Matchmaking 101: Matching donors to the right projects

By Julie Cotter, Consultant Early on in my career, a…

You are ready to build. Are you ready to raise money?

By Teresa Midthun, Senior Consultant Recently, a community…

An Unlikely Success – Lead Gifts Inspire

When an all-volunteer group told us they wanted to build a new $10 million YMCA in a community of just 7,500 people, we knew we had our work cut out for us. 

Is it possible to test the wrong amount in your feasibility study?

When a small group of conservation advocates told us they wanted to build a special exploration center, we thought: so far, so good.  When they told us it would cost $68 million, our eyes grew wide and we privately gasped.

We Could Count our Lead Gift Prospects on One Hand!

It is a scary truth that most significant fundraising efforts depend on at least a few larger or major gifts in order to reach their goal. This is often the element that scares fundraisers the most – will they have enough major donors to make a multi-million-dollar fundraising effort possible?

Are you sure you want to hear if your campaign will succeed?

When a small conservation and environmental education organization asked us to help them raise $5 million for a new education center, we asked them if they had considered a feasibility study.