Development Services

The key to sustainable fundraising is to connect your vision with your donors’ aspirations. I can help you develop a clear strategy and practical tools so that you can raise more money to support your mission now and into the future. 

DEVELOPMENT PLAN

• Create a comprehensive donor-centered fund development program that includes diverse solicitation strategies (direct mail, major gifts, grants, special events). 

STEWARDSHIP PLAN

• Stewardship is more than simply thanking your donors. It’s the key to building lasting relationships. I will assess your current strategies, and review your acknowledgements; determine areas for growth; and help you to develop new and creative ways to thank and recognize donors. 

COMMUNICATIONS

• Create donor-centered communications, including case for support, donor newsletters, website, and other collateral materials. 

DEVELOPMENT AUDIT

• Conduct an internal assessment of your fundraising effectiveness and development systems. I can make recommendations and help develop efforts in key areas: Solicitation strategies; Donor acquisition; Donor retention; Board composition; Staff structure and capacity; Stewardship programs; Benchmarking and tracking goals; Reporting; Gift policies, etc. The final audit report outlines a set of recommendations, phased in over time, to improve the overall development program and accelerate philanthropy for your mission.  

 Navigating the pool of potential grant funding can be daunting. I can help identify new prospects, prioritize opportunities and create winning proposals.  

GRANT RESEARCH

• Locate funders and specific grants that match the mission of your organization. These may include foundation, corporate and government funding agencies.

PROPOSAL WRITING

• Craft thorough and engaging grant proposals to tell the story of your nonprofit and sell your  mission – demonstrating both your financial need and your solid track record of successes. I can also provide consulting, proofreading and editing for existing proposals.

COMPLIANCE

• 60% of all proposals received by grant administrators are excluded from consideration simply because the grant writer didn’t follow specific instructions and guidelines. I will ensure that all grant applications are in full compliance.  

Your donor database is more than just a piece of technology. It is a window into the heart of your donors. It is a tool to help understand how your donors think, how they give and how they want to engage with your organization. I can help you optimize your database to make it work for you. 

DATABASE IMPLEMENTATION

• Are you a newer organization that needs to move beyond spreadsheets to a more sophisticated system for tracking and communicating with your supporters? I can help you find the system that best fits your needs and help you get started. 

DATA EVALUATION

• Assess your fundraising data, data entry processes and coding structures with your organization's needs and mission in mind. I will target inefficiencies and make recommendations to maximize the performance of your current fundraising software. I can provide an honest, objective assessment of your current database, or help identify another software package that might better serve the needs of your organization. 

DATA CLEANUP

• At times it may be necessary to make changes in your data to increase the effectiveness of your database. I can help you identify and make needed changes or identify database features that will help you reorganize your data.