Assessments

Call them assessments, audits or feasibility studies, the methods that most firms utilize are similar. They are similar because they work. What distinguishes one firm or consultant's work from another is the skill and experience the individuals possess and the relationship created between the consultant and the client.

At Marts & Lundy, we believe that any organization - be it a cultural organization, a university, a healthcare organization, or other nonprofit - must have three basic supports in place if it is to be successful in its fundraising endeavors. Our assessment process is tailored to the client to provide a candid evaluation of how equipped the organization is to conduct its advancement program in light of how solid those supports are.

We view these supports as the legs of a three-legged stool.

• Vision: The reason for the fundraising effort must be clearly defined, well-articulated, and compelling.
• Constituents: The people and organizations who are expected to fund the campaign must have sufficient capacity, interest in the presented vision, and motivation to give.
• Engines: The organization's leadership, staff, and volunteers must be trained, have sufficient time and resources, and be motivated and committed to accomplish the tasks necessary to complete a successful campaign.

Assessments take a variety of forms depending on the life cycle of the organization (pre-campaign, mid-campaign, post-campaign) and how in-depth a study the organization needs. To discuss what type of assessment might best suit your institution's situation, please call us at 1-800-526-9005.

Advancement Program Assessment

Sometimes referred to as an internal assessment or audit, the advancement program assessment is designed to observe how your current development operations are functioning - your programmatic strengths and weaknesses, staffing configuration and experience - and to identify your areas of greatest philanthropic opportunity and develop strategies for optimizing those opportunities.

The assessment will include a review of key internal documents (include strategic planning materials, audited financial statements, Board minutes, and general printed materials); a review of all major gifts, and annual fund, appeals, brochures, donor lists, and stewardship materials; and discussions with key advancement staff to determine the current state of programs and systems and institutional commitment to a program of philanthropy.

Campaign Planning

Campaign Planning Assessment

Experience has taught us that there are no "off the shelf" methods for campaign planning. Each institution has particular needs, priorities for meeting those needs, and internal operations that distinguish it from others. Moreover, differing external constituencies, institutional cultures, and financial exigencies further define the institution and its readiness for a major campaign.

Campaign planning assessments are designed to answer the following questions:

• What is the present attitude of key administrators and top volunteer leaders regarding the strengths and weaknesses, perceived or real, of your organization and your development operations?
• Are your internal and external constituents, particularly the Board, ready to move forward with a campaign?
• What's your capacity to allocate resources and infrastructure to a campaign?
• Have you identified the necessary philanthropic prospects to succeed?

Campaign planning assessments usually have a component that includes personal interviewing of key prospects and volunteers. This component will promote the vision of your institution; measure attitudes and interests of key constituents; uncover potential barriers to success; and serve as a key cultivation component for your top prospects.

Campaign Progress Assessment

At times, campaign progress may plateau or growth may slow. Or, your campaign may be progressing well ahead of schedule and you are considering increasing your campaign goal.

In either case, it may be useful to step aside for a moment and take a hard look at your campaign - your apparatus, your tactics, your untapped philanthropic potential - and determine your best strategies for reinvigorating or expanding your campaign.

Because campaign progress assessments may take place at a variety of stages in the campaign and for a variety of reasons (including institutional leadership change, local and/or global economic changes, e.g.) there is no template for these assessments. Each is unique, fitted to your needs.