Major Gifts
3 Necessities to Consider When Soliciting a Gift
In everyday life, asking for financial support is something many of us struggle with. When confronting someone with such delicate requests, we ask ourselves questions like: The truth is, asking for financial support is challenging in any context, and in many cases, the answers to these questions vary greatly. Here at Custom Development Solutions, our…
Read MoreWhat is the Importance of Campaign Report Meetings?
Capital campaigns are extraordinary undertakings requiring extraordinary effort from those involved. “Those involved” include the fundraising professionals responsible for designing and implementing the campaign, professional staff of the organization, the donors and volunteers. The purpose of this article is to focus on one element in the implementation of the campaign plan that requires the active…
Read MorePreparing for a Campaign Feasibility and Planning Study 2nd Edition
With each year, more and more non-profit organizations are preparing to enter into capital campaigns to construct or update facilities, build endowments, supplement operations and pursue other worthy financial goals. The more successful of these organizations will hire consulting firms to conduct Campaign Feasibility and Planning Studies. Identifying the best possible consulting firm for your…
Read MoreDream, Plan & Deliver — Three Steps to Successful Fundraising
Are you the one that everyone looks to as the star fundraiser in your organization? Do you provide the leadership and create the excitement for which your advancement or development office is searching? If so, great! Keep up the good work and send us some of your success stories so that we can include them…
Read MoreDon’t Let Life Pass You By – Seize the Moment
Most of Custom Development Solution’s work revolves around the planning and resident direction of capital campaigns, which is a very intensive hands-on service. Frequently the first step I take with a potential client is to sit and listen to them describe their organization from their history and origins to their vision for the future and…
Read MoreFundraising: Donor Discovery Visits Find ‘Treasure’
What’s the most effective way to raise money? Special events, direct mail, phone calls? The reality that many board members of nonprofit organizations often find difficult to confront is that face-to-face visits remain the most effective strategy for fundraising, far outpacing special events, direct mail and telephone calls. Personal visits for fundraising fall into three…
Read MoreFundraising During a Pandemic?!
5 things you can do to raise more money in the 4th quarter of 2020 “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.” – General George Patton Nonprofits are three quarters into calendar year 2020, which is a logical time for reflection, and recalibration as you enter the best four fundraising months of the year. The…
Read MoreConnecting with People
In the fundraising consulting business, like institutional development, we deal with people. If we are to deal with them effectively and successfully, we have to be able to connect with them personally. To the degree that we can make that personal connection and work to build and strengthen that connection, we are then able to…
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