Feasibility Studies: A New Approach II

By Jeffrey Byrne, President & CEO
Kansas City

In the last issue of New$ You Can U$e (March 15, 2007), I restated our firm’s philosophy on a new way of thinking about Community Readiness Assessments ^SM, or what are commonly known as feasibility studies.

During my time at the Giving Institute (formerly the American Association of Fundraising Counsel) meetings in Dallas prior to the AFP International Conference last month—and subsequently during a workshop I presented at the AFP Conference on “Community Readiness AssessmentsSM: A New Approach to Feasibility Studies”—I enjoyed a back-and-forth exchange with my colleagues regarding our new approach. In this article, I expand that approach to call for “new” best practices, which I was pleased to find that many of my colleagues are doing in executing the “deliverables” of Community Readiness Assessments ^SM.

What do I mean by deliverables?

Traditionally with feasibility studies, the consultant interviews a number of individuals one-on-one and then issues a report. This report is used by the nonprofit to determine if and how they can move forward with a campaign, and what amount to raise.

Our approach at Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc. is to work together with our nonprofit client to approach the community or region the nonprofit serves in order to test the organization’s readiness for a major gift, capital or endowment campaign. Our unique approach allows the client to accompany our study director on the interview process while assuring the study participants of the confidentiality of the information gleaned. While acting as an observer and presenter, the nonprofit professional is also a partner on these question-and-answer sessions, providing information only on the project that is being tested for consideration.

At the conclusion of the assessment, which includes personal interviews, focus groups and surveys of the organization’s constituents, it is customary for the consultant to issue a “feasibility study report.”  At Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc., that report is truly an “action plan.” Here’s what’s unique in our, and some of our colleagues’, approach.

First, we offer the customary analysis of responses to the questions we ask: we provide our observations and conclusions based on those questions, as well as our recommendations for moving forward. However, our “action plans” go one step further.

We issue a set of recommendations on how to move forward, as well as offer a detailed timetable that is based on what is needed to conduct a successful campaign for each and every month—from day one until the campaign is concluded.

Second, we recommend a campaign approach for the organization to adopt. By that, I mean that we outline a phased approach in which the nonprofit adopts certain giving levels and giving categories for the fundraising.

Third, we recommend a specific organizational chart that reflects learning from the assessment and that is unique to the dynamics of the particular nonprofit organization. We know all nonprofit organizations are different, and a cookie-cutter approach to organizing a campaign will not address each nonprofit’s unique needs and circumstances.

Fourth, we give back to the nonprofit a set of confidential recommendations on potential leaders, who were identified in the interview process, to be recruited for the fundraising effort. This builds a new inventory of potential leadership for the organization’s fundraising efforts.

Finally, we provide the client with a confidential list of potential donors who were identified in the interview process, including a guide on how the interview participants appraised those potential donors for their giving capacity. This list of potential donors who have been appraised is meant to assist in supporting the goal that we are recommending.

We believe that this type of “action plan” is what the leading consultants to nonprofits are providing. We hope that in the future, when you hire a fundraising consultant for a potential fundraising project that is going to impact your organization, for perhaps generations to come, that you consider this new approach and the benefits it provides.