Array of Services

Free Day of Development Consulting is an “exploratory day” where RSC will meet with your organization’s Board Chair, CEO and development director to explore general fundraising topics that, with on-the-spot recommendations for change can immediately identify areas for improvement in the fundraising program. If you know that something isn’t “quite right” with your fundraising program but you need assistance in identifying the potentially weak areas, then a General Counsel Day is the place to start. Click here to learn more!

Feasibility Studies for Capital & Endowment campaigns Piano Keyboardwill help your organization determine the level of success which could be achieved in a campaign. This study includes RSC interviews with the organization’s leadership, as well as with other community stakeholders. A statistical analysis and narrative assessment follows with substantial feedback to help determine current status, growth potential, how a campaign case is perceived by the potential ‘investors’, how much could be raised, the prospective sources of that income and a basic timeline from which to work. If you are considering a campaign but need to determine institutional and community readiness, then this study is essential.

Development (Fundraising) Assessment to evaluate volunteer, staffing, budget and operational issues of the overall development program and to make recommendations for improvement. This involves a 2-3 day on-site inspection and interview process that would in turn, allow RSC to offer specific recommendations for change that will significantly increase your organization’s contributed revenue. Detailed financial analysis and modeling of your program are also included to demonstrate the growth potential. If your program — particularly your Annual Fund — isn’t attaining at least 5% increases or more annually, this Assessment can help you uncover the reasons why.

“What’s In The Box?” Campaign Action Plans® will provide your organization with the “fundraising-in-a-box” tools needed to plan and implement a successful campaign. This service is generally an outgrowth from a feasibility study. Although no direct counsel is offered through this product, customized written materials such as plan and case statement outlines, budgets, prospecting and reporting tools are included. If you have a small budget that prevents you from retaining counsel but still want to start with the best plans and tools available, then this is what you need.

Ongoing Counsel includes the Campaign Action Plan, but is much more in-depth, hands-on and highly customized to meet your organization’s needs. This is the core business of Robert Swaney Consulting. Through regular on-site visits and ongoing counsel, RSC guides your organization’s fundraising program for an extended period, making sure that the appropriate focus is maintained in the areas most critical to growth. In the interims between visits, RSC is available via phone/fax/email on an ‘as needed’ basis. If you are ready for ongoing counsel to tie planning, action and results together, then this service is for you.

Interim Management and Counsel is available during a staffing transition. While you are involved in a search for a new Chief Development Officer, you needn’t worry about the day-to-day activities of the development department. While you focus on the search, RSC acts as an “interim department head” to assure that the fundraising activities critical to your organization’s success continue without interruption. This service provides support and results while you find your next CDO.

Telemarketing / Telefunding Campaign Assessment Whether you use an outside vendor or have an in-house tele-sales operation, it is Bird Sculpturelikely that your campaign is underperforming. Campaigns slip. Results are not all they could be. Vendors and staff realize they have hit a plateau but can’t seem to move beyond it. There are four components to any successful phoning campaign and if any one of those four are at less-than-peak performance, your organization is losing money. Through on-site analysis, interviews and observations, RSC’s Telemarketing / Telefunding Audit will show you what is working, what isn’t and how your organization can dramatically improve its outbound calling results. If your organization has been calling outbound for more than three years, then this service will provide the tune-up that you need.

Tele-Call-Coach® Once the opportunities have been identified through an Assessment (see above) you’ll want to move into the action phase. Often, the room manager has reached a plateau too, and needs individualized sales and management coaching to get back on track. Or maybe you have a new manager who needs immersive training so that your seasoned campaign continues on the right track. Regardless, Tele-Call-Coach® addresses those needs. Based on the results of the Assessment, RSC will customize a three-month or six-month training program for your manager that will energize their performance – and the performance of the entire campaign. These two-day hands-on sessions occur monthly at your facility and when completed, will equip your manager to lead their team more effectively and productively. If you have an in-house phone room and you want to generate more revenue at a lower cost, RSC can help.

Staff Coaching Because of the pace and daily distractions, CEOs and Development Directors need regular coaching to keep them — and the fundraising program — on track. Similar to Tele-Call-Coach®, RSC’s one-on-one staff coaching sessions can focus on any number of topics, ranging from entry-level management to executive coaching for major gift fundraising. This program is custom-made for each client so that a specific need within the fundraising program is successfully addressed. If the other demands of your job make the focus on fundraising difficult — or you aren’t as strong in an area of fundraising as you would like to be — try RSC’s staff coaching program.

Board Development Services to develop a mature board that is committed to successful fundraising, stewardship and promotion of their institution. Often, this program is an outgrowth of a study or an assessment and generally involves a full-day board retreat with periodic follow-ups over a 3-6 month time frame. If your Board needs to become more engaged in the fundraising program, RSC can show them how.