• Poplar Forest 4 July

Fundraising Strategists. Philanthropic Partners.

We understand the day-to-day demands of running a nonprofit. With the added strain of a major fundraising effort, you need more than a consultant—you need a strategic partner. That’s why we’ll be there for you. With you. Working alongside you, every step of the way.

Since 1989, The Curtis Group has provided personalized fundraising counsel to nearly 200 nonprofits across the region. Partnering with clients spanning the arts & cultural, educational, civic & public affairs, social service and healthcare sectors, we’ve conducted more than 150 planning studies, over 4,500 interviews and raised hundreds of millions of dollars.

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What We Do

Campaign Planning & Management

Your campaign readiness and feasibility are only the beginning. Our extensive planning study will serve as a blueprint for your campaign, offering customized strategies to help you meet—and often exceed—your fundraising goal. We’ll continue this personalized approach in helping execute your campaign, through our fundraising campaign management and consulting services.

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Program Assessment & Capacity Building

By assessing your fundraising program’s strengths, weaknesses, and effectiveness, we can pinpoint areas of challenge and opportunity. Whether you need a development audit or capacity-building consultants, we’ll provide customized recommendations that will enhance the effectiveness and the results of your fundraising efforts.

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Board & Staff Development

Through our staff and board training services, The Curtis Group can educate your leaders on topics that are crucial to reaching your fundraising goals. Topics will be customized for your organization and your board and may include “The Role of the Board in Fundraising” to “How to Make a Major Gift Ask.”

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Clients & Case Studies

  • Norfolk Botanical Garden

    Norfolk Botanical Garden Thrives with Support from our Team PLANS FOR SUCCESS Celebrating their 80th anniversary under the new leadership of a highly acclaimed executive director was the ideal time for the Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) to launch a major campaign to transform their 175 acres into the Garden of Tomorrow. With visions of a… Read more »

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    Bridgewater Retirement Community

    Passion & Leadership Foster Successful Fundraising How we helped Bridgewater Retirement Community Surpass Their Campaign Goal   PLANS FOR SUCCESS Located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, Bridgewater Retirement Community provides a vibrant, friendly and safe environment to age gracefully. Recognizing a need to continue to improve their facilities as well as create a second memory… Read more »

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  • Virginia Humanities

    Over the course of its 40+ years in existence, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities had grown into the largest and most successful organization of its kind in the country. But the foundation hadn’t taken a hard look at their development program in over a decade, so they asked us to conduct an assessment to see if they were on the right track. We began meeting with key stakeholders…

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  • Barrier Islands Center

    To Virginia’s secluded Eastern Shore community, the Barrier Islands Center is more than a museum, education center and tourist attraction—it’s a cherished gathering place. The BIC had big dreams of restoring buildings on their campus and starting an endowment, but knew their board and staff were new to fundraising—so we advised…

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  • Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest

    As Thomas Jefferson’s personal retreat, Poplar Forest is an incredible piece of history. But it had not launched a major campaign in decades, and struggled with low visibility. The Curtis Group conducted a planning study, which determined there was not much public awareness of this hidden gem, and that the organization was relying on a small, core pool of major donors…

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News & Events

February 12th, 2020
New Video: Create an Inspiring Annual Report
In the latest edition of Let's Talk Fundraising, Wendy and Victoria discuss some practical insights and tips to maximize the effectiveness of your nonprofits annual report. 
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February 6th, 2020
It's Not Too Late. Keith recorded his Donor-Advised Funds Webinar
Even if you missed Keith's webinar on donor-advised funds with MarketSmart, we recorded it!
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February 3rd, 2020
Great News for the Virginia Aquarium
Congrats to Virginia Aquarium on the successful campaign that will bring the new Darden Marine Animal Conservation Center and Marsh Pavilion to life
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January 30th, 2020
Our client Virginia Symphony Announces Historic "Vision Forward" Campaign
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra has raised over $9.3 million in the largest fundraising campaign in the organization's history.
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