Major Gift Fundraising – The Basic Elements

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on February 10, 2016

The five basic elements in Major Gift Fundraising are Leadership, a Prospect Base, Involvement by Prospective Donors in various aspects of organizational life, a Donor Recognition Program, and someone to Guide the process. 1. Leadership includes the organization’s CEO, Trustees and (often) key volunteers. It’s their role to define the funding need, take their case […]

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Capital Campaigns – An Overview

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on February 3, 2016

By definition, a Capital Campaign is an intense effort to acquire sufficient commitments to add up to a specific large sum, for a specific valid/urgent purpose. The word “Capital” refers to the money needed to erect/expand/renovate a building, the funding needed for the purchase/installation/overhaul of (major) equipment and the funding to create/expand an endowment. The […]

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A Planning Study Over A Feasibility Study, Every Time

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on January 27, 2016

For the last 60-70 years, a Feasibility Study has been “required” before planning and/or implementing any major fundraising effort, and its basic concept and structure hasn’t changed in all that time; and, it is my contention that the Feasibility Study is not only obsolete, it’s counter-productive. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that […]

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Ensuring A Nonprofit’s Future – With Major Gifts

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on January 20, 2016

Most non-profits don’t live on grants from corporations, foundations and governments, or from event generated income. Roughly 80% of contributed dollars come from individual donors or their estates. And the common wisdom is that at least 80% of that amount — or about two-thirds of all contributed dollars – come as major gifts from individuals. […]

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Does Your Organization Have a REAL Director of Development?

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on January 13, 2016

Ideally, from day one, an organization should have someone who knows/understands the NPO, its mission, its leadership and its hopes and aspirations. This person should have the experience and skills to help the NPO plan for next week and next year. This person should have input at all levels, should be able to guide/train the […]

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Fundraising vs Development

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on January 7, 2016

It Can Be Confusing to Someone New to the Field…. To review a basic concept, the terms “Fundraising” and “Development” are not synonymous. Development refers to the process of establishing, maintaining and enhancing relationships with individuals, corporations and foundations … for the purpose of creating/maintaining a giving constituency that provides ongoing support for a nonprofit […]

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A Capital Campaign Horror Story – Part Three

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on December 23, 2015

This is a three-part story of a small Historical Society that embarked upon a Capital Campaign at the urging of their current President and her husband, who donated $1M for a major project. The campaign was undertaken without a Planning Study; and, in their second year of fundraising only $156,000 has been raised… $100,000 of […]

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A Capital Campaign Horror Story – Part Two

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on December 16, 2015

This is a three-part story of a small Historical Society that embarked upon a Capital Campaign at the urging of their current President and her husband, who donated $1M for a major project. The campaign was undertaken without a Planning Study; and, in their second year of fundraising only $156,000 has been raised… $100,000 of […]

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A Capital Campaign Horror Story – In Three Parts, Part One

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on December 9, 2015

(This is an email I’d received, with my comments in bold.) We are a small Historical Society that backed into a Capital Campaign when our current President and her husband donated $1M for a new vault and study center. A design and build Contractor on our Board did the best he could, without plans and […]

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Should We Ask Our Donors To Give More Than Once Each Year ??

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on December 2, 2015

An email noted: “Staff members at my organization seem to believe we will lose our donors if we ask them to give more than once a year. I would appreciate hearing from others on this concern.” OK. I know I’ve said this before, but the worst, absolutely the worst, thing that has ever happened to […]

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