Orr Associates, Inc.

At least once a week a board member or the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization calls asking if OAI can help their charity raise more funds. The questions we always ask are:

• From what donor groups are you raising funds today?
• Do you have a formal Development Plan in place?
• Is your board of directors a fundraising board?
• Is your board of directors committed to executing the Development Plan?
• Do you have a Strategic Plan in place for the entire organization?

If the response to any or all of these questions is silence, we know our work is cut out for us.

Successful fundraising is the result of careful, well-articulated planning that should be a participatory activity involving staff, and importantly, the Board. If a nonprofit wants to raise funds, it needs a committed board. If the board needs to be strengthened and expanded, the best way to accomplish this is through a comprehensive planning process.

OAI has been providing services that address these key needs for 16 years. The patterns are similar for every nonprofit competing for funds. We have found there are ample sources of funds from foundations, corporations and individuals; however, grant-making decision-makers have become very sophisticated and expect each organization to have a valid, operational business plan. They are also more likely to respond to someone they already know or someone they have worked with in the past, far more readily than new applicants. The need for relationships is essential, and building those relationships begins with basic steps: strategic planning, development planning, or both.

This newsletter is dedicated to describing strategy solutions and to providing a nonprofit board member or senior staff member with specific methodologies and examples to assist in the understanding of successful fundraising through careful planning.

A core focus of OAI's services to nonprofit organizations is STRATEGY.

In order for an organization to reach its end goals, it must fully understand its past successes and challenges and create a plan of action. This newsletter highlights four of OAI's STRATEGY service lines:

• Strategic Planning
• Development Audit
• Campaign Feasibility Study
• Development Plan

Strategic Planning

OAI's Strategic Planning service offers nonprofits and foundations guidance in creating roadmaps for success. OAI helps clients set organizational goals, develop concrete approaches to achieve those goals and create realistic timetables for completion. A dedicated team at OAI works with clients to create or refine mission and vision statements, identify programmatic priorities, recommend optimal organizational structures to carry out essential functions and develop fundraising plans to generate the funds necessary to support the organization's activities.

For the past 13 years, OAI has provided strategic planning services to assist Youth, I.N.C. (Improving Nonprofits for Children) in achieving its organizational goals. Youth I.N.C.'s mission is to improve the lives of America's youth through a unique venture philanthropy model that empowers, develops, and educates nonprofit organizations serving young people. Over the years, OAI has assisted Youth, I.N.C. in the development and implementation of its strategic plan that has helped the organization create new programs, capitalize on new revenue sources, and grow its infrastructure to service more nonprofit organizations.

Campaign Feasibility Study

OAI's Campaign Feasibility Study service provides an objective assessment of a nonprofit's readiness and ability to embark upon a large-scale fundraising endeavor. Through analysis of an organization's current fundraising environment and interviews with key stakeholders and prospective campaign leaders, OAI works with clients to develop a compelling campaign case statement and create the optimal campaign strategy.

OAI is currently conducting a five-month Campaign Feasibility Study for The Salvation Army, National Capital Area Command. The Salvation Army's vision is “Doing the Most Good” by providing local families and individuals with transitional housing, anti-addiction support, emergency assistance and disaster relief, among other services. For the project, OAI will develop, compile, analyze and manage a complete Campaign Feasibility Study to determine realistic and achievable fundraising goals for a major endowment campaign for The Salvation Army, National Capital Area Command's three signature programs: Turning Point, Harbor Light and The Solomon G. Brown Center.

Development Audit

OAI's Development Audit service provides a comprehensive study and analysis of an organization's fundraising capabilities. The Development Audit takes a snapshot of a client's current development activities and provides a basis to strategize future development efforts. Through a series of assessments, interviews and data collection with organizational stakeholders, OAI's Development Audit works to uncover and develop key strengths that will lead to fundraising success. A Development Audit is an ideal service for nonprofits that are launching a fundraising campaign or those that want to build upon their overall development efforts.

OAI was retained by the Muhammad Ali Center (MAC) in Louisville, KY to conduct a Development Audit. The mission of MAC is to preserve and share the legacy and ideals of Muhammad Ali, to promote respect, hope, and understanding, and to inspire adults and children everywhere to be as great as they can be.

Development Plan

Success in fundraising for any nonprofit organization begins with a viable Development Plan. OAI works with clients to create Development Plans that focus on an organization's mission, networks and programs. Depending on the particular needs of the organization, the plan will entail actionable tactics based on short- and long-term goals. All areas of development are analyzed in the process and conclude with a formalized plan and recommendations for "best development strategies" based on the likelihood of success.

Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation (RLSF) hired OAI for Development Audit and Development Plan services to enable the organization to better achieve future fundraising success and further promote its mission. RLSF was established in 1989 with the goals of increasing awareness, improving treatments and, through research, finding a cure for Restless Legs Syndrome.

The Start-Up: Susan Corsini, Managing Director

I have had the unique opportunity to assist individuals in establishing nonprofits. The process begins by defining the organization's area of focus, mission and vision, and it isn't always easy. Many organizations turn to professionals for help during this initial stage. Nonprofit consultants, acting as outside observers with objectivity and experience, can be invaluable in such a situation.

Once the focus is identified, much of defining the mission and vision is based on research. For instance, to identify the mission, a nonprofit must first identify where the opportunities are by examining other nonprofits in the area of focus and what they are doing. It's important to ask, Will the area of focus I am thinking of add value to the issue and not duplicate efforts already underway?

With a mission and vision in place, the next set of questions to be tackled are: how much money does the nonprofit have and does it want to spend its assets in a specific timeframe or run indefinitely? The answer dictates what the nonprofit will do: what type of programs it will provide and who will it serve (nationwide or regional, for instance). Lastly, what is needed to achieve the mission and vision is taken into consideration. What staff, supplies and infrastructure are needed to implement its programs?

OAI offers a collaborative approach to strategic planning services that help organizations navigate this process. Please contact me at scorsini@oai-usa.com or visit our website to learn more about how your organization can benefit from these services.

Email: enews@oai-usa.com

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Website: www.oai-usa.com