By Jerry Henry, Partner Nonprofit financial planning typically includes where you’ll raise money, which grants you’ll apply for, whether you’ll do events, and how you’ll spend that money. You think about the things that affect the organization’s mission: Programs, personnel, and direct services. What you don’t plan for are the major expenditures no one wants […]

by Nancy E. Peterman, Partner Some of us remember when our only option for prioritizing and understanding our prospects was a peer review session-a long, tedious meeting with a small, select group of our most loyal and successful donors staring at lists of names. Such feedback was invaluable then and now, as it helped us […]

by Sandra K. Kidd,Senior Partner   Younger patrons seem permanently attached to their smartphones, they are tech-savvy, they follow the interests of their friends (both real life ones and of the Facebook variety), and you have a lot of competition out there for their attention and their attendance. But whether they find their way to […]

By Jerry Henry, Partner Anyone involved in development has heard it said, “Ask for money and you will get advice; ask for advice and you will get money.” The meaning is simple: if you ask for the dollars before you’ve engaged the prospects fully, listened to them, and heard what is meaningful to them, they […]

By Nancy Peterman, Partner A successful campaign is built upon a compelling case for support. We are often called upon to help clients craft a case when they are in the initial stages of contemplating a campaign. Those institutions that have just concluded or updated their strategic plan are in the best position to begin […]

By Sandra Kidd, Partner Last year, the world of art and artists lost a friend when Herbert Vogel , noted collector of minimal and conceptual art, died at age 89 in New York City. For half a decade, Herbert Vogel and his wife Dorothy-or “Dorothy and Herb” as they liked to be known-steadily acquired a collection of […]

By Jim Hackney, Managing Partner As fundraising consultants, we are energized when our work with one organization offers insight into our work with other organizations. As I write this, I am days away from traveling to Greece where I will be an Arts Envoy for the U.S. State Department. I am honored to be a […]

by David Shufflebarger, Senior Partner We are often asked “What is the ideal size for our board?” One response is simply, “Not too large and not too small.” Another is, “It depends.” While there is some merit in both answers, neither is very helpful without delving deeper into the board’s role at an individual college, […]