• 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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Fundraising Assessment & Capacity Building

By assessing your development program’s strengths, weaknesses, and effectiveness, we can pinpoint areas of challenge and opportunity. Whether you need a development assessment or capacity-building counsel, we’ll provide customized recommendations that will give you a leg up on 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. We’ve conducted board development sessions on topics ranging from “The Role of the Board in Fundraising” to “How to Make a Major Gift Ask.”

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Clients & Case Studies

  • BRC case study bikes
    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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  • Nansemond-Suffolk Academy

    Nansemond-Suffolk Academy had a high bar to maintain when they set their sights on opening a second lower school campus—while expanding and enhancing their main campus. Through in-depth analysis, The Curtis Group determined the financial potential was there, but the critical element to their success would be the identification of the right leadership for the campaign …

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News & Events

September 10, 2019
Victoria to Present on Crafting a Development Plan
Fundraising Resolution #1: Get more organized! We all know that organization and proper planning are key in any successful nonprofit. For philanthropy professionals, this means creating a strategic development plan that will allow you to set goals and track progress.
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September 4, 2019
The ABCs of DAFs - Webinar
Keith Curtis will be presenting with the Association of Fundraising Professionals International on donor-advised funds. In this webinar, you will learn how to ensure that you and your nonprofit are proactive and capitalizing on this donor-friendly giving vehicle.
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July 30th, 2019
The New Era of Philanthropy - New Blog Post!
“The new era of philanthropy is focused on demonstrating the impact of giving. Now more than ever, giving is recognized as influencing our economy, driving social change and empowering more women and communities of color to lead through giving. To me, a key gauge of this new era of philanthropy is better demonstrating impact by understanding diversity and investigating what motivates giving in our generous country.” Keith Curtis, President, The Curtis Group
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July 23rd, 2019
Building Fundraising Capacity - Recorded Webinar
Victoria Dietz' engaging webinar in partnership with Bloomerang was recorded for those who missed it.
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