At Alexander Haas, we understand that developing the campaign plan is only the beginning of the challenge. Successful campaigns depend on executing the plan, monitoring progress and the situation carefully and making the right adjustments to maintain momentum and keep the campaign on course. We also understand the importance of executing the campaign in a manner that does not jeopardize, undermine or disrupt ongoing annual fundraising programs.

As campaign counsel we see ourselves as your partner on the campaign team, advising on strategy for the overall campaign, as well as strategies for individual prospects. We believe that every decision made along the campaign route impacts the outcome and we strive to use the experience we have gained from working with more than 1,000 clients to ensure that those decisions have a positive impact on your campaign’s success. We strive to be proactive and help guide you through the campaign, rather than being a “Monday morning quarterback” who critiques your decisions after they have been made.

We understand that no two organizations — no matter how similar — are exactly alike. There are unique strengths, challenges and histories that all influence the campaign. We believe that our job, as counsel, is to develop and execute a campaign strategy that takes all of these factors into account in order to capitalize on the strengths and mitigate the challenges. We have a wealth of experience, having worked on campaigns with goals from $1 million to more than $1 billion, and a great many tools at our disposal, but a “cookie cutter” is not one of them.

We also believe that campaign success is defined by what happens after the campaign is over: fundraising programs are stronger, annual giving has reached a higher level, staff is better trained, and — most importantly — leadership understands that fundraising is an ongoing, organization-wide investment.

No two organizations are exactly alike, so in order to provide you with the level of service required for YOUR success, Alexander Haas offers a range of Campaign Consulting Services customized to your unique needs and to maximize your success. This can include:

• Working with you to help identify campaign volunteer leadership, including Campaign Chair and Campaign Committee members and developing a strategy for who should be recruited and by whom, when, and how.
• Helping design and develop a campaign plan and budget. The plan will include the strategy, sequencing schedule, range-of-gifts table, organizational chart, job descriptions, and budget for the campaign, etc.
• Assisting in the development of individual cultivation and solicitation strategies for all prospective major donors to the campaign.
• Helping refine and position your donor recognition and giving opportunities.
• Educating and helping motivate your leadership to contribute, solicit for, and market the campaign. Alexander Haas will provide the volunteers and staff with training and information needed to solicit gifts personally and effectively.
• Providing necessary direction, guidance, and counsel for campaign leadership, volunteers, and staff. This will include attendance at Campaign Committee meetings, strategy meetings with staff and volunteers, and on-going availability in person and by phone, fax, and email.
• Assessing giving patterns to help identify the best prospects.
• Developing campaign accounting policies, donor recognition policies and gift agreements that are in line with the current best practices in the sector.
• Providing guidance on establishing and maintaining a program to evaluate and monitor the cultivation and solicitation of your prospects. This will include tracking the status of all solicitations, assignments, results, and development of report procedures to be used at all staff and volunteer levels.
• Helping organize your campaign to keep the campaign moving.
• Ensuring that the campaign is integrated and complimentary with all ongoing fundraising activities and programs.
• Assisting in planning campaign meetings, by working with the campaign staff and campaign volunteers to prepare agendas and support materials, to ensure that the meetings are effectively and efficiently conducted.
• Providing assistance in letter writing, agenda planning, drafting of correspondence, acknowledgment of pledges and gifts, telephone follow-up with volunteers, and other day-to-day management duties.
• Preparing and helping implement a communications strategy.
• Helping in the development of the case for support, campaign materials, theme, logo, video, etc.
• Helping write corporate, foundation, and individual requests and proposals, and developing written “strategy memos” and talking points for solicitations.
• Providing counsel on other issues that arise during the campaign.