Linda Lysakowski

Part of the The AFP Fund Development Series, “The Fundraising Feasibility Study: It’s Not About the Money” provides an insider look at what many nonprofit development staff often feel is an important but elusive part of campaign planning: the feasibility study. Edited by Martin L. Novom, it contains insights from some of the most well-known names in philanthropy, who define the concept of a feasibility study, outline the multifaceted reasons behind doing one and detail the intricacies of the entire process. Among the contributors are Betty Ann Copley Harris, Linda Lysakowski, Tony Myers and Simone Joyaux. Chapters include “Stepping Up to the Challenge

Many times in smaller organizations, executive directors and development directors will bemoan the fact that they don’t have the “movers and shakers” on their board and, therefore, won’t consider a major-gifts program or capital campaign that relies heavily on leadership-level gifts. Before writing off your board, consider doing some brainstorming on major-donor prospects. You might be surprised at the connections your board has in this regard. Brainstorming is best done in the form of a screening and rating session. There are basically three ways to conduct screening for major-donor prospects. For all three methods, the screening committee could include: * board members * staff

The struggling economy has made it a challenging time for fundraisers. With disposable income harder to come by, there are fewer dollars to be had and the same number of nonprofit organizations — or even more — competing for them.  

Tough economic times also mean there are more people who need the help that charitable organizations provide.

So how can fundraising professionals determine how much to ask from donors? What formulas should they use — or not use? What else should they consider when determining the “ask”?

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