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Aligning Fundraising & Finance Teams

Posted on by CFA

Building a Harmonious Relationship Between Fundraising & Finance Teams:
A Story of Unified Revenue

At a regional children’s museum known for its hands-on approach to learning, creativity had always been front and center. Children built bridges from wood and wire, experimented with pigments and textiles, and explored inventors’ labs designed for curious minds of all ages. The museum’s revenue model was as dynamic as its galleries: memberships, gift shop and café sales, tuition-based craft and maker space classes, annual giving, and major gifts from committed stakeholders.

Behind the scenes, however, the museum had been grappling with a challenge familiar to many nonprofits—one that rarely appeared in program evaluations or visitor surveys. Development and Finance were operating with two different pictures of revenue.

When Idris* joined the museum as director of development, he stepped into a fundraising operation that was outwardly successful but internally fragmented. His predecessor had been an exceptional fundraiser, adept at cultivating relationships and closing gifts. Communication with the Finance team, however, had been inconsistent. Reconciliation was frequently postponed for months and, in some cases, years, turning the close of the fiscal year into an exhausting ordeal.

Leila*, the museum’s chief financial officer, had experienced the consequences firsthand. As the executive responsible for financial systems, internal controls, and reporting, she understood that when Development and Finance worked in silos, clarity suffered. Her goal was not to slow fundraising or introduce unnecessary bureaucracy. She wanted one shared, accurate picture of revenue—something the organization could trust for planning, governance, and accountability.

Two Departments, Two Versions of the Truth

Development tracked revenue through their fundraising database: memberships, donations, grants, and multi-year pledges. Finance focused on deposits into the bank account. Both perspectives were valid. Both were incomplete on their own.

Admission revenue flowed through online payments and the front desk. Tuition for maker space classes was processed through a separate registration platform. Gift shop and café sales posted daily. Major gifts arrived by mail, wire, or donor-advised funds. Without regular alignment, unresolved discrepancies accumulated. Development often believed revenue was ahead of pace, while Finance saw delays in cash flow. Finance flagged variances that Development struggled to explain weeks—or months—later.

CFA Head of Client Success and Principal Joanne Curry is all too familiar with this scenario: “This is one of the most common operational challenges we see. Development and Finance are each doing their jobs well, but they’re looking through different windows of the same story. Until those views are merged, confusion is inevitable.”

Starting with Purpose, Not Blame

Rather than focusing on what had gone wrong, Idris and Leila chose to reset the relationship between their departments. The museum had grown in complexity, and its internal systems had not kept pace. What once worked was no longer sufficient. The two aligned around a simple principle: there needed to be one revenue story, jointly owned.

To design a system that reflected reality, they consulted broadly. Front desk staff described how admission tickets were processed during peak attendance and on weekends. Educators explained the seasonal nature of class enrollment and tuition payments. Operations staff outlined the daily logistics of mail handling. The bookkeeper identified where delays and confusion most often occurred. These conversations grounded the solution in practice rather than theory. The goal was not perfection, but consistency, transparency, and shared understanding.

Building a Daily Revenue System

The system Idris and Leila implemented shifted reconciliation from a periodic crisis to a daily discipline. All revenue—gifts, memberships, tuition, shop sales, and café receipts—was logged daily in a centralized revenue log. Staff responsible for opening mail or processing transactions recorded payments immediately, following clear, written procedures.

Development entered all philanthropic revenue into the database promptly, using consistent coding for funds, restrictions, and appeals, so donor intent was captured accurately from the start.

Finance reviewed daily deposits and compared them against the revenue log and Development entries. Discrepancies were identified the same day. A missing check, a delayed deposit, or a coding error could be resolved while details were still fresh.

Idris and Leila held brief, standing check-ins—often just 10 minutes—to confirm that daily totals aligned. These conversations were operational and collaborative, focused on accuracy rather than fault-finding.

Joanne points out, “Daily reconciliation takes the emotion out of the process. When issues surface quickly, they’re easy to fix. When you wait weeks or months, reconciliation can become personal, political, and unnecessarily painful.”

Checks, Balances, and Oversight

Strong internal controls were built into every step of the process. Revenue was handled collaboratively from start to finish, with responsibilities shared across teams to ensure accuracy, transparency, and accountability at every step. These checks and balances protected both the organization and its staff. They reduced risk, strengthened audit readiness, and reinforced a culture of shared responsibility. 

Leila served as the owner of this process, responsible for ensuring that Development and Finance remained aligned and that the system functioned as a single, integrated whole. Procedures were documented, and responsibilities cross-trained, so institutional knowledge would not disappear with staff turnover. The system was also designed to scale, accommodating growth in programming, attendance, and fundraising without breaking down.

The Benefits of One Shared Revenue Story

The results were immediate. Month-end closes became smoother and faster. Finance committee meetings shifted from troubleshooting discrepancies to discussing strategy. Development reports aligned with financial statements, strengthening credibility with leadership and the board.

Idris gained the ability to spot trends early. When annual appeals slowed or membership renewals softened, he could adjust outreach before small issues became serious challenges. Leila gained clearer insight into cash flow, improving forecasting and financial decision-making.

Communication improved across the organization. Staff understood how their daily work affected financial health. The board received consistent, reliable information, reinforcing trust.

Joanne adds that “When Development and Finance are aligned, there are no surprises. You can communicate confidently with the finance committee, the development committee, and the board as a whole—and you avoid the impossible task of reconciling a year’s worth of activity all at once.”

From Annual Ordeal to Everyday Practice

By year’s end, reconciliation was no longer feared. It had become routine—embedded in daily operations rather than deferred to a stressful deadline. For the children’s museum, the outcome went beyond cleaner books. The organization gained confidence that every dollar entrusted to it was accounted for, respected, and put to work expanding creativity, curiosity, and learning for the community it served.

Partner with Us

Do your Development and Finance departments struggle to align? CFA’s Development Assessment is specifically designed to help organizations evaluate how their fundraising strategy, staffing, systems, and cross-department communication function in practice, including how revenue is tracked, reported, and reconciled. By identifying gaps and recommending practical improvements, the Assessment strengthens internal coordination, improves confidence in reporting, and helps leadership and boards make better-informed decisions.

Contact us to find out how a Development Assessment can help your organization build one clear, shared revenue story.

*Disclaimer: Client confidentiality is paramount in our work with each and every organization. The story in this article is fiction, based on real situations drawn from CFA’s broad experience serving nonprofit organizations.

Leslie Cronin

Leslie Cronin, Senior Manager of Strategic Communications

Leslie Cronin comes to Creative Fundraising Advisors with broad experience in education and nonprofits. Early in her career, she taught English, composition, and creative writing at selective independent schools, colleges, and universities. In 2005, she became Senior Development Writer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, overseeing all aspects of communication coming out of the museum’s development department including exhibition descriptions, grant applications, correspondence with major donors, acknowledgements, and event invitations.

Leslie later brought her experience in education and fundraising to a new role, serving first as board member and then vice president of the board of an independent school in Houston, Texas. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the formulation of the school’s 20-year plan, including its successful accreditation as an International Baccalaureate institution. She worked closely with a wide variety of consultants on urban planning, architecture, and a fundraising feasibility study. Her insight into the client experience helps her every day in her work for CFA.

As Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, Leslie helps CFA’s clients shape their campaigns for maximum impact and results by leading case development workshops, writing compelling case summaries, and crafting powerfully persuasive campaign collateral. Additionally, Leslie manages CFA’s brand voice by developing content for the firm’s resource library and overseeing the editorial calendar. 

Leslie believes nonprofits have the power to change the world. In crafting cases for support, she writes as a committed advocate for each client and their goals. Leslie holds two Masters degrees, one an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the other an MA in English Literature from Temple University. She is mother to two grown children, a voracious reader, and an amateur equestrian. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, author Justin Cronin, and their rescue dog, Lonesome Dove.

Data Health for Nonprofits

Posted on by CFA

A Wake-Up Call Over Breakfast

Kendra* is the development director of a regional food bank. Recently, she met a board member, Luisa, for breakfast. They were chatting the way they always did at their breakfast meetings when Luisa set down her coffee cup with a sigh. “There’s something I need to show you,” she said, pulling a stack of three letters out of her handbag. “I got three appeals from the food bank this quarter,” she said gently. “Two went to my home and one to my office, and this one,”  she said, presenting the envelope to Kendra, “still has me listed as Mrs. Walker.” The name of Luisa’s former husband made them both wince.

Concerned, Kendra took a more careful look at the stack. The letters were beautifully written and personalized, but two-thirds of the data that went into them was flat-out wrong. Luisa was a committed supporter, and Kendra knew she would be in for the long haul, but as the situation sank in, Kendra’s stomach dropped. Duplicate records, outdated names, and wrong addresses weren’t just clerical errors—they were signs of a much larger problem: wildly inaccurate data. Kendra apologized profusely, and Luisa was so gracious, but Kendra knew that there were more errors out there that wouldn’t be so kindly received.  

Back at the office, Kendra went straight to see Youssef, the food bank’s new development data coordinator. He’d been hired two weeks earlier, and his workspace was only halfway unpacked. “I just had the most mortifying conversation with Luisa Reyes,” she told him. She explained the whole situation, concluding with, “Our data is a mess.”

Youssef nodded, unsurprised. “To be honest, I knew this would be the first issue we needed to solve. Not to worry. I’ve started an audit,” he said. “There’s a lot to untangle: out-of-date records, partial merges, inconsistent fields; but it’s fixable. We just need to review and clean up about 30,000 records. Kendra’s jaw dropped, “That’s a ton of work! How will we do that before the November direct mail appeal?” Youssef smiled, “It’s okay! I’ll triage the cleanup, starting with our most important stakeholders and working our way through the list from there. This will not be just a one-time sweep; what I’m implementing is a plan for ongoing data health.” 

Data Health, and Why It Matters

“Data health” (sometimes called “data hygiene”) refers to the condition of an organization’s data—its accuracy, consistency, and usability. Bad data erodes donor trust and directly undermines the sophisticated tools nonprofits rely on for the science of fundraising. When names, addresses, or giving histories are inaccurate, data screening and predictive modeling cannot function properly. Reliable screening depends on clean, standardized fields to match records against wealth indicators, philanthropic databases, and demographic trends. When the data is in disarray, an organization will struggle to identify important prospects, analyze giving potential, or build a base of evidence to drive strategy. Clean data, on the other hand, strengthens every part of fundraising: screening, segmentation, communications, stewardship, and strategic planning. 

Creative Fundraising Advisors’ (CFA) Data & Research team—Dan Alberti, Senior Manager, Data Solutions, and Stephanie Willis, Senior Manager, Prospect Development—regularly helps nonprofits identify and correct systemic data issues.

“Think of data health like tending a garden,” says Dan. “You can’t expect to have healthy plants or an abundant harvest if you don’t routinely fertilize, water, and weed. Consistent inputs—accurate entries, standardized fields, and regular cleanups—build a database that supports the whole organization’s vitality. Conversely, if you’re not routinely checking and cleaning the data, small issues can quietly grow into big credibility problems.”

As both Kendra and Youssef had predicted, the problem with incorrect data at the food bank wasn’t isolated. When Youssef really dug into his audit, he discovered inconsistencies in salutations, conflicting household records, and out-of-date contact preferences. In many cases, the team was sending multiple different versions of an appeal to the same donors, sometimes at multiple addresses. Beyond embarrassment, that duplication was wasting resources—printing, postage, and valuable staff time.

Diagnosis and First Steps

The first phase of Youssef’s cleanup plan was discovery. He exported all donor records into a master spreadsheet so he could see the whole landscape at once—filtering for duplicates, blank fields, and irregular entries before making changes inside the CRM. He also mapped the source of each list: online donations, mailed checks, event attendees, and volunteer sign-ups. “We needed to know where the errors were entering the system,” he explained.

The “flat view” (or spreadsheet) revealed distinct patterns. Once he isolated the problem areas, Youssef began a systematic cleanse: deduplication, standardization of names and addresses, verification of email formats, and cross-referencing gift histories. Then he scheduled recurring maintenance tasks: a monthly duplicate check, a quarterly data-entry review, and an annual full-file audit.

Pro Tips for Data Health

1. Establish clear data entry rules.
Youssef created a written “data manual,” defining every field and abbreviation. Then, he drafted clear instructions on how to record household names, salutations, gift types, and notes. This living document became a training tool for anyone touching the database. “The more consistent your inputs,” says Dan, “the cleaner your outputs. Data rules aren’t red tape; they’re the language everyone needs to speak to keep information coherent.”

2. Schedule regular reviews.
The food bank built a monthly data health routine: running duplicate reports, checking for blanks in key fields, and using national address-verification tools. “Good data hygiene is never finished,” Stephanie emphasizes. “Every new record potentially contains multiple opportunities for error. Healthy databases have ongoing cleaning habits baked into the workflow.”

3. Align systems and people.
Stephanie also points out that data health isn’t just a technical task—it’s cultural. “The most successful organizations are those that build shared responsibility for data accuracy across departments,” she says. “If your program staff, gift processors, and fundraisers all understand how their entries affect the whole system, you’ll have fewer errors and better decisions. Clean data is everyone’s job.”

When Good Data Builds Donor Trust

As the cleanup progressed, Youssef and Kendra began to see immediate benefits. With duplicates resolved, mailings became more cost-efficient. Merge fields populated correctly, and acknowledgment letters used the right names and salutations. Kendra thought she noticed something else: the donor tone was improving. “When people get communications that clearly recognize them, they feel known,” she said. “Even a small fix—like addressing someone by their chosen name—signals respect and professionalism.”

To measure progress, Youssef created a simple dashboard showing three metrics: duplicate rate, percentage of complete records (including valid email and address), and average turnaround time for gift acknowledgment. Within three months, duplicates dropped by 40%, and the team could process gifts and send thank-yous two days faster.

From Data Health to Data Confidence

By spring, the food bank’s next direct mail appeal ran flawlessly. Every letter was correctly addressed, and no donor received more than one. When Luisa, the board member who first pointed out the problem, received her spring appeal, she called Kendra—not to complain, but to congratulate. “This one’s perfect,” she said. “Nice job cleaning house, and please give Youssef my thanks.”

“Clean data is a form of stewardship,” notes Stephanie. “It shows donors that you value accuracy, respect their information and preferences, and run an organization that is responsible and trustworthy. When you’re committed to donor-centered, relationship-based fundraising, you can’t allow sloppy data to undermine the trust you’ve worked so hard to build. ”

The Strategic Advantage of Clean Data

Healthy data doesn’t just prevent errors—it empowers better strategy. With reliable records, Kendra could segment appeals by giving behavior and communication preferences, identify lapsed donors with confidence, and generate reliable retention reports. When she presented to the board at fiscal year’s end, her charts were more credible than ever before.

“Data health might not sound glamorous,” Dan says, “but it’s the foundation of everything else—storytelling, stewardship, analytics, and campaign success. Without it, you’re flying blind.”

The positive ripple effect extended beyond development; the food bank program staff could now connect donor support with impact and service metrics more reliably. Finance could reconcile reports faster. Communications could personalize messages accurately across channels. Kendra and Youssef had transformed what started as a breakfast embarrassment into an organizational triumph. “I used to dread pulling lists,” Kendra admitted. “Now I actually trust what’s in our system. Clean data gives you confidence—it’s like seeing clearly after years of fog.”

Partner with Us

Is your nonprofit’s data helping or hindering your mission? Do duplicate records, missing information, or inconsistent reports make fundraising harder than it should be? Take CFA’s data self-assessment to see if your data systems need attention. CFA helps organizations audit, organize, and sustain healthy databases that strengthen trust and drive fundraising strategy. Our experts can audit your current system, design routines for long-term maintenance, and train your staff to keep information accurate across every department. Contact CFA today to learn how strong data health can support your organization’s growth and impact.

*Disclaimer: Client confidentiality is paramount in our work with each and every organization. The story in this article is fiction, based on real situations drawn from CFA’s broad experience serving nonprofit organizations.

Leslie Cronin

Leslie Cronin, Senior Manager of Strategic Communications

Leslie Cronin comes to Creative Fundraising Advisors with broad experience in education and nonprofits. Early in her career, she taught English, composition, and creative writing at selective independent schools, colleges, and universities. In 2005, she became Senior Development Writer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, overseeing all aspects of communication coming out of the museum’s development department including exhibition descriptions, grant applications, correspondence with major donors, acknowledgements, and event invitations.

Leslie later brought her experience in education and fundraising to a new role, serving first as board member and then vice president of the board of an independent school in Houston, Texas. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the formulation of the school’s 20-year plan, including its successful accreditation as an International Baccalaureate institution. She worked closely with a wide variety of consultants on urban planning, architecture, and a fundraising feasibility study. Her insight into the client experience helps her every day in her work for CFA.

As Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, Leslie helps CFA’s clients shape their campaigns for maximum impact and results by leading case development workshops, writing compelling case summaries, and crafting powerfully persuasive campaign collateral. Additionally, Leslie manages CFA’s brand voice by developing content for the firm’s resource library and overseeing the editorial calendar. 

Leslie believes nonprofits have the power to change the world. In crafting cases for support, she writes as a committed advocate for each client and their goals. Leslie holds two Masters degrees, one an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the other an MA in English Literature from Temple University. She is mother to two grown children, a voracious reader, and an amateur equestrian. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, author Justin Cronin, and their rescue dog, Lonesome Dove.

Preparing Your Board for a Campaign

Posted on by CFA

An Independent High School With an Ambitious Strategic Plan

Clayton* is a seasoned chief development officer at an independent high school that is nearing its 100th anniversary. The school’s board of directors recently adopted a strategic plan, gathering input from students, faculty, parents, alumni, and school leaders. Clayton thinks of this board as something of a dream team: generous, committed, and equipped with a broad range of skills and perspectives. Several members are alumni who credit the school with shaping their lives. Evelyn, the board chair, is an alumna with a grandchild enrolled. Her family has attended the school for generations. 

The  recently created strategic plan sets the school on a path to become recognized as the leading independent high school in the region by achieving four big but attainable goals: 

  1. Bolster academics by hiring teachers with advanced degrees to mentor students interested in doing original research 
  2. Improve college placement by hiring senior staff members in college counseling and revamping the counseling process
  3. Create a top-tier high school athletics program by building a new sports complex and investing in dedicated coaching staff
  4. Expand financial aid so the most promising students can attend regardless of their ability to pay.

The school had never before undertaken such a wide-ranging plan, tackling scholarship, college placement, athletics, and financial accessibility. 

Questions that Arise when Boards Contemplate Campaigns

At the board’s annual retreat, Clayton and Priya, the head of school, presented a blueprint to operationalize the strategic plan. Every initiative was a logical next step in the school’s mission, but those initiatives would require significant resources. Clayton and Priya made a compelling case that the only way the strategic plan could be realized was to launch a comprehensive campaign. As they laid out their case for a campaign, there were many questions. 

The board chair, Evelyn, said that in her work on another board, a consulting firm had been hired to conduct a feasibility study that provided reliable analytics on how much could be raised, a range of gifts table based on the organization’s own data, recommendations on staffing, and a tested case for support that later evolved into beautiful campaign collateral. She was enthusiastic about the prospect of a major fundraising campaign at the school, but proposed hiring seasoned fundraising consultants to map the steps to success. Everyone agreed it would be wise to get professional support for this epic project. Clayton knew that success would also hinge on something beyond numbers and projections: the active participation of the board itself. Evelyn invited discussion.

One alumna leaned forward: “How can we help? Are we expected to fundraise ourselves?” Another asked if the board would be expected to solicit their friends. A third trustee raised a concern: “When I was on the historical society board, our campaign plateaued halfway through. How do we avoid that?”

A Wide Range of Roles for Board Members to Play

Clayton explained that if the board elected to go ahead with a campaign, each member’s participation would begin with a personal commitment. “Every trustee will be asked to make a gift that is personally meaningful to them,” he said. “Your leadership in giving will set the tone for the entire community.” Then he addressed the role of trustees in fundraising: “Not everyone is required to share contacts or make asks,” he assured them. “If you feel compelled to participate in fundraising, we’ll be happy to provide training and pair you with staff or fellow trustees. What we would more likely ask is that you open doors, make introductions, and share your story of the school with others.” His answer seemed to ease any anxiety about “cold calling.” 

CFA Founder and CEO Paul Johnson reinforces Clayton’s point about board participation: “When trustees make a gift that is meaningful to them, they not only fund the campaign—they model a culture of philanthropy. Gifts from leadership are powerfully persuasive for other donors, but beyond giving, board members can help in a wide variety of ways that fit with their strengths and busy schedules. They can serve as ambassadors in the community, invite prospects on a tour to meet staff and leadership, host an event, or join the campaign committee if they wish to play a bigger role.”

Sharing the Vision Builds Trustee Confidence 

Though the board was still in an investigative mode, Clayton knew it wouldn’t hurt for them to strengthen their skills in telling stories of the school’s impact and linking those narratives to their own values and life experiences. He distributed a one-page case statement for each of the initiatives and asked trustees to pair up. Each pair took turns presenting an initiative, linking it to a personal story, and practicing how they might share it with a colleague or friend.

At first, the room buzzed with nervous energy. Some trustees stumbled; others read from the handout. But as the minutes passed, voices grew stronger, and stories more inspirational. One alumna who was an athlete recalled life lessons she’d learned about leadership and noted that the sports complex would enable many more athletes to develop those skills. Another trustee, a scholarship recipient, spoke of how financial aid had been a life-changing opportunity for him. By the time Clayton asked for volunteers to tell their stories to the whole group, several were eager to share. In just 20 minutes, abstract initiatives had become heartfelt narratives.

Communication and Celebration Create a Cohesive Board and a Successful Campaign

With energy levels high after the storytelling session, Clayton looped back to the question about plateaus. On a whiteboard, he sketched the arc of a typical campaign: early lead gifts, a mid-campaign lull, and a public push at the end. “Let’s talk about this middle plateau,” he said. “What would it feel like to be halfway through and struggling?”

Trustees spoke of discouragement, doubt, and the temptation to scale back. Then, Clayton asked them to collaborate on designing countermeasures. They came up with hosting centennial-themed alumni gatherings, running feature articles on student scholarship in the alumni magazine, and sharing monthly updates with major stakeholders to regain momentum. 

While Clayton felt it was prudent to let the board consider how they might handle a setback, he also felt it was important for them to know a campaign would also bring wins– like new faculty hires, new funding for students in need, and breaking ground on the new sports center.

To illustrate this, he returned to the campaign timeline on the whiteboard and sketched in milestones worth celebrating: principal gifts, crossing the halfway mark, and the public launch. He invited trustees to imagine how they would recognize donors and one another along the way. Ideas ranged from receptions to spotlight videos on social media to thank-you notes from students. The mood brightened as trustees envisioned celebrating together.

Paul Johnson encapsulates campaign dynamics: “Plateaus are inevitable. A campaign is a marathon. As the months unfold, there are triumphs and challenges, and sometimes there are moments when not a lot happens. If there is a lull in fundraising, communication is imperative, so the group can work together to get back on track. Similarly, when things are going great, celebration is fuel. Recognition for individual contributions and shared achievements creates energy and momentum. When CFA is providing campaign counsel to a nonprofit, we typically advise campaign committees to create a fundraising dashboard to easily track and share progress. This helps to keep the relevant players apprised.”

The Results

By the end of the retreat, Clayton was seeing a visible shift. Trustees who didn’t know a lot about campaigns now seemed more comfortable with the idea. They had practiced telling the story, anticipated challenges, brainstormed solutions, and realized that there would be victories large and small along the way. 

The campaign still had a long road ahead—beginning with the feasibility study—but together they had taken the first steps toward charting the school’s path into the next century.

Paul Johnson offers a final observation: “Every organization has unique strengths and challenges going into a campaign. Very few have all their ducks in a row. At CFA, we meet clients where they are, tailor our advice, and guide them toward customized strategies and solutions. We work with clients and their boards to build a bridge between their present-day challenges and a visionary, empowered, and impactful future.”

Partner with Us

Are you preparing for a campaign? Do you wonder how to fully engage your trustees? CFA has guided nonprofits nationwide in equipping boards for campaign success. Contact CFA today to learn how we can help.

*Disclaimer: Client confidentiality is paramount in our work with each and every organization. The story in this article is fiction, based on real situations drawn from CFA’s broad experience serving nonprofit organizations.

Leslie Cronin

Leslie Cronin, Senior Manager of Strategic Communications

Leslie Cronin comes to Creative Fundraising Advisors with broad experience in education and nonprofits. Early in her career, she taught English, composition, and creative writing at selective independent schools, colleges, and universities. In 2005, she became Senior Development Writer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, overseeing all aspects of communication coming out of the museum’s development department including exhibition descriptions, grant applications, correspondence with major donors, acknowledgements, and event invitations.

Leslie later brought her experience in education and fundraising to a new role, serving first as board member and then vice president of the board of an independent school in Houston, Texas. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the formulation of the school’s 20-year plan, including its successful accreditation as an International Baccalaureate institution. She worked closely with a wide variety of consultants on urban planning, architecture, and a fundraising feasibility study. Her insight into the client experience helps her every day in her work for CFA.

As Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, Leslie helps CFA’s clients shape their campaigns for maximum impact and results by leading case development workshops, writing compelling case summaries, and crafting powerfully persuasive campaign collateral. Additionally, Leslie manages CFA’s brand voice by developing content for the firm’s resource library and overseeing the editorial calendar. 

Leslie believes nonprofits have the power to change the world. In crafting cases for support, she writes as a committed advocate for each client and their goals. Leslie holds two Masters degrees, one an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the other an MA in English Literature from Temple University. She is mother to two grown children, a voracious reader, and an amateur equestrian. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, author Justin Cronin, and their rescue dog, Lonesome Dove.

Keeping Your Development Team Strong: A Case Study in Retention

Posted on by CFA

When Ellen* became chief development officer for a performing arts center with a $20 million annual budget, she inherited a talented, high-performing fundraising team. The organization’s donor base was broad and loyal, built over decades of consistent outreach. Major gifts were coming in steadily, annual gala proceeds were up, and the grants pipeline was robust.

But within her first six months, Ellen saw a troubling trend: turnover. First, a promising mid-level gifts officer accepted a position at another nonprofit that offered a slightly higher salary. Then, a grant writer left for a corporate communications role that promised remote work flexibility. Shortly after, the events coordinator resigned, citing burnout after years of back-to-back fundraising seasons.

Ellen knew that recruiting new talent was time-consuming and costly. Each departure disrupted donor relationships, slowed fundraising momentum, and placed extra stress on remaining team members. She realized the key wasn’t just hiring well—it was keeping the people she already had.

Why Retention Matters and Where to Begin

Head of Consulting and Principal Jake Muszynski observes, “Retention is an industry-wide challenge. For nonprofits of all sizes, retaining the development team is not simply an HR concern—it’s a strategic priority. Fundraising is built on relationships. Every time a staff member leaves, institutional knowledge walks out the door, and donor trust can be shaken.” Replacing that connection can take years, and in the nonprofit sector, high turnover can quickly lead to stalled revenue growth. 

In his work with organizations all over the country, Jake frequently shares best practices to help organizations retain their team members. He encourages leaders to understand why employees leave and invest in proactive measures that will encourage valuable team members to remain with the organization: “To minimize turnover and support stability on your staff, your nonprofit needs to be a place where people want to work; in other words, a workplace that meets a range of needs and responds to employees’ career goals.” 

When organization leaders understand each team member’s perspective on their job and their career aspirations, they can use those insights to:

  • Invest in professional development that is meaningful to employees 
  • Create an internal culture that normalizes work/life flexibility
  • Establish routines that recognize employee contributions and celebrate achievements
  • Cultivate a more vibrant organization-wide culture of philanthropy

Understanding Your Team

The first step to retaining your team costs nothing and can be taken immediately. Jake points out some practical considerations: “You need to form an understanding of how your team members feel about their jobs. How do you find out? Ask. Schedule conversations that explore both good news and bad news aspects of working in your organization. Obviously, employees need to feel safe sharing their opinions. You can’t be thin-skinned.”

In Ellen’s case, she began by conducting a development team retention audit. She held one-on-one conversations with each staff member to understand what was working for them—and what wasn’t. She also reviewed salary benchmarks for similar organizations, examined workload distribution, and evaluated professional development opportunities across the department.

Through this process, Ellen discovered that the compensation her organization offered was competitive, but her staff said they felt stretched thin. Most of them expressed a need for more flex time to handle daily activities like picking children up from school or running important errands. Some said they wanted more consistent feedback on their performance and wanted more chances to grow professionally and advance within the organization. Even more concerning, many reported feeling isolated from other departments and the broader mission of the organization.

Implementing Retention Strategies

With a little research, leaders can determine whether the salaries they offer are commensurate with comparable nonprofits, but compensation is not the only way to retain team members. Workplace norms play a big role in retention. Many organizations now offer employees more flexibility and autonomy. Find out what changes to workload or office norms would mean the most to your staff.  

Jake also encourages leaders to speak with their boards about investing in retention: “Organizations shouldn’t wait until people are resigning to think about retention. The best time to invest in your team is before there’s a problem. When leaders commit to their staff’s growth and wellbeing, they’re not only keeping employees—they’re building a resilient future for the mission.”

The business leaders on Ellen’s board strongly believe that strategic investments reap greater returns; consequently, their usual debates are not about whether to invest, but rather how. After a lively discussion, Ellen’s board helped her hammer out a four-part retention strategy:

  1. Invest in Career Growth
    Ellen created a professional development budget with funding earmarked for each member of her team. She worked with each staff member to develop a personalized growth plan.
  2. Balance Workloads and Increase Flexibility
    Ellen restructured assignments to prevent burnout. She established mandatory “no meeting” focus days and implemented hybrid and remote work models for staff whose roles allowed for that flexibility. She also began sending out monthly anonymous surveys to monitor staff morale.
  1. Recognize and Celebrate Achievements
    The development department started to hold quarterly “impact sessions” where fundraising wins were shared with the entire organization—connecting staff efforts directly to mission outcomes. Individual achievements, from closing a major gift to exceeding an event goal, were publicly recognized.
  1. Cultivate an Organization-Wide Culture of Philanthropy Ellen also worked with leadership and program staff to embed fundraising into the fabric of the organization. She coordinated a series of interdepartmental discussions on the role that every nonprofit employee or volunteer plays in supporting philanthropy. From program staff offering excellent customer service to instructors leading school groups to board members deliberating on governance, Ellen wanted everyone connected to the performing arts center to know they were trusted and empowered to play their unique role in the fundraising that makes their mission possible. This consciousness-raising exercise broadened the development team’s base of support and reduced their sense of isolation.

Jake adds that “Recognizing and celebrating development team wins is one of the most important things a leader can do to help team members feel valued. As a bonus, sharing the development team’s milestones with the organization also fed into Ellen’s broader goal of creating a more robust culture of philanthropy. It acknowledged the contributions of development staff and raised general awareness of the importance of philanthropy to the mission.”  

The Results

Within a year, staff turnover dropped significantly. The monthly surveys consistently indicated that Ellen’s staff was feeling a greater sense of contentment at work. Major gift revenue increased—partly, Ellen thought, because donor relationships were no longer disrupted by staff departures. Though the concrete effects of promoting a culture of philanthropy would be hard to track, Ellen could see that it was boosting morale and supporting the organization’s long-term success.

At the end of the day, retaining a development team in the current environment is about more than paychecks—it’s about creating a workplace where fundraisers can see themselves thriving long-term. For nonprofits, investing in retention is not a cost—it’s a growth strategy.

Partner with Us

Is staff turnover holding your organization back? Are you unsure about how to attract and retain valuable development staff? Do you sometimes worry that your team is burned out? CFA can help you resolve these questions and more. Contact CFA today.

*Disclaimer: Client confidentiality is paramount in our work with each and every organization. The story in this article is fiction, based on real situations drawn from CFA’s broad experience serving nonprofit organizations.

Leslie Cronin

Leslie Cronin, Senior Manager of Strategic Communications

Leslie Cronin comes to Creative Fundraising Advisors with broad experience in education and nonprofits. Early in her career, she taught English, composition, and creative writing at selective independent schools, colleges, and universities. In 2005, she became Senior Development Writer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, overseeing all aspects of communication coming out of the museum’s development department including exhibition descriptions, grant applications, correspondence with major donors, acknowledgements, and event invitations.

Leslie later brought her experience in education and fundraising to a new role, serving first as board member and then vice president of the board of an independent school in Houston, Texas. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the formulation of the school’s 20-year plan, including its successful accreditation as an International Baccalaureate institution. She worked closely with a wide variety of consultants on urban planning, architecture, and a fundraising feasibility study. Her insight into the client experience helps her every day in her work for CFA.

As Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, Leslie helps CFA’s clients shape their campaigns for maximum impact and results by leading case development workshops, writing compelling case summaries, and crafting powerfully persuasive campaign collateral. Additionally, Leslie manages CFA’s brand voice by developing content for the firm’s resource library and overseeing the editorial calendar. 

Leslie believes nonprofits have the power to change the world. In crafting cases for support, she writes as a committed advocate for each client and their goals. Leslie holds two Masters degrees, one an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the other an MA in English Literature from Temple University. She is mother to two grown children, a voracious reader, and an amateur equestrian. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, author Justin Cronin, and their rescue dog, Lonesome Dove.

A Roadmap to Transformational Gifts

Posted on by CFA
Transformational gifts 1

The term “transformational gift” refers to a significant donation with the potential to substantially impact an organization’s trajectory. While transformational gifts can yield highly visible results for organizations and their communities, their origins may seem mysterious, as these sizable commitments can be years in the making. 

There is a critical sequence of milestones throughout the donor cultivation cycle that can help position organizations for gifts of transformational scale. Stemming from strategic planning and the cultivation of key donor prospects, securing and capitalizing on a transformative investment hinges on strong leadership, a compelling vision for the future, and organization-wide coordination. 

With over 20 years of nonprofit advancement experience, CFA Principal Mid-Atlantic Johnny Burleson shares his insights on successfully pursuing transformational gifts.

Strategically Cultivating a Transformational Gift

The first step toward pursuing a transformational gift is an ambitious and compelling vision for the future. “This vision is typically formulated through a thorough planning process with the support of key internal and external stakeholders, often in preparation for a campaign,” shares Johnny. The end result serves as the basis for a fundraising case for support by quantifying impact, detailing implementation plans, and outlining the financial resources required to bring that vision to fruition.

Once internal alignment is established, there is an opportunity to bring top donor prospects to the table. As CFA recently shared in How to Approach Major Donors as Stakeholders, an organization’s most promising donors are often already in its database. With a passion for your organization’s work and mission, these donors have a demonstrated commitment through multiple years of giving, confirmed financial capacity to make a significant investment, and possible prior service as board members or volunteers.

After identifying top prospects, inviting them into the planning process creates the opportunity for active, authentic, and strategic cultivation during a pivotal stage of organizational development and campaign planning. “By bringing donor prospects into the process early and often, organizations can cultivate them as insiders while gaining critical insights based on the donors’ areas of expertise,” adds Johnny. He recommends keeping these donors close throughout this phase by regularly seeking feedback and advice on everything from the smallest of details to highly significant considerations. 

Making a Transformational Ask 

Through active involvement in the early stages of strategic planning and campaign feasibility studies, donor prospects may know years in advance that a big ask is coming. Within the context of a campaign’s fundraising strategy, these prospects will understand that a transformational commitment fulfilling the highest tier in the campaign’s giving pyramid will initiate a succession of future giving toward the vision that they helped to create. Strategic cultivation through this planning process brings an organization’s and donor’s shared vision into alignment while building trust and confidence along the way.

Transformational gifts 2

With extensive groundwork laid, the act of requesting a transformational gift should come as no surprise. Offering the donor opportunities to say “yes” along the way by asking strategic questions and continually confirming their approval throughout the cultivation process increases the likelihood that their response to a formal request for support will follow suit. 

Johnny emphasizes that when it comes time to make the ask, “The organization must be very strategic, articulating the influence that this gift will have on the organization’s trajectory and the impact it will make in specific and quantifiable terms.” And while the exact size of a transformational gift will vary from one organization to another, Johnny shares that, “It is more about strength of alignment and shared vision for the overarching impact that the campaign will embrace.”

As CFA recently shared, “Whether the donor responds with a ‘yes’, ‘no’, or ‘not right now,’ the path to a stronger donor relationship requires a graceful, grateful response, and a willingness to learn, gathering insights that will keep the door open for future engagement.” If a donor indicates the timing is not right, then the moment becomes about continuing to steward that ask until the timing aligns. 

  • Organizations that receive an unexpected transformational gift may be less prepared to leverage the investment for long-term stability. CFA frequently partners with organizations seeking to leverage a specific gift to build alignment and test the feasibility of a broader case for support. 

Leveraging a Major Gift’s Transformative Potential

Once a transformational commitment is made comes a pivotal moment: advancing the organization’s vision for the future by inspiring additional generosity. “Securing a transformational gift becomes a significant opportunity to elevate the organization’s brand and mission through organic media coverage,” shares Johnny. 

Transformational gifts 3

With clear internal alignment established during the strategic planning stage between core organizational functions, fundraising, communications, finance, and program teams will be ready to seize the opportunity if and when a transformational gift is committed. 

  • Looking to develop a consistent, compelling communications plan built around your campaign’s case for support? Check out CFA’s Donor Communications & Outreach Guide for more details about creating a donor communications plan to support your campaign.

Subsequent communications will depend on the donor’s interest for recognition and exposure, while key audiences and communication channels for announcing this transformational gift will depend on the stage and goals of the organization’s vision. For organizations that do not yet have a fundraising goal ready to publicize, the organization’s history of success and future vision that influenced the gift can serve as key messages. “This becomes a significant storytelling moment for the organization, reflecting back on the organization’s trajectory while setting the stage for its future impact,” adds Johnny. 

For organizations kicking off a broader campaign, securing a transformational gift may signal a transition to a public phase of a campaign. As CFA Senior Manager of Campaigns Anne Spears shared in a recent article, “The key to public phase fundraising success hinges on a smooth passing of the baton from an organization’s development team to their marketing team.” While the decision to transition into a campaign’s public phase is highly nuanced, Anne advises clients to weigh their progress, momentum, and anticipated timeline as they consider the most strategic course forward. 

Stewarding Transformational Investments

Continued donor engagement throughout each stage of a campaign and subsequent implementation plans are critical to the ongoing stewardship of a transformational gift. Delivering on the clear plans and quantifiable impact that secured the transformational investment requires the ongoing commitment and collaboration between the organization’s fundraising, communications, finance, and program teams. 

And while certain details within the plan may shift in response to environmental factors or opportunities, organizations can sustain a high level of donor trust through regular communications along with continual opportunities to witness, advise, and engage in the work ahead. 

Partner With Us

CFA’s consulting team brings vast experience in major giving strategies and a nuanced approach to conducting campaigns for each organization we serve. If you are interested in exploring how CFA can help position your organization to secure gifts of a transformative scale, 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.

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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.

Fundraising Stability in Times of Leadership Transitions

Posted on by CFA

Did you know that 75% of nonprofit leaders are expected to leave their current positions within the next 10 years?Transitions amongst executive leaders are occurring at a growing rate as baby boomers are reaching the age of retirement (an estimated 10,000 per day through 2030) and others are leaving the nonprofit sector altogether. Despite these trends, a recent survey by BoardSource reported that only 29% of nonprofits have written succession plans in place. 

Whether well-planned or unforeseen, leadership transitions can render significant ramifications for an organization’s present stability and future trajectory. With more than 25 years of experience spanning higher education, program development, and nonprofit advancement, CFA Principal Kristin Love offers the following guidance for maintaining fundraising stability during transitions in organizational leadership.

Preparing for Leadership Transitions

Whether anticipated in the near-term or distant future, leadership transitions are a time to focus on sustaining an organization’s current work and most critical priorities. As Kristin shares, “Documenting present-day organizational strategies and accountabilities as well as future succession plans will contribute to increased stability and continuity when change inevitably occurs.”

Development Plans

Formulated through a collaborative process, development plans are an organizational document summarizing quantitative and qualitative fundraising goals, strategies, activities, accountabilities and resources for each fundraising program within an organization’s fundraising team. 

Development plans serve as an essential tool for both current and future leaders. As CFA Senior Consultant Rob Ruchotzke recently shared in How Development Plans Can Generate Fundraising Results, “Development plans provide organizational stability and a foundation for future growth by clearly outlining goals and strategies, illuminating key fundraising actions and accountabilities, and defining milestones and metrics.”

Development plans can be a vital resource for new or interim leaders seeking to understand and support core efforts and accountabilities. 

Succession Plans

Preparing for leadership transitions through deliberate succession planning will position organizations for increased stability when the inevitable occurs. By folding succession planning into other processes, such as annual planning or multi-year strategic planning, organizations can normalize the process and develop a regular cadence for maintaining and updating plans. 

Kristin shares that, “By addressing transitions at every level of an organization, leaders can find confidence in the essential role they play and the importance of sustaining their contributions if and when it comes time for them to transition.”  

Communications Plans

The tone, delivery, and cadence of communication is paramount during times of organizational transition. Clear and timely internal communication allows staff the time and space to digest, adjust, and plan for the transition before the news is shared with key external stakeholders such as partners and donors.

When it comes to preparing external communications strategy regarding a leadership transition, Kristin recommends positioning the occasion to celebrate the outgoing leader’s legacy and impact while focusing on the work ahead. “During these moments of significant change, organizational communications should always center what remains constant: their mission-critical work,” shares Kristin.

Fundraising Leadership Transitions 1

The departure of a consequential leader presents an important time to engage every level of organizational constituents. Personal contact with an organization’s top donors provides an opportunity to acknowledge the donor’s role in supporting the outgoing leader’s legacy. These connections can also instill confidence in the future of the organization by initiating a strong relationship with the new or interim leader that will shepherd the organization through this period of change.

Pivoting Under Interim Leadership

Interim leaders have a distinct and strategic role to play as their organization searches and prepares for new leadership. 

Driving Fundraising Activity

Whether expected or unforeseen, the transition period between leaders can feel like a marathon for staff navigating ambiguity and shouldering additional responsibilities. Through a combination of constant communication and clearly defined objectives, interim leaders can mitigate levels of uncertainty while establishing measurable expectations that will drive activity for fundraising staff.

Fundraising Leadership Transitions 2

Kristin also advises interim leaders to establish baseline metrics for success that will drive internal fundraising activity while focusing donor support on the organization’s long-term priorities. Rather than focusing on traditional lagging indicators such as dollars raised, Kristin recently shared an approach to activity-based leading indicators featured in a CFA article How Metrics Can Help Fundraising Professionals Reach Their Goals. Leading indicators that can be measured in real time include metrics such as donor contacts, meetings, and qualifications. 

In addition to using baseline metrics to shape expectations and drive accountability, Kristin encourages interim leaders to seek out and celebrate small wins along the way. “Leadership transitions can feel stagnant and prolonged, so celebrating progress and productivity can help to reenergize staff and generate a renewed focus on the organization’s future.”

Sustaining Donor Engagement

An organization’s prevailing priorities and essential infrastructure become focal points for donor engagement during leadership transitions. 

Fundraising conversations can be focused on fundamental investments that will stand the test of time and support continued organizational success under new leadership, such as the annual fund, operations, and core programming. For organizations with an endowment, Kristin shares, “Endowments can be transformational in times of organizational growth and fundamental in times of organizational transition. An organization’s case for directing support to their endowment during a leadership transition is about sustaining continuity of mission and core programs.” 

These periods of change can also be an opportunity to introduce other key leaders, including board members or key program experts, to expand donor connections within the organization while creating continuity and increasing confidence. While board members are not always closely engaged in the impact of philanthropy and fundraising for their organization, leadership transitions can represent a significant opportunity to get more involved and contribute to the work ahead. 

Excelling Under New Leadership

Well-executed transitions will position an organization to excel under new leadership. 

Development Assessments

Kristin recommends that organizations capitalize on leadership transitions as an opportunity to baseline on mission, vision, and fundraising strategies. “Development assessments are an incredible tool for times of transition, preparing the incoming leader with an objective understanding of the opportunities ahead.” 

As CFA Head of Consulting & Principal, Midwest, Jake Muszynski recently shared in What Is a Development Assessment, and Why Do I Need One?, “Development assessments are a powerful way to energize your organization’s fundraising efforts.” Whether conducted prior to or after the arrival of a new leader, development assessments provide a direct path to actionable strategies that result in more successful, consistent, and sustainable fundraising results. 

Envisioning the Organization’s Future 

Fundraising Leadership Transitions 3

The introduction of a new leader creates a unique opportunity for organizations to revisit their top strategies and renew connections with key internal and external stakeholders. After undergoing a period of significant transition, organizations are poised to invite critical and transparent conversations from key constituents.

As Kristin shares, “Personal introductions to an organization’s top donors are an opportunity for new leaders to listen and solicit advice that can inform the organization’s future vision while sustaining and elevating mission-critical relationships.”  By bringing all stakeholders along in envisioning the organization’s thriving future, leadership transitions can be leveraged as a launch pad for new beginnings.

Partner With Us

CFA serves nonprofits across the country, taking the time to learn about their unique challenges and opportunities, and identifying sustainable solutions to advance their missions. If you are interested in exploring how CFA can support your organization through a leadership transition, contact CFA today to see how we can help.

Kristin Love, Principal

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.

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.

Are You Ready to Work with a Fundraising Consultant?

Posted on by CFA

Hiring a fundraising consultant is a significant investment with tremendous potential impact on the future of your organization. CFA takes deep pride in the partnerships we develop, the customized solutions we offer, and the unparalleled results we deliver to each client we serve. Adept at spotting emerging trends and scaling successful models, our team of consultants brings vast experience across sectors and regions, offering each client the most relevant solutions tailored to their needs.

While most organizations plan for the financial investment of engaging a fundraising consultant, the commitment of staff time is also an important consideration in order to maximize the opportunity and position your organization for future fundraising success. 

The following recommendations will help your organization make the most of a partnership with a fundraising consultant such as CFA.

When to Engage a Fundraising Consultant

There are several points of inflection when organizations benefit most from the expertise of a fundraising consultant:

  1. When an organization has a big idea or vision that will require significant resources to fulfill. 

    CFA is a valuable partner to organizations whose leaders are considering a campaign to realize an aspirational vision. Through our campaign readiness and feasibility studies, our team assesses the organization’s ability and readiness to effectively execute the campaign, providing key recommendations to build capacity and shape a compelling case for support based on stakeholder feedback. 
  2. When an organization’s fundraising has plateaued. 

    CFA offers development assessments for organizations that are likely capable of raising more money and are seeking to make a strategic investment in their fundraising team and resources that will generate the strongest return on investment, whether or not in preparation for a campaign. 
  3. When an organization is unable to effectively leverage fundraising data to inform strategy. 

    CFA provides a range of data and research services to enhance an organization’s data strategy, improve data integrity, and uncover priority prospects. CFA often uncovers opportunities for our clients to strengthen their data strategy during the campaign feasibility or development assessment process, and provides tailored support that leads to stronger, more sustainable fundraising results. 

While there is no right or wrong time to engage the support of a fundraising consultant, organizations should also consider the timing of other key institutional priorities and events when determining their ideal timeline and capacity to engage with a consultant.

Building an Effective Team of Internal Liaisons

While fundraising consultants are often sought and hired by an organization’s top leaders, CFA typically partners most closely with other key staff in our day-to-day work. Organizations can set the stage for a highly effective partnership by selecting the appropriate team of internal liaisons and initiating the consulting relationship with clear communication.

By building a liaison team that brings a balance of leadership, content expertise, and execution, organizations will ensure that their work with a fundraising consultant results in:

  1. Relevant and Customized Strategies

    While fundraising consultants bring expertise, they rely on collaboration with internal staff who understand the organization’s mission, culture, and relationships, and can provide valuable insights into past fundraising efforts, donor data, and internal resources. Effective partnerships with pertinent staff enable CFA consultants to craft realistic, yet customized strategies to meet an organization’s specific needs.
  2. Sustainable Solutions

    CFA’s consultants offer guidance, strategy, and support. Active staff engagement builds internal capacity and expertise, ensuring improved execution and long-term sustainability of the strategies and plans implemented.

Prior to initiating a project with a fundraising consultant, internal communication from an organization’s top leaders should convey the goals, timeline, scope, roles, and responsibilities throughout the process to establish an effective partnership.

Preparing to Onboard Your Fundraising Consultant

When CFA starts a new project, our consulting team is prepared to dive in on day one and counts on that same level of readiness and commitment from our clients. 

In order to quickly gain a comprehensive understanding of each organization we serve, CFA requests preliminary discovery data and background information. These documents enable our consultants to become insiders on an organization’s fundraising journey and effective partners in steering the organization’s fundraising trajectory. 

Data requested may include:

  • Historic Organizational Data: Financial reports, annual reports, budgets, board composition and giving rates
  • Fundraising Trends: Revenue sources, year-over-year comparisons, giving trends and retention rates, fundraising results by program and fund 
  • Development Strategy & Structure: Strategic plans, development plans, staff job descriptions and department charts, donor communications and appeals 

While this list of documents can seem intimidating, having the right data and materials ready from the start will equip our team with a complete and holistic understanding of the organization so that our real work can begin. 

Ready to Take the Next Step?

CFA’s partnerships come with tremendous potential to amplify an organization’s work and mission. 

While some projects like development assessments or feasibility studies are time-limited, other efforts such as a capital campaign require a marathon-like approach to reach the finish line. 

Regardless of a project’s duration or scope, CFA’s utmost priority is to sustainably advance our clients’ future fundraising capabilities; and we know our clients will realize a far greater return on investment when they come as ready to roll up their sleeves as we are. 

CFA serves nonprofits across the country, taking the time to learn about their unique challenges and opportunities, and identifying sustainable solutions to advance their missions. If you are interested in exploring how CFA can support your organization’s fundraising efforts, contact CFA today to see 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.

What Is a Development Assessment, and Why Do I Need One?

Posted on by CFA

Development assessments are a term used to describe a comprehensive review of an organization’s fundraising programs. These rigorous assessments offer distinct benefits for organizations of all sizes and at varying points in the fundraising cycle. Whether your organization is undergoing a leadership transition or preparing for a period of significant growth, a development assessment will uncover new opportunities based on where your organization is today and tangible steps aligned to your goals for the future. 

While CFA’s highly tailored approach varies based on each client’s unique circumstances, priorities, and growth trajectory, our development assessment findings share a common denominator in the form of specific and actionable short- and long-term recommendations to sustainably enhance an organization’s fundraising success. 

ADVANTAGES OF ENGAGING EXTERNAL SUPPORT

A simple online search yields a plethora of DIY assessment tools designed to help organizations internally evaluate their fundraising programs. For example, the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) offers free reports, resources, and tools to help organizations measure their individual donor fundraising efforts against more than 100 performance indicators. Similarly, MarketSmart offers a Fundraising Report Card that provides performance dashboards with key metrics on donor acquisition and retention, donation growth and frequency, and much more. 

While these tools can provide helpful data visuals and comparative benchmarks, their resulting insights are directly correlated to an organization’s internal capacity for self-assessment. These tools also rely solely on quantitative measures, limiting their results to scientific measures of success without addressing the qualitative art of fundraising. This is where engaging external support can help.


CFA’s consulting team brings valuable external perspective and a systematic approach to the development assessment process. With projects and partnerships spanning all facets of fundraising, our team is well-versed in established fundraising best-practices and current philanthropic trends. And with vast experience conducting development assessments, our team is positioned to engage the right stakeholders and pinpoint the datasets that will yield the greatest insights.

WHEN TO CONDUCT A DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT

Development assessments provide vital insight for organizations seeking to evaluate the efficacy of their development program and can maximize a team’s fundraising potential during points of inflection. Development assessments are uniquely valuable and most often implemented during stages of significant organizational growth and change, such as:


While development assessments can be conducted at any point in time, CFA Head of Consulting and Principal-Midwest Jake Muszynski encourages organizations to consider their readiness to fully engage in the process. “We work hand-in-hand with our clients and need them to approach the work with open minds and open hearts. While CFA does most of the heavy lifting, they must be open to embracing what the process reveals.”

DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT PROCESS

CFA balances the art and science of fundraising through data-driven strategies coupled with unique, case-by-case solutions. While CFA offers a customized approach to every development assessment, our process includes the following core components designed to uncover the most significant fundraising challenges and opportunities for growth for each organization we serve:

Kickoff Meeting
The project team meets with the organization to discuss a proposed project timeline, share upcoming deliverables, and identify scheduling considerations.

Materials Request
CFA conducts an audit of the organization’s development programs, donor communications, systems, and strategies to assess fundraising capacity and potential. 

1:1 Interviews
CFA interviews the organization’s Executive Director, development or advancement staff, key leadership staff, and board members with insights into the fundraising programs and/or deep institutional knowledge. 

Data Meetings
CFA’s Data and Research Team partners with the organization’s database administrator(s) or related staff to identify their data needs while assessing their database infrastructure and data strategy. Following an extensive donor wealth and engagement screening resulting in custom inclination scores, our team also provides segmentation recommendations for assigned portfolios, targeted appeals, and other tailored fundraising strategies.

Specialized Services
Because we know that each client’s needs are unique, we activate specialized services to ensure our work remains highly tailored. These services can range from surveys to understand stakeholder motivations, a deep analysis of donor trends, case for support development, campaign readiness, and much more depending on the client’s need. 

Check-In Meetings
CFA meets regularly with key organizational stakeholders to provide ongoing counsel and share insights through the process.

Final Report
CFA provides a comprehensive report with specific recommendations and goals based on the organization’s unique priorities and opportunities, outlining clear and actionable strategies to enhance fundraising results. 

ACTIVATING YOUR STRATEGY

CFA’s work is far from complete after sharing the findings from a development assessment. As Jake shares, “The organizations we partner with often have the answers, but the challenge comes in deciding what to do next. That is where CFA comes in, bringing the art to the science of development assessments and partnering with our clients to create action plans to carry the work forward.” 

CFA has supported dozens of organizations to implement customized action plans based on the findings and recommendations culminating from their development assessments. Learn more about CFA’s recent development assessments.

PARTNER WITH US

Development assessments are a powerful way to energize your organization’s fundraising efforts. Engaging an external consultant offers the added expertise, bandwidth, and perspective to yield actionable yet transformational insights. At a time when most fundraising teams are stretched thin yet challenged to accelerate organizational growth, development assessments provide a direct path to actionable strategies that will result in more successful, consistent, and sustainable results. 

When you partner with CFA, you are accessing the collective expertise of our entire team. As an organization seeking to continuously improve, our consultants meet regularly to identify trends, share learnings, assess the efficacy of our strategies, and scale promising practices. We bring the best of these insights through a highly-customized approach to each development assessment we complete and every client we serve

If you are interested in exploring what a development assessment might look like for your organization, contact CFA today to see how we can help.

Jake Muszynski

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 40 clients at CFA.

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.

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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.