People give to People. Perhaps a fundraising cliché? But like most of its genre, it has the virtue of being true.

The cultivation of donors, whether individuals, foundations or public entities, is often a personal process related to the effective communication of an institution’s mission and its value to society. At Objective Focus, we know how to help an institution motivate and educate its volunteers so that they can engage willingly and successfully in this essential activity.

A successful development effort is almost always dependent on the strategic and tactical support of enthusiastic volunteers. Surprisingly, they are more available and more varied in their roles and interests than commonly believed.

Despite the diversity of potential donors’ interests, successful fundraising is always based on scrupulous attention to all of the elements that define an institution’s quality and operational viability. These include a well stated, compelling mission and a strategic plan to fulfill it; accurate donor research, recruitment, engagement and outreach of a distinguished board and dedicated volunteers; commitment to the community and, of course, the ability to signal academic/creative excellence and effective management.

Contrary to widely held belief, the fundraising game is played by tried and true rules. It is not a black box populated only by trustees, presidents and development officers. At its best, it engages all players in the institutional community, both internal and external; each with different roles, responsibilities and expectations, but always with a willingness to play their part in the achievement of a successful outcome.

Objective Focus unpacks and demystifies the development process, analyzing an institution’s needs and the effectiveness of its current strategies. Approaches, goals and outcomes are assessed through the lens of lessons learned in multi-million dollar campaigns and many years of fundraising success.