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Higher Services

The Higher Expectations team has the broad depth of knowledge and hands-on experience to help bring your nonprofit organization to a new level of performance in the areas of Financial Development, Strategic Planning, and Executive Leadership Searches.

Financial Development

We can help your organization strengthen and build a strong culture of philanthropy that will last for years.  We approach all services with the philosophy that we are teaching the organization how to fish…

 

Annual Campaign Evaluation:

Our team will review and evaluate your current annual campaign and make suggestions on how to maximize its effectiveness.  This includes evaluating your current campaign structure, average gift amount, donor retention, stewardship practices and growth strategies.  We will also evaluate current marketing, case development, and community awareness methodologies, campaign training tactics, donor software and tracking systems, and current giving levels among your staff and board teams.

 

Our Higher Expectations team will work hand in hand with your board and staff teams to develop a comprehensive, successful, and personalized plan that will lead to positive and meaningful outcomes.

 

Annual Campaign Development:

If your nonprofit organization is just stepping a toe into the Annual Campaign waters, you’ve come to the right place.  Our team has run many successful annual appeal campaigns resulting in millions of dollars in contributed revenue.  We will work with your board and staff team to develop a comprehensive plan with proven results.  Higher Expectations will teach your team the in’s and out’s of the donor cycle, the mechanics of how to most effectively utilize staff and volunteer time, treasure, and talents. And most importantly, we’ll be side by side with you as you prepare, implement, and carry out your Annual Campaign.

Executive Leadership Searches

The Higher Expectations team has a broad depth of experience in obtaining nonprofit Executive Leaders that can help your organization serve your community with distinction.  We can be of assistance to your search team in a number of ways:

 

  • Creation of a robust job description with expected outcomes and metrics.

  • Establish a competitive, viable, and sustainable salary range for your position.

  • Utilize nation-wide job search entities such as Indeed and LinkedIn.

  • Create a talented candidate pool by utilizing specific criteria.

  • Conduct initial screening interviews with candidates to arrive at a list of final candidates for review by the search team.

  • Assist the search team with development of final interview format and questions.

Organizational Assessment

Organizational Audit Assessment:
Through a series of surveys and interviews with clients, staff, board, and community stake-holders the Higher Expectations team will assess your organization’s strengths and challenges in the following areas:

  • Financial Development metrics and performance

  • Board strength, diversity, inclusiveness, and gaps

  • Community Engagement efforts and challenges

  • Board governance practices

 

The Higher Expectations team will produce a comprehensive report on identified strengths, low hanging fruit and organizational challenges for growth.  Consider this an exercise in pre-logistics, the planning before the plan is developed.

Strategic Planning

The Higher Expectations team has been involved with the development and implementation of organizational Strategic Plan development on the non-profit Executive and Board Member levels for many years.  We believe in methodologies that utilize staff, board, and community input to develop a comprehensive plan designed to help your organization develop expertise in the areas of:

  • Financial Development

  • Board Development and Governance 

  • Community Engagement

  • Capital Campaign readiness

  • Fiscal Best Practices 

Capital Campaign

Feasibility Study, Campaign Readiness and Implementation

If your organization is thinking about a Capital Campaign in the near future you’ve come to the right place.  Our team can assist you with the three most important areas of a successful capital project outcome: 

 

  • Capital Campaign Feasibility Study

  • Capital Campaign Readiness Assessment

  • Capital Campaign Implementation

 

Capital Campaign Feasibility Study:

The Capital Campaign Feasibility Study is the most important piece of ensuring that your organization is properly positioned to embark on a successful capital campaign.  We will work with your Board and Staff teams to identify key community stakeholders and donors, and test your case statement for viability.  We will perform 20 to 30 in-person interviews, with identified key leaders, to produce a comprehensive report that not only gives you an estimated amount that you can raise, but also identifies those key donors, stakeholders, and other community leaders that you should be targeting.  We will also evaluate the strength and relevance of your case statement with the community.  We can’t stress how important the Feasibility Study is to a successful outcome in your capital campaign.
 

Capital Campaign Readiness Assessment:

The Higher Expectations team will work with your Board and Staff teams to assess your organization’s preliminary readiness to plan for a Capital Campaign.  Included in our study will be the evaluation of: your current annual campaign success, structure, and historical track record of positive growth.  We will also evaluate your board strength and governance practices, major gift support, case viability, campaign feasibility study, and the current philanthropic atmosphere in your community.  We will work with your organization to compile a report that defines your campaign’s readiness (RED - not ready), YELLOW - (almost ready), or GREEN - (ready).

 

Capital Campaign Implementation:

Once your organization is ready to launch a Capital Campaign, your Higher Expectations team is ready to walk hand-in-hand with you throughout the process.  We will be of help in the following areas of implementation:

 

  • Case Development and plan for community and donor dissemination on various platforms leading to comprehensive community exposure for your organization.

  • Identification of a viable donor management and tracking software system.

  • Development of a pyramid of giving.  This also includes the identification of other forms of capital gifts such as: New Market and Historical Tax Credits, Local and state governmental funds, and sussing out of business and foundation resources.

  • Donor development including identification of those most important lead gift donors.  We focus on the time proven rule that 10 to 20 percent of your donors will give 80 to 90 percent of the total dollars raised.  

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