Program & Organizational Development
Program & Organizational Development
Building the administrative, financial, fundraising and program capacity of your organization in an efficient and integrated fashion is how strong nonprofits ensure the success, stability and longevity of their agencies. RootSource Fundraising has designed and implemented organizational development strategies for nonprofit and academic agencies that have included:
board assessments and training
program planning and evaluation
review and development of fundraising policies and procedures
evaluation of donor tracking systems
and strategic and succession planning.
We will find ways for your agency to build and streamline its organizational procedures to meet your program goals and serve your constituents more effectively.
Board Assessment, Recruitment & Training
Finding dedicated board members with the range of expertise and skills your organization needs to function effectively, is one of the greatest challenges facing nonprofits. In today’s world, nonprofits also must increasingly rely upon their board members for help in identifying and garnering financial support from individuals, companies, and private foundations in order to sustain and grow the critically important services being provided to the community.
As a result, these board members require an initial orientation that clearly spells out their important roles and responsibilities within the organization, particularly in relation to governance and fundraising; paramount to the health of your nonprofit. RootSource Fundraising will assess and identify your board’s strengths and capacity for fulfilling its responsibilities to your organization, and determine where opportunities exist for expanding their skills and abilities through both training and the recruitment of new members.
Program Planning & Evaluation
Developing new programs involves multiple steps and substantial planning, including:
identifying the community problem to be addressed
determining the program’s goals, objectives and activities required for implementation
ascertaining the appropriate measurable outcomes
assessing the resources available for implementation
and ultimately how the program will be evaluated.
We will work with your organization’s management and program staff to establish your program’s goals, objectives, implementation activities, timelines and benchmarks, measurable outcomes, evaluation methodology and resources required that will help your agency develop a strong and successful program.
Fundraising Policies & Procedures
Every successful nonprofit development department requires a strong administrative framework and tools to support its fundraising efforts. This includes procedures that:
help elicit timely thank your letters
assist with scheduling and organizing regular cultivation events and site visits; provide effective grant submission protocols
furnish stewardship guidelines
develop sound donor tracking documents for new major gift cultivation and solicitation
and generate appropriate gift acceptance policies.
RootSource Fundraising will help you develop the back office structures, tools and strategies your nonprofit needs to support an efficient fundraising program.
“She was extremely organized and was especially adept at keeping us on time and on budget. Her many management skills in working with staff and volunteers were excellent.”
Suzanne Marks,
President & CEO
- Pasadena Advertising.Marketing.Design
Evaluation of Donor Database Needs, Development of Attribution Categories & Entry Protocols
The use and maintenance of an organization’s donor database system is an essential part of a nonprofit’s fundraising success. Dynamic fundraising departments require appropriate donor tracking software that fits the size and needs of your organization in order to monitor the progress of your fundraising activities and ensure that your organization is continuing to develop strong relationships with your donors.
RootSource Fundraising has assisted numerous organizations with finding the right donor software, configuring their current software’s backend attributes for more effective donor tracking and fund accounting, and/or customizing entry protocols to ensure greater consistency with their data.
Comprehensive Fund Development Plans
Having an effective and professional development department that can diversify and increase your organization’s funding sources to include a larger percentage of funds from; foundations and corporations, acquisition mailings to cultivate and expand new individual donors, and major and planned gifts from individuals, is crucial to the sustainability and growth of any nonprofit organization.
RootSource Fundraising will work with your board and development staff to create and implement a one to three-year fundraising plan that works for your agency and current donors, as well as builds a supportive development structure to bring in new donors dedicated to your mission.
Strategic Planning
Strategic planning is a systematic management tool requiring a long-term, team effort among the organization’s board, staff and community stakeholders. It is a data driven, meticulous process that helps an organization paint a realistic picture of its present position and effectiveness in the community, and assists it in developing a detailed blueprint and vision for the future.
RootSource Fundraising will work with your board and staff in focusing on your agency’s current mission, vision, organizational goals and program priorities, and help you identify their strengths and weaknesses related to the community’s needs and how you wish to address those needs. We, then, assist your team in the development of a full, five-year operating plan that delineates core strategies, phases and activities for program implementation, and provides explicit timelines and milestone that will allow you to measure and evaluate your progress.
Succession Planning
Succession planning is a strategy for identifying and developing future leaders at your nonprofit, for both the executive and upper management positions. Such a plan can give your agency a road map for training current employees to meet the future leadership challenges and find advancement within your organization.
Working in conjunction with your nonprofit’s strategic plan, board and management staff; RootSource Fundraising will develop a succession plan that evaluates your internal talent and future needs, and maps out a course for developing your employees’ skills appropriately for what lies ahead.