Services
Fund Raising Management Services
Fund Raising Feasibility Studies
A fund raising feasibility study considers in detail an organization's potential to raise funds for a particular project through a capital campaign. The study helps the organization make smart decisions about conducting the campaign during the early stages of planning. An FDA fund raising feasibility study will: provide useful insight into how the organization is viewed by insiders and community leaders; make recommendations for a realistic and appropriate campaign goal; assess the organization's readiness for a campaign; outline effective fund-raising strategies; assess how much money can be raised for the project in and around the community; and present recommendations for a preliminary campaign timetable.
Capital and Endowment Campaigns
FDA campaigns are specific, targeted, and well-structured. We not only raise funds for our clients, but also maintain tight reins on expenses. We "expect the unexpected" and strongly encourage flexible campaign scheduling. At FDA we show you how to cultivate your constituencies and community in order to maximize the fund-raising potential of your institution.
Major Gifts Programs
Where are the donors that can provide the resources to bring your organization to the next level? FDA will work closely with your organization's volunteer and professional leadership to develop an effective major gifts program that will cultivate and steward existing donors while identifying and locating new major donor prospects from within and beyond your service area.
Annual Giving Programs
We can advise your institution on overall annual giving programs, produce annual giving letters, brochures and other materials. We can be especially helpful in upgrading your annual giving program by increasing the levels of donor gifts while locating additional major prospects and training volunteers.
Grants Programs
FDA has broad foundation grant-writing experience, which includes multiple Kresge Foundation awards. We can identify private and corporate foundations, as well as government sources, and develop effective proposals to reach them.
Prospect/Donor Management
Through our research services, we help our clients identify likely funding sources: foundation, corporate, government and individual. We cultivate both current and prospective donors, and analyze their gift potential. We can also develop and maintain a specialized prospect/donor database for managing prospect/donor information and activity.
Direct Mailing Campaigns
We write, produce and execute targeted direct mail campaigns to donors and prospects as part of a broader giving program or for special projects.
Event Management
From a house party at the home of a board member to a 600-person gala dinner, FDA can orchestrate the right fund raising or cultivation event for your organization.
Planned Giving Programs
FDA has the experience in the field of planned (or deferred) giving to advise and direct your organization as to the best type of program to meet your specific needs.
Planning and Organizational Management Services
Strategic Planning
At FDA, strategic planning involves an organization's board, senior staff, and key volunteers in a thorough investigation of their institutional priorities and financial needs. The process helps an organization plan for the future and is often used to lay the foundation for a major fund raising campaign.
Financial Planning
FDA's financial planning services assist clients in creating a comprehensible and attainable financial plan, helping to set priorities among their financial needs and developing business strategies that can help finance an organization's growth. FDA can also assist with organizational budgeting and cost control.
Development Audits
As a planning tool, the development audit is used to analyze and assess an institution's overall fund raising potential in the long-run. It determines and establishes realistic goals and plans for all development program components. The audit includes but is not limited to researching and determining capital and endowment potential, annual funds, foundation support, planned giving, support literature, special events, public relations and the other elements of an institution's complete development program. A development audit usually takes eight weeks to conduct, and the results include working plans for all fund raising components.
Board Development, Voluntary Leadership Development and Solicitation Training
An active, trained, committed fund raising board is the backbone of any fund raising effort. FDA's individualized approach, involving one-on-one and small group sessions with board members, other volunteers and key staff, strengthen the board's ability to support fund raising. We can also help you develop a pipeline to cultivate and recruit new volunteer leadership who have the commitment, skills and experience that your organization needs.
Communication Services
Publications
Effective publications communicate an organization's mission and strengths more clearly, while increasing public awareness of the organization's activities. We work with clients to create a variety of publications including newsletters, brochures, reports, membership packages and volunteer kits.
Marketing and Public Relations
FDA can provide the essential techniques needed from the market audit and strategic planning stages to the actual implementation of the program to capture and retain your institution's market share.
Other Services
Facility Development
Creating a new facility, or expanding and renovating an existing building, is a daunting challenge for a not-for-profit. FDA has extensive facility development experience that can assist you efficiently and effectively from the early conceptual stages of a facility project through its completion. In most cases, engaging fund raising counsel early on can lead to significant cost savings over the life of a project.
Philanthropic Advising
FDA's experienced professional staff work with individual clients who seek help in finding their philanthropic focus. Whether it is setting up a family foundation, creating a family philantrhopic plan, or facilitating an inter-generational family discussion during a period of transition, we work with our clients to clarify goals, identify values and determine a path to maximum impact.