Denver, championing creation of new initiatives at both institutions that integrated engagement and philanthropy. Her career experience includes development roles at large national and small local nonprofits, as well as global organizations such as JDRF International. Her passion for mission-centric fundraising work and the positive impact it can have on institutions and organizations began as a work-study student in the grants office at her alma mater, Baylor University, where she earned a BBA in public administration and Spanish.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Kristin spent over two decades in Colorado before relocating with her family to the Los Angeles area in 2020. The mother of 15-year-old twins, Kristin enjoys watching her daughter’s athletic pursuits, and son’s music and acting endeavors. In her free time, she can be found traveling or at a potter’s wheel.

Email Kristin

Kendall Carlson, Content Writer

A frequent contributor to CFA’s digital content, Kendall Carlson has spent her career advancing nonprofit organizations across the Twin Cities. With 16 years of experience, Kendall brings a balance of strategic and operational leadership spanning fundraising, program development, evaluation, and strategic planning.

Most recently, Kendall served as Development and Communications Director at Hired, where she diversified revenue for the organization’s $11M budget and increased individual giving by 60%, led a rebrand, and launched an organization-wide data for impact initiative. Prior to Hired, Kendall served at Greater Twin Cities United Way, where she led an advancement strategy team to increase investment and engagement from the organization’s top corporate and major donors.  Kendall is known as a strategic, solution-oriented leader with a high capacity for detail and commitment to quality. She launched her consulting practice, Luminate Consulting, in 2022 to bring her skills in fundraising and program strategy to nonprofits seeking sustainable growth.

The arrival of fall, the anticipation of the holiday season, and the imminent approach of the calendar year-end means one thing for nonprofit fundraising professionals: end-of-year appeals. 

Whether your organization is already in the thick of appeal planning or just getting started, and regardless of your organization’s level of experience with year-end appeals, CFA Consultant Rob Ruchotzke offers encouragement and insight to enhance your annual giving strategy.

Reframe Urgency as Opportunity

Year-end appeals are often accompanied by a sense of urgency as fundraising professionals are driven by the pressure to reach certain fundraising targets, to create something new and compelling, and to deliver a personalized appeal to donors before the end of the year. 

With nearly a decade of experience leading annual giving campaigns, Rob serves as one of CFA’s in-house annual giving experts and is familiar with the challenges that accompany year-end appeals. He often supports his clients to leverage urgency without letting it dominate the appeal planning process. 

“The purpose of an appeal is to engage with your audience,” says Rob. “It’s an opportunity to share why your organization matters and how your work is meaningful.”

Rob advises nonprofits to step back and focus on the main objective. “There are a thousand ways to write an appeal, but the most important thing is telling a story that resonates,” says Rob. Staying grounded in the purpose of an appeal allows fundraising teams to shift their focus from urgency to opportunity. 

For nonprofits writing appeals, the answers to these questions can help identify compelling content and tangible examples to complete your case for support:

1. What is our organization’s purpose?
2. Why does our work matter?
3. Who are the people our work impacts?
4. What are the positive outcomes of our work?

• Consultant Tip: For more guidance in creating a strong case for support, consider these 10 steps outlined in CFA’s recent article, “How to Write a Fundraising Case Statement,” to help you define your organization’s distinct value proposition. 

Focus on Factors that Drive Increased Annual Giving

In addition to making a compelling case for support, Rob highly encourages nonprofits to focus on personalization. While nonprofits can personalize appeals in a variety of ways, ask amounts are one of the most critical details to customize in an appeal letter. If your organization has access to data on your donors’ giving history, Rob recommends including specific ask amounts aligned with recent gifts and patterns of giving to encourage increased support. Fundraising priorities, such as increasing the number of recurring donors or moving donors toward certain giving levels or societies, can help inform specific ask amounts as well. 

Nonprofits can also personalize appeals by acknowledging the donor’s relationship to their organization and including distinguishing details – such as number of years of support, volunteer service, or last gift amount. Simple touches like hand-addressed envelopes, hand-written signatures, and personal notes not only strengthen relationships with your donors, but also help your appeal stand out from other generic requests. 

While personalization lends itself more readily to mailed appeal letters, emails with tailored subject lines and similar distinguishing donor details are equally as important. Customizing any donor communication requires additional staff capacity, so Rob recommends strategies to personalize at scale – such as mail merge – that will enable your team to focus on your organization’s top donors.

• Consultant Tip: Personalization is a key fundraising strategy that nonprofits can integrate year-round to strengthen donor engagement and retention. With individual giving declining by 6.4% in 2022, according to Giving USA, personalized communications that address donors by name and reference their past involvement with your nonprofit will strengthen their connection to your organization and increase the likelihood of continued support. 

Keep It Simple

Rob underscores the importance of keeping year-end appeal processes simple and timelines achievable. In addition to staying focused on the appeal’s main objective and prioritizing factors that will increase giving, Rob encourages nonprofits to strive for a balance between consistency and creativity. 

“It’s common for organizations to get in a rut around what to feature in their appeals,” shares Rob. Rather than starting from scratch or attempting to recreate the wheel every year, nonprofits can save time and money by adhering to a consistent appeal structure while introducing nuanced stories into their appeals. “Nonprofits shouldn’t shy away from featuring success stories or updates from their leader year-after-year,” advises Rob. Rather, these components can provide consistent structure to the appeal while introducing new stories and examples of your organization’s work and impact. 

As nonprofits develop their year-end project plans and timelines, CFA recommends leveraging a multichannel strategy for any year-end appeal. In a recent CFA article, “Optimizing Multichannel Fundraising,” Rob states that “multichannel appeals allow you to reach donors through a variety of channels and donors are more likely to respond via the channel of their preference.” As a result, multichannel campaigns are a cost-effective way to reach a donor where they are most likely to see your message and engage with your organization.

Consultant Tip: Check out CFA’s Guide to theAnnual Giving Cultivation Cycle.

Even with advanced planning and significant experience, executing year-end appeals can be stressful for fundraising professionals. By establishing realistic timelines, personalized messaging, and reframing urgency into the opportunity to tell your story, nonprofit fundraising teams can keep their most important audience – the donor – at the center of the appeal process from start to finish.

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Donor appeals are a critical component of a strong annual giving program. If your organization is interested in enhancing your annual giving strategy, contact CFA to explore how we can help.

Rob Ruchotzke, Senior Consultant

Rob Ruchotzke focuses on annual giving strategy, development assessments, campaign feasibility studies, and campaign counsel. Rob comes to CFA with nearly a decade of annual giving experience in higher education institutions. Most recently, Rob served as the director of annual giving at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), where he led multichannel campaigns, developed crowdfunding platforms, managed annual giving vendors, and served as the strategy lead for UNI’s Day of Giving (#LivePurpleGiveGold). A native of Camanche, Iowa, Rob holds a BA in Public Relations from the UNI and resides in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

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Kendall Carlson, Content Writer

A frequent contributor to CFA’s digital content, Kendall Carlson has spent her career advancing nonprofit organizations across the Twin Cities. With 16 years of experience, Kendall brings a balance of strategic and operational leadership spanning fundraising, program development, evaluation, and strategic planning. Most recently, Kendall served as Development and Communications Director at Hired, where she diversified revenue for the organization’s $11M budget and increased individual giving by 60%, led a rebrand, and launched an organization-wide data for impact initiative. Prior to Hired, Kendall served at Greater Twin Cities United Way, where she led an advancement strategy team to increase investment and engagement from the organization’s top corporate and major donors.  Kendall is known as a strategic, solution-oriented leader with a high capacity for detail and commitment to quality. She launched her consulting practice, Luminate Consulting, in 2022 to bring her skills in fundraising and program strategy to nonprofits seeking sustainable growth.

Planned giving programs and charitable instruments have been around for roughly 100 years. Yet, few nonprofits have well-established planned giving programs. If there is one thing that successful nonprofit organizations and planned giving programs have in common, it is a strong vision for the future. 

For nonprofits seeking to cement their future sustainability, engaging younger generations of donors has never been more important. With philanthropy at a crossroads as Millennials succeed former generations in levels of giving and engagement, savvy nonprofits will prioritize engaging this generation of donors in both present and future planned giving opportunities. 

At CFA, we regularly partner with organizations who are looking to start a planned giving program or ramp up an existing one as part of their overall fundraising strategy. For nonprofits seeking to activate and sustain a strong planned giving program, a consistent focus on their organization’s vision and, importantly, the younger generations of donors that will help make that vision a reality, is key. 

Millennials’ Increasing Philanthropic Presence and Potential

While many planned giving programs have dedicated comparatively little attention to younger generations, Millennials are emerging as a prominent force in philanthropy. According to the Giving by Generations report recently published by Giving USA, Millennials surpassed Gen Xers in average household giving in 2022, donating an average of $103 more than any other generation on an annual basis.

Younger generations are also actively planning for their financial future. A study completed by Trust & Will found that 75% of Millennial respondents completed a will-based estate plan that was motivated by having a child, losing a loved one, or buying a home. These are ideal opportunities for donors to be considering their legacy and future social impact through planned giving. 

And while 71% of these Millennials had a net worth of $500K or less, nonprofits would be wise to begin cultivating relationships with these donors now based on their future giving potential. In addition to the wealth that this generation will build on their own in the decades to come, it is anticipated that nearly $84 trillion will be passed down to younger generations over the next 25 years, which would be the largest wealth transfer in history. While Millennials have a formidable presence in philanthropy now, their influence and giving potential will increase exponentially in the decades to come.

Engaging Younger Donors in Planned Giving

As philanthropy experiences a shift in donor representation by generation, proactive nonprofits and successful fundraising programs will follow suit in expanding their donor engagement strategies beyond Baby Boomers to include Gen Xers and Millennials. 

Balancing multiple generations of donors requires an intentional approach, according to Jake Muszynski, CFA Head of Consulting and Principal – Midwest, who notes, “There is no longer a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to planned giving. Fundraising strategies need to be tailored to the ways each generation prefers to give to and engage with the organizations they support.” Jake recommends that organizations provide regular opportunities for planned giving for donors to learn and connect with a like-minded community of supporters. 

Successful planned giving programs are centered around the future donors that will someday make their vision a reality. Engaging younger generations requires nonprofits to extend their gaze even further, constructing compelling visions well into the future. Jake recommends that “nonprofits think about their legacy and the impact they will achieve over the next 50 years or more, given that the planned gifts of younger donors may not be realized for decades to come.” 

In addition to leading the way in giving, Millennials are more likely to take a hands-on approach, dedicating time as a volunteer and desiring a seat at the table by seeking roles as board and committee members. These committed volunteers are often the ideal prospect for planned gifts as an organization’s closest supporters. 

According to Giving USA, Millennials want to hear regularly from the charities they support and are the most receptive of any generation to receiving monthly multi-channel communications via direct mail, email, and/or text. By providing regular communications and special events that provide planned giving donors with inside access to your organization’s strategic plan, emerging trends, and new innovative programs, nonprofits can keep this critical group of donors engaged around their shared legacy and collective future impact. Jake agrees that “although planned giving donors won’t bear witness to the impact of their generosity, nonprofits can keep these donors connected – both to the organization and to one another – through effective communications and community.”

The Best Time to Start a Planned Giving Program Is the Present 

Many nonprofits often wonder when and how to launch a planned giving program, especially when current organizational resources and capacity are limited. Jake recommends incorporating planned giving into any comprehensive campaign at a minimum, which is typically centered around creating strong donor communities and collective impact. While campaigns provide an optimal launchpad for a planned giving program, organizations do not need to wait for a campaign to begin promoting planned giving. “These efforts can be woven into ongoing communications and cultivation efforts,” says Jake, “by casting a long-term vision and offering donors compelling opportunities to invest in both present-day innovation and future impact.”

And although many planned giving programs are tied to an endowment, the lack of one should not hinder a nonprofit from promoting and actively seeking planned giving commitments. It is these early planned giving commitments that become the bedrock of a future endowment. CFA recently offered a series of guiding questions for nonprofits looking to build a compelling case for their endowment, which should provide your most steadfast donors a clear and compelling opportunity to invest in a future where your organization is doing your best work.

Regardless of your nonprofit’s fundraising capacity, engaging your donors around a tangible and transformational vision will lead to increased support in the present and the future from donors spanning all generations. Nonprofits that begin cultivating authentic planned giving communities with younger generations of donors today will create a shared legacy amongst the future donors that may someday bring that legacy to life.

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Build a stronger foundation for your nonprofit tomorrow by activating your planned giving program today. If your organization is interested in launching or strengthening your planned giving program, contact CFA to explore how we can help.

Kendall Carlson, Content Writer

A frequent contributor to CFA’s digital content, Kendall Carlson has spent her career advancing nonprofit organizations across the Twin Cities. With 16 years of experience, Kendall brings a balance of strategic and operational leadership spanning fundraising, program development, evaluation, and strategic planning. Most recently, Kendall served as Development and Communications Director at Hired, where she diversified revenue for the organization’s $11M budget and increased individual giving by 60%, led a rebrand, and launched an organization-wide data for impact initiative. Prior to Hired, Kendall served at Greater Twin Cities United Way, where she led an advancement strategy team to increase investment and engagement from the organization’s top corporate and major donors.  Kendall is known as a strategic, solution-oriented leader with a high capacity for detail and commitment to quality. She launched her consulting practice, Luminate Consulting, in 2022 to bring her skills in fundraising and program strategy to nonprofits seeking sustainable growth.

By Joanne Curry, Head of Client Succcess and Principal

Domestic and global market uncertainty makes fundraising strategies for nonprofits all the more important. The effects of a fluctuating economy can reverberate into the nonprofit sector if donors decide to delay making pledges, decline multi-year commitments, or postpone their pledge payments.

Philanthropy delays may be disappointing but should not necessarily cause alarm.  If your organization observes market-induced trepidation from donors during the solicitation process, be patient and stay the course.

While Creative Fundraising Advisors (CFA) cannot offer advice on investing, we can help raise money toward a mission and vision. We have emerged from the pandemic with an expanded toolbox of diverse and practiced resources to help nonprofits navigate new challenges and opportunities. Many of our clients are stronger post-pandemic in mission delivery and fundraising. As economic trends evolve, we are here to serve as your partner through uncertainty with time-tested fundraising strategies.

Nonprofit problems and solutions

So, what should you do if you are ready to activate your vision, but now is not the right time to make an ask? Here are four steps you can implement immediately for long-term fundraising success:

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Looking for guidance with your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy? Contact CFA today.

Joanne Curry, Head of Client Success and Principal

At CFA, Joanne Curry provides counsel for campaign management, prospect development, and membership and annual giving programs. Joanne joined CFA with over ten years of non-profit experience in operations management, development, and accounting. Prior to joining CFA, Joanne served as Head of Revenue and Interim Head of Development at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. A native of Port Jefferson, NY, Joanne holds a BFA in Ballet Performance and Teaching from the University of Utah.

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Are you concerned about the fundraising costs associated with launching a transformational capital or endowment campaign? While planning, executing, and sustaining an impactful campaign requires additional staff time and outside expertise, the costs associated with a major capital or endowment campaign are constructive because they help fund the vision that serves your organization’s mission. You will get a greater overall return on investment when you plan well and manage a capital campaign budget.

Creating a capital campaign budget is an invaluable step in the early planning stages of a significant capital or endowment campaign. Many organizations miss this step and find themselves in the unenviable position of realizing midway during a campaign that they need more funds or must pull funds from operating dollars to cover internal expenses. Budgeting keeps internal expenses in check and helps avoid depleting the dollars needed to fund your vision. A capital campaign budget is also a useful tool for ensuring development staff and volunteers are aligned on campaign costs and are comfortable talking about them if a prospect inquires. 

CFA recommends building capital campaign expenses directly into your fundraising goal. For example, if your goal is to fundraise $1 million for a new building and you plan to collect pledge payments over a five-year period, then building in an additional 10 percent campaign expense budget makes your total fundraising goal $1.1 million. 

How much capital campaign operations cost

In development, we must keep our eyes on the fundraising goal and internal expenses to operate a practical and successful development operation. Careful budget planning is critical. If you project too much money toward expenses, you may raise concerns that not enough money is going towards the mission, but if you project too low, then you run the risk of under-resourcing the campaign and your staff. 

A good place to start is to assume that the internal expenses of running a capital campaign will cost your organization roughly 8 to 10 percent of the fundraising goal. Then, fine-tune from there. Budgeting less than 15 percent of the fundraising goal is considered acceptable; less than 10 percent is considered efficient.. If your organization is new, or your fundraising goal is less than $10 million, then internal expenses will require a larger slice of the pie.

Be prepared to tell prospects

Some prospects may wish to know what’s behind the sales pitch in the campaign. While more experienced donors, including most foundations, know that hiring consultants and strengthening your development staff during a campaign is prudent, many prospects will ask what portion of dollars raised will go directly toward supporting the mission. With a well-reasoned budget, your team will be prepared and can confidently share the percentage of the dollars raised that are directly supporting the project.

Some foundations will cover the expense of campaign feasibility studies and planning. Check out my colleague Jake’s article about feasibility studies to learn more.

What to include in a capital campaign budget

Expense budgeting involves making assumptions so build in contingency to account for variables. Consider your organization’s culture too: whether your organization is known for black-tie dinners or outdoor picnics makes a difference in how you will conduct a campaign and what the budget requirements are to do so. For budget planning purposes, consider the format and locations where you will host events and gatherings, travel to meet prospects, and launch the campaign publicly. 

There are several key line items most organizations will need to include in their campaign expense budget. Fundraising consulting firms charge fees for a development assessment, feasibility study, database analysis, and ongoing campaign consulting. Your campaign may also need additional writers, graphic designers, and printing and/or digital expertise for the case for support. Campaign videos are more common in today’s fundraising environment and they can be very effective, but also costly. Lastly, don’t forget to include donor recognition and stewardship. It’s never too early to think about what type of donor recognition will work best for your organization, and importantly, how you will keep in touch with your donors once the campaign concludes. After all, a well-stewarded gift is key to the next gift. 

To hire or not to hire more staff

During our feasibility study process, CFA analyzes department structure and capacity and, depending on the scenario, may recommend staffing additions or restructuring to successfully plan and launch a major campaign. Many organizations have an understaffed development team, and running a campaign on top of the annual fund and other projects can be daunting. Having another person on the development team is beneficial for managing your prospect pipeline and the solicitation process, keeping materials and communications up to date, ensuring solicitors have what they need to feel comfortable asking for support, and serving as a liaison with your fundraising consultant.

If the ideal candidate to manage the campaign is already on staff, consider hiring a new person or adding a major gifts officer to backfill and manage the annual fund. If your department is not adequately supported, you run the risk of burnout once the capital campaign is launched. When organizations can’t add a dedicated campaign staffer, campaign counsel can assist with managing the campaign. 

Capital Campaign budget practices to avoid

1. DON’T put off the budget for later. Start drafting a budget as soon as your board is seriously discussing a campaign.

2. DON’T wait to determine your donor recognition strategy. Recognizing donors shows them gratitude and also signals to your prospects the importance of philanthropy within your organization. Start strategizing how you will recognize donors during your campaign pre-planning phase. Discuss with your staff, development committee, architect, etc. whether you envision donor recognition as names on the website, in an annual report, on a plaque or permanent donor wall, and budget the required funds accordingly. 

3. DON’T draft a budget and leave it untouched. It’s important to regularly update your campaign budget and continue to fine-tune your assumptions. Set up monthly or quarterly meetings to review the budget with your team. 

I hope these ideas have helped you with budgeting for your campaign and I wish you the best in bringing your vision to reality! 

If CFA can help you along the way, please reach out to us.

Author: Joanne Curry is Vice President of Client Services focusing on campaign management, prospect development, and membership and annual giving programs. Joanne came to CFA with over ten years of non-profit experience in operations management, development, and accounting. Before joining CFA, Joanne served as Head of Revenue and Interim Head of Development at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, TX, managed fundraising operations and communications with Missouri Contemporary Ballet and Owen/Cox Dance Group, and worked with nonprofits as a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Accountant with Support Kansas City. A native of Port Jefferson, NY, Joanne holds a BFA in Ballet Performance and Teaching from the University of Utah. 

By Stephanie Willis, Senior Manager, Prospect Development

Have you burned out your top donors? Are you unsure which of the people in your fundraising database—people you know personally and others who are simply names on a page—you should cultivate next? Do you feel like other worthy organizations in your community are a step ahead of yours? Does data science overwhelm you?

You are not alone. In the competitive fundraising climate of today, nonprofits are struggling with how to connect new people to their cause and how to compel their tried-and-true donors to increase gift frequency and size. What the savviest organizations have realized is that data-driven strategies can provide the insights needed to elevate fundraising. 

Whether you’re trying to grow your annual fund, launch a new program, or build a new building, bridging your relationship skills, experience, and intuition – the art – with the factual donor data – the science – will generate the best fundraising results. Why? Because the proper use of data-driven strategies (the art and science combo) leads to new donor acquisition and existing donor retention. 

Where Do I Start with Donor Data Services? 

If the idea of a database clean-up makes you want to run and hide, you’re not alone. More than 85 percent of nonprofits identified their development staff as not being “completely knowledgeable” in data-driven decision-making in a 2022 report on philanthropy and fundraising practices. I urge you to stick around, however, because the quality of your data and how you use it directly correlates to your organization’s fundraising potential. 

The first step is determining what makes the most sense for your organization by talking to a data expert. Before you do, ask your development team two questions: “What is the problem we are trying to solve?” and “What are we hoping data will help us identify?” For example, if your team is challenged by soliciting the same prospects, then you may be looking to leverage data to unlock a fuller picture of your donor base and giving potential. One of Creative Fundraising Advisors’ data services, our yield analysis report, is designed to give you a comprehensive donor inclination analysis and the number of “cold,” “warm,” and “hot” prospects as well as a list of the top potential campaign prospects for you to prioritize.

What is Data Hygiene? 

Data—the information you already have and new information you can capture—is an effective tool to develop internal systems and strategies that will help prioritize your time, inform your development operation, and yield better results. Donor data can help make you and your organization’s fundraising machine 

more effective: finding new donors, uncovering new intelligence about people you already know, ensuring you have the right staff to raise the most money, and informing when to take the next step with a prospect. 

However, the saying, “garbage in, garbage out” is true: if your database is unorganized or out of date, you’ll need to clean it up or risk alienating your donor community. Think about how you would feel if mail arrived at your home addressed to a deceased relative, or if you were a top prospect who received three of the same mailers with three variations of your name.

Data cleanup can be cumbersome, so we recommend checking the accuracy of your top donors first. Next, pull a mailing list and scan the sheet for errors and then correct them in the database using a protocol for inputs. Start by identifying the fields in your database requiring 100% accuracy such as the name, address, phone number, and email fields. Consider using an address finder solution that can automatically check for address updates; most databases offer address verification as a low-cost add-on service. 

Who Handles the Database?

Every nonprofit should have a person responsible for donor database management: a data “champion” who is familiar with the organization’s donor database and tracking inputs, updates, and corrections. And we strongly believe in cross-training so that everyone on the team is comfortable and familiar with the database and can learn data input protocols. 

If your data champion is not proficient at database training, and especially if your team will be using the database for different reasons, consider having an outside expert conduct a data workshop with everyone who will share the database. 

How Can I Use Donor Data Strategies to Identify and Prioritize Donors?

It is imperative that every organization be aware of its top prospects, whether it’s 25, 50, or 100 people, and leverage donor data and relationship insights to prioritize them. While it may not be feasible to have every person or family assigned to a member of your team, development officers typically manage 50-200 prospects each. 

The primary purpose of assigning prospects to development officers is to ensure donors are properly engaged in a moves management lifecycle. “Moves management” is an organizational approach for tracking and engaging donors as they interact with your organization, where “moves” refer to the actions your organization takes to establish these relationships and “move” prospective donors closer to your cause and mission. Research suggests it takes between seven and 12 moves for a donor to decide whether to support a nonprofit or not. 

Data is paramount to how you segment people into priority groups within the moves management lifecycle. The more donor data you have, the more you know about your donors—interests, real estate holdings, political affiliations, board relationships, philanthropy, etc.—the more effectively you are able to prioritize them. The goal is to hit the sweet spot where higher wealth capacity meets higher inclination. If you find someone who has a low affinity to be charitable to your cause but high capacity, you will have to invest more time to cultivate that person before you ask or ask for more. 

Involve the development staff and volunteer committee to collect knowledge and enter it into your database regularly. Track actions, take notes, utilize the same input protocols, and update your database as you go.

Take One Step at a Time

Clients express to me that they feel overwhelmed by donor data. They need a partner to help with data cleanup, research, translation, and strategy who can highlight the next steps to take and how to best use the information for improved fundraising results. Keep it simple and take one step at a time. Remember, donor data analysis and donor prioritization are not entirely science. There’s an art, too. Fundraising is about relationships and your primary job is to help connect people to a cause they care about: hopefully yours. If you can avoid the overwhelm and stay enthusiastic about using data for fundraising, you will see results.

Reach out today to learn how Creative Fundraising Advisors can assist with your fundraising data strategy.

Stephanie Willis, Senior Manager, Prospect Development

Stephanie has over 10 years of experience in prospect research, prospect management, and data analytics at both higher education and nonprofit organizations. At CFA, Stephanie’s responsibilities include establishing strategy, procedures, and processes for prospect research, prospect management, and data analytics. Stephanie is Blackbaud-certified in Raiser’s Edge NXT and Raiser’s Edge, and has a master’s degree in library science. Additionally, Stephanie is a Gallup-certified Strengths coach and helps others understand, apply and integrate CliftonStrengths results into their lives and work.

By Jake Muszynski, Head of Consulting & Principal, Midwest

Is your organization considering a major fundraising effort and wondering if a campaign feasibility study will be a good first step? A feasibility study is essential to gaining the sort of rich input needed to launch a successful campaign. Studies also help determine if the timing is best for your organization and community, if the right staff is in place, whether leadership is ready, and how well your campaign vision resonates with your prospects. 

At Creative Fundraising Advisors (CFA), we include campaign readiness in our campaign feasibility studies to allow us to combine the art and science of fundraising. Campaign readiness and feasibility studies are designed to remove assumptions – to move things from the “we think we know” column into the “we know” column. The only way we can comprehensively do this is by conducting an internal analysis of the organization while also testing assumptions externally.

Why is the readiness part essential? We believe it’s imperative for your leadership to have a full picture of the community’s perception and also whether the staff is ready to take on a campaign. After all, committing your people and organizational reputation to a dedicated, multi-year fundraising effort is a big deal and takes a lot of energy, know-how, and determination. 

Depending on what we find during the capital campaign feasibility study process, it’s possible we could recommend your organization pause before launching a campaign because part of your campaign vision needs reworking or we’ve identified a gap in key staffing. On the other hand, the study could help us discover strengths or a great idea that gives your organization a runway to move forward with a higher goal than planned.  

Whether it’s feasible to reach your proposed goal or not, the best outcome will be to set your nonprofit up for success. You do this when you connect donor passions with your mission and goals, ultimately creating a positive impact in the communities you serve. 

Readiness and Feasibility Go Hand in Hand

Let me explain a bit more about why the readiness and feasibility combination is important. At CFA, we embrace data as an internal tool upon which to build strategies to cultivate and solicit prospective donors. Data gives us capacity information and philanthropic histories about your prospects. We can make more complete recommendations by utilizing data. But data also has limitations, which is why conversations with your constituents—the external inputs—are key. Face-to-face conversations can help us determine insights and nuances that data could never uncover.

Speaking of conversations, we take our comprehensive assessments to the next level externally by conducting community listening sessions and focus groups. By doing more than a limited set of interviews with your top donors, we conduct a more equitable, community-centric view where large financial supporters aren’t the only voices included in the decision-making process.

Our Campaign Readiness and Feasibility Study Process

1. Study Oversight Committee – before we kick off the project, we will ask you to form a group to oversee our work throughout the process and take the first look at our recommendations before we present them to your Board.
2. Internal Readiness Assessment – to measure if your development function is prepared for the effort you wish to undertake, we audit your development systems, interview staff and board members, determine if the ideal skill sets are in place for a campaign, and review your development committee’s ability to meaningfully assist with fundraising.  
3. Wealth and Philanthropic Data Screening – we combine your donor data with additional proprietary data to create a potential campaign yield analysis, a recommendation on staffing, and the sizes of gifts needed to achieve that yield. The new data is, of course, for your organization to keep.
4. Community Listening Sessions – In some cases, before interviews and focus groups begin, it’s a good idea for us to gather a varied group of supporters and community partners in informal, virtual groups to learn what people think about your nonprofit’s impact and get the widest possible view of perceptions from a diverse cohort of community members. 
5. The Case for Support – We believe that donors don’t give to what you do, they give to why you do it. In advance of interviews and focus groups, we help you develop a summary of the Case for Support. This draft document expresses the campaign’s “big idea” and priorities and suggests a campaign goal. It is designed to stimulate discussion with your prospects about the organization’s plans for the proposed campaign. 
6. Conversations with prospects – This is the traditional step that most people think of when they think of a capital campaign feasibility study. During this phase, we engage dozens of your prospects in meaningful, one-on-one conversations around topics most likely to have the greatest bearing on your future success. We set out to gauge prospect enthusiasm, factors that will influence gift timing and size, interest in naming opportunities, and suggestions for campaign leadership. Consider these conversations as a part of your donor cultivation process; sharing the magnitude of the campaign goal and testing their gift potential helps prepare people to be solicited. 
7. Focus Groups – We believe campaigns should be viewed through the lens of various stakeholders: those who can provide transformational gifts, as well as supporters who may have less capacity or a different, but equally as important, viewpoint. Focus groups are a powerful way to determine the motivations of a broader set of people. Each focus group discusses what they value about the organization and what they think about the proposed campaign. These meetings signal to participants that the institution is interested in their opinion and serious about fundraising. 
8. Final Report – Our Campaign Readiness and Feasibility Study Reports cover a range of insights, including topline impressions of your organization and the proposed campaign, discussion of the most likely and most significant financial gifts uncovered along with a working campaign goal, recommendations for how to position the Case for Support and organize your leadership, and a suggested timeline, budget, and next steps for internal campaign planning.

One example of an organization transformed by a campaign readiness and feasibility study is our client Dodge Nature Center. When we began our work with them, they hoped to raise $15 million to double their endowment. The study set the stage for a $40 million comprehensive campaign. After listening to Dodge Nature Center’s most committed donors, Board members, and staff, together we realized they could and should expand their vision and goal. Read more about the Dodge Nature Center campaign success story. 

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CFA’s rigorous campaign readiness and feasibility study process can help you find the right path to secure your organization’s future and have a deeper impact. If you are interested in learning more about our services, contact CFA today.

Jake Muszynski, Head of Consulting & Principal, Midwest

Jake is a highly experienced fundraising and consulting professional with over 15 years of combined experience in the industry. He began his successful career in major gifts at higher education institutions and has since provided counsel to over 30 clients at CFA, where he currently serves as Principal.

In this role, Jake leads major projects across the United States, including campaign readiness and feasibility studies, campaign planning and counsel, and development assessments. He takes a holistic approach to fundraising, considering organizational health from all perspectives and applying a mix of soft skills and data-driven decision-making to each unique situation.

A native of Perham, Minnesota, Jake holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Concordia College. He and his wife have two children and share a love of folk and jazz music.

Email Jake

Creative Fundraising Advisors (CFA) announced today that Liz Jellema will join the firm as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective January 5, 2022.

In her role, Jellema will provide oversight of the operations, culture, values, talent, marketing and communications, and financial performance of the full-service, fundraising consulting firm.

Jellema joins CFA from the University of Chicago where she served as Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives for the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at the Booth School of Business.

“Liz is an action-oriented leader with a growth mindset,” says Paul Johnson, President of CFA. “She is highly strategic, collaborative, and detail oriented, which will serve our firm and our clients well. Liz has the skills to effectively co-lead our firm through a period of rapid growth and development.”

Since CFA was founded in 2014, it has grown from sole practitioner practice to a full-service, nationally focused, strategic fundraising firm with consultants based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. CFA principally supports clients in the arts, education, environmental, and human services sectors.

CFA’s client base has grown to include The Actors Fund (NYC), Gotham Film & Media Institute (NYC), Philadelphia Contemporary (Philadelphia), St. John’s College (Annapolis), Northside Achievement Zone (Minneapolis), North Carolina Museum of Art (Raleigh), Friends of the Mississippi River (Minneapolis), Headlands Center for the Arts (San Francisco), Santa Fe Community Foundation, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (Los Angeles), Street Poets (Los Angeles), Orange County Museum of Art (Costa Mesa), and numerous others.

Johnson notes that Jellema’s rich work experience positions her well for the COO role. “Liz has held leadership positions at a start-up, a government-related economic development agency, and at one of the world’s top business schools. Her background is ideal for CFA as we continue to build a robust portfolio of clients from numerous sectors and locations across the U.S.”

Prior to joining the Booth School, Jellema served as vice president of engagement for CityBase in Chicago, director of research at World Business Chicago, and as an analyst at AECOM Economics. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration, real estate and urban land economics at the University of Wisconsin, a master’s degree in urban planning at the University of Michigan, and a certificate of civic leadership at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.

Jellema was drawn to the COO position because of CFA’s reputation in the nonprofit arena and its significant growth potential. “I am energized by opportunities where I can make a difference by translating strategy to operations and where the culture is client-centered,” she says. “CFA is in the right place at the right time to continue along its trajectory from start up to a powerhouse. I look forward to working with this team to support the mission-driven clients we serve.”

Bouncing back from the economic and societal upheaval of the past two years is going to take a lot of listening and creativity for not-for-profit organizations. This is particularly true for those wanting to partner with corporations on complex – and theoretically more lucrative – partnerships. This work, as opposed to corporate foundation support from a grant request, centers on mutually-beneficial marketing and brand partnerships that can provide corporate support for an organization’s mission. The ability to effectively solicit and steward these corporate relationships often requires dedicated staff and should not be entered into without thinking through internal resources and external perceptions. Measuring success in these partnerships requires thinking through your goals for funding and brand awareness.

We spoke with Fredrick Wodin, Director of Corporate Relations at New York City Ballet, to understand how nonprofit organizations can develop effective relationships with the corporate sector.

CFA: First things first, what are corporate partnerships?

Fredrick Wodin: The corporate relations function in a nonprofit works to develop relationships with corporations that ultimately lead to financial or other support. In a large organization like ours, we have a dedicated team (of two) to support this work. Smaller organizations may include this work in other departments within the development function.

These nonprofit fundraising professionals may work with foundation, community relations, special events or marketing teams to identify and build mutually-beneficial relationships. On both sides of the equation, these roles involve helping each other find our way through the unfamiliar complexities of the other side. The value to corporations can include building a stronger brand, strengthening business relationships, improving employee engagement, enabling or supporting a product launch, or building other external goodwill.

Of course, the goal is to create a perfect fit – and that isn’t just about what we want from the relationship. It’s about what the partner wants. (We always want financial support!) What the corporation wants and needs matters more. That means listening with curiosity and patience, understanding what you’re hearing from the other side, and doing some creative thinking to craft a proposal that advances the corporation’s strategy, but is true to your organization.

What are some examples of corporate partnerships that serve both organizations’ strategic interests?

I’ve approached big companies in the same industries, and the conversation is never the same nor is the partnership ever structured the same. That’s because our conversations always start with what their business needs. Then we look at what we have to offer.

For instance, over the years several jewelry companies have partnered with us. One wanted us to perform at the opening of a new flagship location. Another wanted to borrow the special nature of our creative process to reflect on its products in a certain way. And others wanted to host a private event in the theater for their best clients, to experience “our world” and meet the dancers.

Here’s another example: We previously worked with an activewear company that is very focused on the beauty of movement. Their team believes that our artists represented this beauty and could help support their commercial interests. As part of our partnership, some of the dancers appeared in marketing campaigns, we co-hosted events at the theater for social media, press and retail partners, and we created a workout together.

Where should organizations start with this effort?

Start internally. That means, look at your mission, programs, assets – including your board, your space, your collection, your people, and your brand – and consider how they might appeal to corporate funders. Your board is a valuable place to start, because these are people who believe in your mission and who believe that being connected to your organization accrues some value to their own personal brand.

First ask them why they’ve chosen to work with you, and then understand their background and network. Can they introduce you to like-minded companies where you could help advance their strategies?

In our case, the dancers are our most significant and differentiating asset. I can bring in our marketing colleagues to speak about beautiful possibilities. A hunger relief organization might use testimonials and data around the number of meals delivered to attract funders.

It sounds like a lot of relationship building, as with major gifts donors. How do corporate partnerships differ from major gifts?

With major gifts, you’re most often looking for an emotional connection to the mission. This is rare in the corporate sector, especially as executives have less personal discretion about directing corporate giving dollars. This is more likely a business decision, and when a corporation doesn’t partner with us I try to evaluate that unemotionally. Was it about our pricing, the timing, the competition? Learning something, even in a bad outcome, is always worth the time and effort, even asking the prospect for insights.

What should you know about a corporation before you approach it? What’s the best way to prepare for a meeting?

I go into the first meeting prepared to ask some good questions and to listen carefully. You should definitely do your background research to start thinking about possibilities, but you can’t know everything, and you definitely can’t walk into an early meeting with a proposal. You don’t know –  and aren’t expected to know – what’s most important to the organization right now. Listen and learn and then propose.

They will feel more excited and engaged if they come away from that first meeting feeling that you heard them  – their interests, financial limitations, past experience, etc. Use that first meeting to learn about major initiatives, budget, timing, objectives, and more. Take that insight back to your team to sketch out the best possibilities. Bring the best ideas and proposals to the next meeting.

How should a nonprofit think about goals and targets for a corporate relations program? What are some helpful short- and long-term KPIs?

Obviously revenue is the most important measure. But these are not quick-turn “deals,” and if you’re just getting started, you’re going to have to measure activity and progress instead of actual dollars in the door.

Here are some activities you can keep track of:

• Discovery phase: Make sure you have a thorough understanding of your organization’s mission, vision and values, and the assets you have to offer through partnerships; You’ll continue to refine this as you talk to more people, but start with a strong base.
• Conversations: Start talking with board members and major donors to see what matters to them;
• Introductions: Ask your biggest supporters to introduce you to their contacts at companies to which they are connected;
• Learning: What insights can you get about your organization from people not connected to you? This can help you talk about your value in a language outsiders will understand and might suggest new people to approach.”

Don’t make “emails sent to companies’’ a metric. That might drive you to take a mass marketing approach, which really won’t work here. There’s no value in sending out a cold proposal with the same message to a hundred companies. It has to feel like a genuine connection.

Is it important to match the caliber of brand between the sponsor and organization?

While you certainly want to avoid a mismatch of values or hurting your community with an inappropriate alignment between brands, don’t be a snob. Prestige brands are great in certain instances. There are also times when more accessible brands might be a better fit. If you want to increase access to transportation for lower income communities, an economy car brand is likely a more logical partner than a luxury brand.

If someone wants to offer significant support, and you like what the brand stands for, do all you can to make it happen.

What if a corporation says no?

Usually, it is “no’” unfortunately, but it’s not “no forever” – it’s “not right now.” There are some discussions that, no matter how much people want to make something happen, just don’t work out. What they want might be something we can’t give them. Take that information in and keep the conversation going. Apply the learning to the next, similar discussion. It’s an iterative process in what you hope is a long-term relationship.

We thank Fredrick Wodin for sharing his exceptional and generous insight.