What is the Purpose of an Assessment?

The purpose of the Assessment is to determine the organization’s status as to development and fund-raising activities past and present.

Successful fund-raising is inextricably related to the history of the institution involved.  Therefore, such basic background information is not only key to the success of any development activity, it is invaluable in the expedient launching of any fund-raising effort.  Such surveys not only facilitate planning, they assure that any prior errors in judgment will not be duplicated.

Specifically, the Assessment seeks to:

• assess historical development practices and procedures
• assess current development practices and procedures
• assess available development data
• assess long-range plans
• assess available personnel
• assess available equipment
• assess available facilities
• assess on-campus mentality with regard to fund-raising

Process

An Assessment is conducted in 2 ways:

1. The organization completes an assessment survey and mails or faxes it to JFSG.
2. JFSG personnel schedules one to two days on-site to complete a series of interviews with key personnel. 

The survey seeks not only methods, but data as well.  As an example, typical data searches might include, among other items, such areas as:

• information on endowments, if any
• list of donors for past 5 years
• gifts received (by level)
• gifts received (by lifetime accumulative giving)
• gifts received by source (cash, gifts-in-kind, etc.)
• gifts received by stimulus (direct mail, campaign, phonathon, etc.)
• information tracking total giving history over a period of years
• gift averages and frequency
• history of any proposal presentations
• default rates on prior pledges
• gifts by class year

Management questions would relate to areas such as the following:

• written policies and procedures for gift receipt
• written policies for pledge reminders and for tracking pledges
• written policies for stewardship
• written policies for publicity
• annual budget for fund-raising
• job descriptions of those who assist in development
• 5 Year Plan

Personnel information relates to those who might be involved in a development and fund-raising activities, and would include such areas as availability, experience, responsibilities, and an inherent interest in fund-raising for the organization, enthusiasm and computer capabilities.

Equipment questions will relate to availability.  Of particular interest are: software and database capabilities, copy machines and telephones.  With regard to facilities, there will be questions relating to office space, conference/meeting room, and storage space.

In addition to the interview process, JFSG will want copies of the following:

• brochures, videos, application packets, other promotional materials
• 501C(3) letter and annual 990
• lists of Board Members, past and present
• any materials deemed suitable by the administration
• access to historical documents
• a calendar of events

Objective

JFSG’s objective in conducting an Assessment is to determine the ease with which the organization might improve its development and fund-raising efforts, and to:

• identity the organization’s readiness to enter into a feasibility study and possible capital campaign
• identify the organization's internal fund-raising strengths
• identify the organization's internal fund-raising weaknesses
• provide the President/Headmaster and the Board a realistic assessment of the organization's fund-raising capabilities on a management level