Reed Consulting offers a full range of fundraising services for your nonprofit organization.
Grantwriting. Reed Consulting’s roots are in the grant development arena and it is here where we still thrive. Reed Consulting has an extensive history of success in grantwriting, having raised over $17 million in funding (and counting!). Being able to bring much needed financial resources into the hands of worthy organizations is one of the most emotionally satisfying experiences we’ve had to date. We have an established track record of success in all types of grants, whether they be local city, county, state, federal, private or corporate. We’ve successfully written grant proposals for a wide range of needs including (but not limited to) LGBTQ issues, mental health, physical health, homelessness, transitional housing, affordable housing, property acquisition, communications, education, tutoring, childcare, legal, arts, media and environmental causes. Based on a recent analysis of this history, our success rate is over 94%.
We are particularly skilled at using publicly available data (such as financial audits) from grantors and grant recipients to determine funding trends and sources of funding that might not be normally publicized. For example, some community foundations may have donors who don’t want their awards to be publicized. However, these sources of income still need to be reported and specified in the recipient organization’s financial audit. We’ve found that this is especially useful when soliciting support from private family foundations.
Obtaining Federal funding can be a particularly challenging process, especially for organizations that have never sought such funding before. We are skilled in the nuances of applying for federal funding where a knowledge of indirect cost rate agreements, Grants.gov registration, obtaining letters of support from elected federal representatives and other very specific processes is critical.
NOTE: One of the most frequent questions we’re asked is whether we write grant proposals on “spec” or “commission” (where we would theoretically receive a designated percentage of an award for compensation). Commissioned grantwriting is widely considered unethical and problematic for a number of reasons. In fact, we actually published an article in the peer reviewed Grants Professional Association (GPA) Journal many years ago on this very topic. In this article we examined the prevalence of the phenomenon in the solicitation of grantwriters. We also delved into great detail on why it is a problem. It is for these reasons that we operate on an hourly fee reimbursement or financial retainer up front.
Grant Management. There’s an adage in the grant field that getting a grant is often the easy part; actually carrying out what you promised is where the real work begins! No doubt, being awarded a grant is an exciting time of celebration. Organizations often draft press releases or get media attention for grants that will result in the expansion of services, especially when they are new and innovative. However, one challenge that we’ve witnessed again and again in some organizations is the myopic nature of annual grantwriting, where a great deal of priority is placed on the “front end” with much less investment of attention and energy into the actual stewardship of grant funds and any related programmatic or legal obligations thereafter. In some organizations grant reporting, outcomes measurements and accountability to implement what was actually promised are afterthoughts. In many smaller nonprofit organizations that don’t have dedicated grant managers, these duties are often the purview of the relevant project staff working under the grant. It is this “disconnect” that sometimes exists between the “front end” (application) and “back end” (reporting) that Reed Consulting can assist with and put into place systems that will prevent such problems from happening in the future.
Annual Appeals. For most nonprofit organizations, annual (or even seasonal) appeals are an opportunity to capitalize on key times of the year when donors are most likely to contribute to an organization. Many organizations target the end of the calendar year (coinciding with the winter holidays). The reasons for this are twofold: for one, the holiday season is often referred to as the “season of giving” and charitable organizations are often able to capitalize on this generosity to meet their own needs. Secondly, some donors make financial contributions of various types at the end of the calendar year for tax purposes.
Capital Campaigns. The legal ownership of “brick and mortar” physical assets such as office buildings and property (including housing for clients, etc.) is often part of a successful nonprofit organization’s sustainability plan. Just like home ownership for consumers, an organization’s acquisition of property is seen as a smart, strategic decision where precious resources aren’t “wasted on rent.” Capital campaigns are often one of the most expensive types of fundraising that an organization does (often in the millions of dollars). These types of campaigns often take a significant amount of time (going from one tax-year into another), and are usually structured by key benchmarks (e.g., raising 25% of needed capital in one year during a four-year campaign).
Competitive Bid Proposals and Service Contracts. Some charitable organizations are uniquely positioned to be compensated for their services. Service contracts and bid proposals are an opportunity to get funding for your organization’s services and are contingent on carrying out the stated needs in a Request for Proposal (RFP). However, unlike a charitable grant, a service contract is a “fee for service or product.” Many nonprofits who’ve received grants before may not have valuated fees in such a manner. For example, a mental health organization that normally receives grant funding for an entire project may have a difficult time calculating what the actual cost of one subcontracted counseling session is (factoring in indirect costs, supply costs, etc.). Reed Consulting can assist work with an organization’s Chief Financial Officer and/or Board Treasurer, using time studies and other calculations to determine a realistic cost per service valuation that can give an organization a strategic advantage in applying for competitive bids.
Planned Giving. Planned giving can be a very impactful form of charitable giving. Some donors may designate in their wills that their largest assets (home, property, stock portfolios, life savings, etc.) be disbursed to designated entities. Being given such sizable assets can have a huge positive impact on an organization. However, like all fundraising endeavors, planned giving requires the careful cultivation and stewardship of potential donors and has its own particular set of considerations. Having a formal, Board approved Planned Giving Plan and protocol can be extremely helpful for an organization. Reed Consulting can be of assistance in reaching this tangible goal.
Planned Giving Plans are also important to avoid potential legal or public relations problems when a donor wants to bequest an asset that may end up being a liability for the organization, especially when the donor may specify that this item not be sold, liquidated or transferred. These designations may not be feasible for the organization to honor without liquidating the assets. For example, a well known retiree in the community may specify that their family’s centuries-old farm house (painted with lead-based paint, full of asbestos insulation, next to a condemned coal mine) be used as a sober living house for recovering drug addicts when this asset is donated to an agency providing substance abuse services. Because of health and safety concerns, an agency cannot use the property as it is. This could create a “money pit” situation where the financial and legal burdens of this “inheritance” is greater than the value of the asset and the asset can’t actually be feasibly used as the donor originally intended. Having a Planned Giving Plan in place can prevent these problems and better ensure that a donor’s charitable giving priorities are consistent with the actual needs of an organization. It is not uncommon for Planned Giving Plans to restrict the giving of old vehicles, boats, industrial buildings, etc. for similar reasons.
The Planned Giving Plan can also be given to local foundations, estate attorneys and tax professionals in the event that they have a client whose giving priorities may be congruent with the organization’s needs. This can be of great relief to a donor who may want an assurance that the agency is truly able to maximize their contribution.