Author: Amy Schiffman – Page 3 – Giving Tree Associates, Inc.

The Feasibility Study Part III: Interviewees and the Study Process

We’re in the midst of a conversation about the campaign feasibility study and what’s involved in embarking upon this important planning process. This post serves as Part III in my 5-part series and will focus on the “who”. Remember – a feasibility study is conducted prior to a capital, endowment…

Capital/Endowment Campaign Management

Feasibility Planning Part II: How Does It Work?

If you read last week’s blog, you’ll remember that I talked about how you know if your organization should embark upon a feasibility study. We covered the question of “why”. Just to recap, a feasibility study is conducted prior to a capital, endowment or significant major gifts campaign. It is…

Capital/Endowment Campaign Management

Should My Nonprofit Conduct a Feasibility Study? Ten Reasons Why You Should Consider This Crucial Planning Step

The nonprofit world is building again! For many years after the 2007/08 recession hit, capital projects ceased to sprout up in the nonprofit world as often as they did in the early 2000’s. Organizations were fearful about their ability to commit to long term, high cost projects. It made sense.…

Fundraising 101

Brand New Thinking

You may have received an invitation to next week’s Speaker Series program, “Building Your Brand”. Why, you might ask, would a firm that specializes in fundraising, leadership development and strategic planning offer an afternoon dedicated to branding to its clients and prospective clients? This would be a reasonable question. And…

Board Development

The Board Give or Get Quandary

This is the final post in our summer series on board development, and we’ve saved one of the meatiest issues for last. One of the most common questions I receive about board leadership relates to the board’s role as fundraiser (for) and donor (to) the organization: Should my board have…

Board Development

Onboarding Your New Board Members

So you have some new board members joining you this fall, which is exciting, but what’s the plan? How will you introduce them to the work of your organization, familiarize them with your case for support, engage them in committee work, and integrate them into your current board team? Sound…

Board Development

Four Easy Steps to Committee Member Recruitment

Now is the time of year when we tend to think about our standing and ad hoc committee structures and wonder if we have a) the right people; b) enough people; and c) a clear understanding of what it is the committee is supposed to do. A few weeks ago…

Board Development

Committee Goals and Work Plans – Do I Really Need Them?

If you are following my blog lately, and you’re interested in board development, you may have noticed that I’ve referenced the need for board members to be spending spring and summer months planning for the year ahead (assuming a July 1 fiscal year) – and that the outcomes of this…

Board Development

Training Your Board Committee Chairs

Two weeks ago, we talked about standing board committees – I described the typical standing board committee structure. Now, as you close in on the end of summer and think about getting your board back to work (unless they have been working all summer, and if so, good for you!)…

Fundraising 101

St. Louis in July? Why You Should Attend More Conferences

I know I promised to talk about training your board committee chairs this week, but I am interrupting our regular broadcasting (don’t worry, it’s on the agenda for next week – I will indeed get to it) to create a quick commercial for conference attendance. Shocking, given that most fundraising…

Board Development

Do You Have the Right Standing Board Committees? First, Ask the Four Questions…

We’ve spent the last several weeks discussing optimal board performance and functioning. Last week I promised to spend some time discussing the standing board committee structure. Summer is a great time to consider this structure and review the reference to committee types, executive committee makeup and committee charters in your…

Board Development

Setting the Board Retreat Agenda

This being the third post in my blog series about the best use of your board’s time this summer, and after several references to the critical nature of the board retreat (I’m hoping I’ve convinced you to set a date for the retreat by now), I thought it made sense…

Board Development

Board Retreating: 6 and 6

Last week we talked about the actions your board must take this summer in order to ensure success in 2017-18. One of these actions was the planning of a board retreat. I want to spend a few minutes expanding on the value the retreat brings to the board team so…

Board Development

5 Reasons Your Board Should Not Disappear This Summer

School’s out for summer, right?! Think again… I’ve heard far too many board members remark that our work will pick up again in August or September because either, a) “our board does not meet in the summer,” b) “no one is around over the summer,” c) “I can’t get anyone’s…

Capital/Endowment Campaign Management Fundraising 101

Is It October Already?

This is the time of year where we start talking about how fast everything is moving…. Two minutes ago it was summer, and we felt like we had all the time in the world to dream, plan and strategize. Now, we’re into the second quarter and some of us might…

Fundraising 101

Fundraising Time Management

The hardest part about our jobs is figuring out how to fit in everything we must accomplish. When faced with lean budgets and even leaner professional teams, nonprofit development pros have a harder time than most trying to do get it all done without sacrificing their personal lives or feeling…

Board Development Capital/Endowment Campaign Management

Yes, Your Board Must Fundraise.

When prospective clients call and ask us to engage in a campaign management project, one of the first questions we ask is about lay leadership. “Tell us about the board’s role in fundraising…” we inquire. Or “…do you have a development committee?” Our first line of questioning tells us a…

Capital/Endowment Campaign Management

Capital Campaigns- Laying the Groundwork

Capital Campaigns are rarely, if ever, invoked to raise a small amount of money. Rather, they are designed to raise amounts that go above and beyond the regular call for support that an organization’s constituency is used to receiving. There are two main reasons for this: one, for the amount…

Capital/Endowment Campaign Management

Capital Campaigns- The What? and The Why?

Capital Campaigns are designed to raise money for a specific need, almost always regarding a physical structure or asset of an organization. Most Capital Campaigns are initiated to acquire, replace, or significantly refurbish an aging facility. In some instances, donations from a Capital Campaign go towards filling those facilities with…

Capital/Endowment Campaign Management

Why We Won't Stop Talking About Annual Campaigns…

Yes, last year (ok, maybe more like the last 3) no one would stop talking…