Annual Fund Assessment and Annual Fund Development Services

Business as usual will not be enough this year. Is your annual fundraising behind schedule? Did you reach your last year’s goals, but worry that reaching this year’s goal will be a challenge? Are you being asked to increase your dollar goals in order to provide funding to make up for lost income or increased expenses in other areas? Do you feel like your fund is getting stale?

CEND’s Annual Fund Campaign Development Services Can Help.

Our Annual Fund Development Assessment is a focused, intense study of all your annual fundraising programs designed to give you specific strategies and recommendations that can be implemented immediately. The study will examine your plans, strategies, messaging, marketing materials, processes and staff and volunteer structure, with a focus on identifying areas that can be enhanced or made more efficient immediately.

Annual Fund Plan in Focus

Because the Assessment focuses on fundraising, it can be completed typically in 2 – 4 weeks, allowing you to quickly begin using the recommendations. The Assessment doesn’t end with the written recommendations, it also provides you with counsel for 30 days after the report is delivered to get guidance from our team as you implement the recommendations.

CEND Will:

• Evaluate your annual giving marketing materials and messaging—including letters, mailers, phone scripts, brochures and your online visibility (including social media, email appeals and online giving).
• Analyze your current annual giving plan and make recommendations to improve your plan, methods, and results for this giving year.
• Provide an on-site day of expert guidance about proven methods to retain and upgrade current donors and renew lapsed donors.
• Meet with all staff involved in annual fundraising programs to assess where challenges exist, where “bottlenecks” reside and opportunities await.
• Personally interview your leadership (annual fund chair or development committee chair) to gain an external perspective of the strengths and challenges of your annual.
• A complete review of your upper level membership program (for membership organizations) to determine the best pathways to move your constituents from members to donors.
• Review your stewardship process, including giving levels and donor recognition clubs.
• Work with you to understand the organization’s overall financial picture in order to help you determine what and how to communicate about your finances to donors in order to leverage the points where donors’ gifts can have real impact.
• Determine your cost to raise an annual fund dollar and ways to improve your rates of return.
• Look for ways that resources could be deployed in a more efficient and effective manner.
• Provide you with a written report of findings, recommendations and strategies to enhance your annual fund.
• As your annual fund consultant we will be available by phone and email for 30 days after delivery of the report to answer any additional questions that may arise and to assist with the implementation of the recommendations.