Dear Joe: Please Give To My Cause.

Situation

Client E, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization, was a well-know community resource. Although a mid-sized organization with a limited program reach, the organization had a loyal group of supporters who had played key roles in its success over the years. The steady stream of contributions secured by these loyal supporters kept the organization financially sound, so investing in building a development office and formalizing fundraising activities didn't seem necessary.

Toward the end 2005, the organization suddenly experienced a dip in individual and corporate gifts as a result of many donors shifting their focus to disaster relief (Tsunami and Katrina) and investments in other major community initiatives. Without a strong fundraising plan to rely on, the organization found itself without a contingency plan and didn't know how to reach new donors. The bevy of loyal supporters also realized they needed to evolve their current fundraising approach of asking friends to "Please give to my cause" into more strategic focused approaches.

Client E looked to CCO for a fundraising "face-lift."

Action

CCO worked with Client E to analyze their existing donor base, identify a broad pool of prospective new donors, and refine and recreate solicitation appeals and strategies. CCO also put into motion the framework for a successful annual solicitation, including:

•  establishing a schedule for soliciting corporate and foundation prospects;

•  connecting the organization's executive director with prospective funders;

•  developing a strong case for support that could be adapted for each
solicitation, and

•  trained the board and volunteers on successful fundraising.

Results

Within the first two months of working with the organization, CCO helped Client E secure more than $15,000 in new and increased gifts and submitted more than 10 proposals to foundations and corporations that had not previously been solicited by the organization. CCO also identified more than 100 initial additional prospects that fit within Client E's mission and program offerings. By working with Client E to create a strong development plan, CCO helped Client E to increase fundraising results from previous years by increasing existing donors and bringing on new donors. CCO also helped to provide professional fundraising support and ongoing advice to relieve a busy Executive Director who needed to focus on programming and ongoing operations. CCO provided Client E's board with the tools and training to additionally support the organization's fundraising and outreach efforts.