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Before beginning, you should:
1) Obtain full support of your board and commitment
of staff.
2) Determine the goals and objectives of the assessment.
3) Develop a timeline.
4) Select an "outside party" (consulting firm)
to conduct the assessment.
5) Be prepared to spend time working with the consultant.
Your consultant will help you:
1) Develop a list of individuals to be interviewed by
the consultant, including board members, staff, and
community donors and leaders.
2) Assist in drafting appropriate questions for interviews/questionnaire.
3) Review final draft report.
4) Review executive summary.
5) Present report, findings and recommendations; Engage
in discussion.
6) Implement the plan.
A comprehensive assessment will require the following
information and should be made available to the consultant
for review:
- List of board members: executive members, terms,
committee assignments, giving history
- List of development committee members and giving
history
- Staff organizational chart
- Board organizational chart
- Staff and board job descriptions
- Long-range or strategic plans
- Mission and vision statements
- Bylaws
- Development plans (current and past)
- Gift acceptance guidelines (if available)
- Current marketing materials: brochures, case for
support (if developed), examples of event invitations,
annual report(s), newsletters, Web site address
- Annual campaign appeal letters (past 3 years) and
record of responses
- Analysis of giving over past three years (Have you
seen an increase or decrease in giving? Why the change?)
- Copies of acknowledgment letters
- Copies of response cards, letters of intent, pledge
statements and collateral materials used in development
office
- Donor stewardship plan (if written and available)
- Status of technology: hardware, software, and ability
to manage information and communicate with donor community
- Other information as requested by consultant
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