The Curtis Group has been a member of The Giving Institute for nearly five years. Established in 1935, The Giving Institute has been the thought leader membership organization for fundraising consultants and nonprofit services firms. One of the many resources they offer to nonprofit leaders is a list of the eight steps on how to… Read more »
Are You Eligible for Community Project Funding/Earmarks?
Are You Eligible for Community Project Funding/Earmarks? By Hilary Fulp, Senior Consultant The U.S. House of Representatives recently released guidance on Community Project Funding (also called earmarks) for FY24. With the constantly changing political landscape, our goal is to provide you with a brief overview of where things stand with earmarks as well as what you… Read more »
Crisis Coaching
This is a defining moment for your organization. You might feel overwhelmed by increased demand and wondering how to communicate your needs, unsure who and how to ask for support, unclear how to motivate your team to be productive while working remotely, or uncertain how to prepare your organization to emerge from this time… Read more »
Does Your 5-Year Plan Involve a New Job?
Before You Call It Quits, Try These 5 Tactics to Grow Job Satisfaction and Boost Fundraising Success By Abbie Hacker Consultant A new survey by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports more than 80% of fundraisers are satisfied with many aspects of their job, yet half are likely to leave their position by 2021. At… Read more »
Debunking 3 Myths: A Campaign’s Impact on Annual Giving
Debunking 3 Myths: A Campaign’s Impact on Annual Giving A campaign is a transformational time in any organization. It is exciting, energizing and yes sometimes challenging. Having worked with nonprofits in campaigns, I have heard and disproved many myths surrounding campaigns and how they negatively impact an organization. Today, I am debunking three of… Read more »
Fundraising Trends To Improve Donor Relations and Fundraising Strategy
Earlier this month, we enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones at the 2018 VFRI conference. This year in particular was incredible as I had the opportunity to chair the conference. I was inspired by the passion that my fellow fundraisers have for their organizations and for our profession. I was invigorated by… Read more »
Transparency and Stability: Keys to Surviving Criticism, Change, or Even Worse Scandal
Nonprofits, philanthropy and fundraising have been my life for a long time now. During this time, I have been through periods of growth and economic downturns, leadership resignations, and even some times of crisis. As I sat down to think about the common threads that have helped organizations weather the ups and downs, the common… Read more »
4 traits successful campaigns have in common
What’s the secret to campaign success? True, it’s critical to start with a campaign planning study to create a blueprint and make sure you’ve set the right fundraising goal. But how likely are you to reach it? At a recent meeting, our team discussed fundraising campaigns over the last few years for which we had provided counsel…. Read more »
Q&A: How to choose a consultant for your planning study
Your organization has decided to conduct a planning study before embarking on a campaign—you’ve already made the first smart choice! A campaign planning study, also known as a feasibility study, will tell you whether or not a campaign is advisable, how much money you could realistically raise and what your strategy would be to raise that… Read more »
Key takeaways from our client who just raised $8.5 million
While mistakes can be valuable learning opportunities, this is a case where the client did everything right. Blue Ridge Community College followed our advice to the letter—and the results speak for themselves. Founded in 1967, Blue Ridge Community College offers comprehensive programs of instruction including associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in occupational/technical and college/university transfer… Read more »
