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Building Capacity for the Future

By Kim Glenn, President. Over the last 13 years, moss+ross has had the privilege of working with 220 central North Carolina nonprofits to help them deliver on their missions. We partner with board and staff members alike to evaluate fundraising capacity, operational efficiency, and program impact, and help them develop plans that will enable them to thrive. The National Council of Nonprofits says it well: “Capacity building is not just about the capacity of a nonprofit today — it’s about the nonprofit’s ability to deliver its mission effectively now, and in the future.” When clients engage us to help them build capacity, we approach each situation as a unique opportunity to refocus on mission and find new ways to grow. We start by listening to key stakeholders, inside and outside of the nonprofit, who can help answer [...]

2022-01-25T09:32:39-05:00January 25th, 2022|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel, Highlights from the Latest Newsletter, Messaging, Strategic Planning|
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Building Great Partnerships

By Susan Ross, Partner. Last month I loved being a volunteer faculty member for AFP’s three-day intensive Fundamentals of Fundraising course. My portion of the training used 46 slides and two hours to reinforce one critical point: “Building and maintaining relationships is at the core of successful fundraising.” What does that mean for you and your nonprofit? Based on a dozen years leading moss+ross and three decades of fundraising for Duke, my experience says that building great working relationships with good people interested in your cause starts with valuing them beyond their gifts. Take time to hear their stories and learn from them. Seek their input and make sure they hear important information directly from you. As you bring them closer to the work you are doing, you may see them invest in a bigger way and become your organization’s biggest [...]

2021-07-26T20:59:39-04:00March 19th, 2021|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel|
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m+r interim solutions: Temporary Help to Set the Tone

By Anne Wein, Associate. Does your nonprofit need help meeting communications goals and telling your story? m+r interim solutions matches highly skilled professionals with your temporary staffing needs. Communications and marketing professionals can support your goals for: - Year-long plans for communications and marketing deliverables - Development and production of collateral such as annual reports, mailings, newsletters and brochures - Strategies and execution for digital outreach in web and social media How it works: m+r interim solutions develops the scope of work and contract with the client, manages the client relationship, and provides support to the affiliate contractor. Affiliates are guided by moss+ross best practices and understand our expectations to deliver high-value service. Much of this work can be done remotely, and we work with nonprofits in the Triangle area and beyond. Virtual check-ins and meetings will maximize efficiency [...]

2021-07-26T21:00:19-04:00January 19th, 2021|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, Messaging, Staffing, Team Expertise|
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Challenging Times Bring Solutions and Hope

By Mary Moss, Partner. It’s 2021. The hope for a bright and shiny new year was dashed with images from January 6th at the U.S Capitol. An already beleaguered nation that is dealing with issues of life and death – the pandemic, racial inequity, and economic insecurity – is struggling to come to terms with how the first week in January affects the rest of this year and beyond. At moss+ross, we hold fast to our mission to support nonprofits in their missions, amid growing crises. Hope lives brightly on the horizon. Working together, through the toughest of times, we will find ways to get there. Phase I-B for vaccine distribution has been announced, and we are better positioned to address open festering wounds in racial justice and democracy. We will be stronger working together on these issues. For [...]

2021-07-26T21:00:26-04:00January 19th, 2021|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel, Team Expertise|
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The Room Where It Happens

By Mary Moss. If you’ve seen Hamilton, you know that the “Room Where it Happens” means more than just clever lyrics and melody. History is made by having the right people in the room, people whose actions and commitment will change everything. Alexander Hamilton was in the room, and as they say, the rest is history. Who is in your room? As staff, do you have the right people in your room? As board or committee members, do you have the right volunteers in your room? This past month has been an extraordinary one for some moss+ross clients. To name only a few:  * SECU Family House and Oak City Cares celebrated successful campaign conclusions * Healing Transitions and Durham Tech met huge milestones in their campaigns * Voices Together hired a Director of Development and Eno [...]

2020-02-28T13:38:34-05:00January 14th, 2020|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, Client Highlights, From The Partners, Strategic Planning|
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The Extraordinary Importance of Ordinary Donors

By Susan Ross. All donors, large and small, play an important role in charitable giving, yet recent data show that about half of US families today are not giving at all, and those that do are giving less than they did 15 years ago. Research from the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University shows that this is true across the board, among all organizations. The good news is that most nonprofit organizations are meeting fundraising goals, thanks to larger gifts from fewer donors. Pursuing the extraordinary opportunity means focusing on major gifts. But what about the “ordinary” – the small or medium-sized gift? The stakes are high: nonprofit independence and sustainability may be jeopardized when a few very generous, very wealthy donors have all the voice and clout. Such donors usually do not want all that responsibility [...]

2020-02-28T17:51:12-05:00August 7th, 2019|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel|
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How Much Can You Do in an Hour?

By Mary Moss. It turns out, a lot! Have you ever been in a meeting and caught yourself yawning without opening your mouth where your nostrils expand, and you pray no one is watching? This is a dead give-away that the meeting has gone on too long. I am a keen observer of how different leaders run meetings. Some people process aloud, some don’t say a word, and some insist that everyone say something.  Some prefer to set a time limit; others intentionally do not. Some prepare ahead of time and follow an agenda; others cannot be constrained to an agenda. I have become a huge proponent of the one-hour meeting. Strong meeting management values other people’s time. For example, my Rotary runs a tight ship – meetings are one hour, although people can come earlier to eat [...]

2020-02-28T17:58:29-05:00February 27th, 2019|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel|
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Making the Most of the Midpoint

By Jeanne Murray. In the fundraising world, beginnings and endings are cause for celebration: from kickoffs and launches, to end-of-year campaigns and recognition ceremonies. Yet significant work must also happen in the middle – whether that’s in mid-fiscal year, or in mid-campaign, as many of our clients are experiencing now. Beware of just muddling through the middle! Take proactive steps that will inspire energy and passion among your volunteers, staff, board, and donors. Rekindle that burst of energy you felt at the outset of your year or campaign with these tips. Six tips for midpoint action: Take stock. For an annual fund campaign, examine annual giving trends, and follow up with specific donors whose gifts traditionally came in during the first half of the year but aren't in yet. For a capital campaign, go back to your campaign [...]

2020-02-28T17:58:25-05:00February 27th, 2019|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, Fundraising Counsel, Team Expertise|
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Our Role in the UNC Campaign

By Susan Ross. Our region of North Carolina is filled with top-rated colleges and universities, all of which set high bars for development excellence. Over the past eight years, moss+ross has worked on more than 20 engagements with UNC Chapel Hill and its various schools and programs.  We are particularly proud to be one of two named consulting partners for the $4.25 billion For All Kind campaign. Launched just over a year ago, the campaign has reached $2.3 billion in commitments. moss+ross clients have included some of the biggest efforts on campus: the $1 billion UNC Medicine campaign, a $500 million Rams Club campaign, $400 million for the Kenan-Flagler Business School, and a $300 million focus for UNC Global. We are also involved with schools and programs whose eight-figure goals present equally daunting challenges, such as the School of [...]

2020-02-28T18:15:29-05:00October 30th, 2018|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, Client Highlights, From The Partners, Team Updates|
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Staying True to Campaign Timelines

By Brooke Jenkins. One key question in campaign planning is: “What is the timeline for meeting goal?” There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Campaigns with goals of less than $1 million can require as much time as multi-million dollar efforts, depending on an organization’s prospect pool and available staff and volunteer leadership. Still most campaigns entail three key phases:       The Readiness Phase is a critical period that helps an organization define its strategic objectives and what will be needed to accomplish these objectives through a campaign. This phase often begins with organization-wide strategic planning and assessing the fundraising program’s capacity for campaign success (a.k.a. feasibility study). If deemed ready for a campaign, then it is time to: recruit staff and volunteer leadership who will help with campaign planning and solicitations, identify your most [...]

2020-02-28T18:21:07-05:00October 30th, 2018|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, Team Expertise|
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