Why a Consulting Firm?

Philanthropic trends are changing. More often Philanthropic programs are looking to independent counsel to provide the expertise and leadership in areas where their programs need the most help. Professional assistance can be utilized in a number of ways from planning your approach, customizing your strategies and coaching your leadership team to providing advice on marketing efforts.

Philanthropy of today is sophisticated and strategic. There is a demand by donors for accountability and a return on the investments they choose to support. By engaging the expertise of philanthropic consultants, an organization can better plan for the costs of a capital campaign from the onset to completion of the program.

Volunteers, always at the heart of any successful campaign, are in greater demand. The future of any profitable campaign will depend on the foresight of your fundraising counsel to manage the human resources that your dedicated and passionate volunteers will provide.

Having the experience of many campaigns, fundraising consulting firms are aware of changing trends in a variety of industries. This expertise is cost effective and provides a valuable resource to your whole team.

Philanthropic Consultants can…

1. Provide an objective viewpoint to the Advancement team, President, CEO, CFO and Board Members,
2. Bring awareness to pitfalls as well as successful strategies of comparable projects,
3. Highlight the benefits of an effectively and efficiently run program through example,
4. Be a resource to the entire advancement team including the President, CEO, V.P. for Advancement, all Revenue Generating and Management Directors.
   
   
   

Why a Comprehensive Campaign?

Today’s Philanthropists demand greater transparency of the organizations they support, both administratively and financially. Comprehensive capital campaigns provide the opportunity for organizations to:

• Demonstrate good strategic & fiscal planning over a multi-year period to the donor public.
• Market the entire story of the organization's goals and aspirations for today and the future.
• Allow for efficient use of resources while moving from one campaign initiative to another.
• Offer donors a wide range of initiatives for support.
• Show faculty and staff that all agreed upon needs will be planned for and addressed.
• Demonstrate the need for involvement of leadership volunteers to assist with the goals and aspirations.
  
  
  

Why Invest in a Capital Campaign?

There can be no single formula for establishing a fair cost per dollar raised across the industry because there are simply too many variables.

INVESTMENT Not Expense. If we think of money in the fundraising budget as an intelligent investment in future growth instead of a regrettable expense, we can report our costs confidently. Forecasting in advance and ongoing tracking of both revenue and expense will ensure that your project is on target.

Remember…The moment a donor's gift is first received is the moment that the process of gift renewal begins. This means that everything we do with that donor is an investment in the next gift; it is not paying for the last one.

Links To Additional Resources

• The Association of Fundraising Professionals – AFP: For more than 40 years, AFP has been the standard-bearer for professionalism in fundraising. Learn more about AFP, its activities and people, and how you can be involved.
  
  
• The Council for Advancement and Support of Education - CASE: Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in London and Singapore, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education is the professional organization for advancement professionals at all levels who work in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and other areas.
  
  
• The Institute for Charitable Giving - Is considered one of the premier coaching centers in the country. Its Seminars have consistently been rated as among the best offered.
  
  
• Hep Development Services - With more than 4,000 customers and 15 years experience, HEP has developed proven tools to help you identify and promote match opportunities, gain access to the highest quality prospect development information and enhance your data.
  
  
• The Chronicle of Philanthropy - Keep in touch with all of the latest philanthropic news.
  
  
• Foundation Center - the nation's leading authority on philanthropy, connecting nonprofits and the grantmakers supporting them to tools they can use and information they can trust. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. grantmakers and their grants - a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance philanthropy at every level.
  
  

Registered charities in Canada perform valuable work in our communities, and Canadians support this work in many ways. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) regulates registered charities under the Income Tax Act and is committed to providing donors with relevant information.

Organizations that meet the requirements of Internal Revenue Code section 501(a) are exempt from federal income taxation. In addition, charitable contributions made to some section 501(a) organizations by individuals and corporations are deductible under Code section 170.