Expertise /
Fundraising Counsel + Campaigns /
/ Tailored.
/ Objective.
/ Immediately Actionable.
Full-time / Part-time Counsel
For over 30 years, KCI has had the privilege of working with thousands of organizations across Canada, helping them raise billions of dollars in fundraising initiatives with objectives ranging from $1M to $750M. While campaigns remain an incredibly popular and effective way to raise money, the strategies and methodologies that drive a campaign continue to evolve dramatically. Our dedicated full-time or part-time counsel approach provides access to insights from our work with organizations across all sizes, sectors and geographies plus an ‘insistent voice’ on implementation. This ensure that all aspects of the project are implemented on-strategy and on-time, regardless of competing priorities, while allowing for the full benefit of KCI’s deep campaign experience to be brought to bear.
Monthly Strategic Counsel
A strategic counsel approach provides high-level strategic guidance, an objective outside view and immediately actionable advice on your top priorities. Leveraging the depth and breadth of our senior leadership and consulting teams, strategic counsel provides access to innovations, insights and best practices from KCI’s work across the country. Every fundraising initiative and organization is unique, and so is our approach to ensuring your success. Together we refine and finalize the right counseling model for your initiative – including intensity, duration and resourcing strategy – based on a mutual assessment of your needs and expectations.
Assessments + Strategy Development /
/ Strategic.
/ Action-focused.
/ Quantitative + Qualitative.
Strategic Planning
All charitable organizations must be able to answer fundamental questions with clarity and vigour: Why do you exist? What do you hope to accomplish? What problems are you trying to solve or new reality are you trying to create? We work with organizations to create your 3-5 year strategic plan that: confirms/creates your Mission, Vision, Values; establishes key pillars of focus; determines specific action steps under each pillar; and creates the scorecard to measure progress over time.
Revenue Generation Plan
Finding ways to grow philanthropic revenue is an essential focus for all charitable organizations. An RGP provides a roadmap for revenue growth that can guide your organization for the next 3 to 5 years and can also be used to lay the foundation for the longer term. Depending on your specific needs, the plan will provide specific recommendations related to your organizational positioning, case for support and fundraising strategy across major, annual/mass, mid-level donor, planned giving, sponsorship and emerging programs. It will also provide you with specific tactics, timelines, revenue projections and resource requirements.
Planning Study / Case + Capacity Assessment
A campaign planning study allows you to objectively assess internal readiness, gauge external receptivity to the funding priorities, and plan the right campaign strategy prior to launching this major initiative. Moving far beyond simply answering ‘how much can we raise’, a study begins the essential process of engaging your most important stakeholders, crystalizing your campaign vision and priorities, and laying the groundwork for success.
Other Co-Designed Services
Every organization’s challenges and opportunities are uniquely specific to them. And so are our approaches to addressing them. Our most rewarding work comes from co-designing highly tailored services with each organization to help solve your most wicked problems and leverage your most compelling opportunities to achieve your mission.
Research + Analytics /
/ Multi-dimensional.
/ Qualified.
/ Insights.
Analytics
Your data tells a story, but you might need help to hear it. KCI’s Analytics team can help you uncover new mid-level and major gift prospects; shape strategy through better understanding of donors; save time and money through more effective prospecting; improve response rates by focusing asks; and raise gift levels by targeting appeal amounts. We offer full predictive modeling services, as well as capacity rating, program landscape reviews, and targeted screening to uncover prospects. We go beyond the numbers to ensure that insights are closely aligned with fundraising strategy, and work closely with KCI fundraising experts to ensure our work provides actionable results and our recommendations are practical.
Prospect Research
Discover new potential supporters and deeper insights on current ones. KCI’s experienced Research professionals can help you identify new potential prospects to grow your pipeline; as well as essential information to advance relationships through strategic prospect briefings, rigorous prospect profiles, and qualification to help you focus your resources. We also provide comprehensive training for new researchers and research essentials for fundraisers to build your organizational capacity.
Trends + Topical Research
Understanding current and emerging trends and your competitive environment is essential for strategic planning, campaign strategy and volunteer training. With our national and multi-sector intelligence, we provide objective and insightful environmental scans, as well as donor and volunteer surveys and research on key topics and sectors.
Compensation + Organizational Benchmarking
Strong peripheral awareness of how your organization stands relative to others in the marketplace is essential. KCI provides both customized and periodic benchmarking services for key sectors, including our market-leading KCI Hospital Foundation Compensation Benchmarking study conducted every three years. Comparator research and benchmarking on key revenue and organizational metrics can help you understand your own unique situation and advantages.
Communications + Case Development/
/ Unique.
/ Inclusive.
/ Storytelling.
Case for Support
Like an investment prospectus, the Case for Support explains what kind of change donors and volunteers could effect by donating their money and expertise. More than ever, the Case must now not only articulate your initiative’s ‘Why?’ and ‘What?’…but also its ‘How’ and ‘So What’. With a deep understanding of donor motivation and the power of storytelling, our communications professionals lead our unique and highly effective approach to writing and brokering the Case for Support. In addition to ultimately developing the Case document that serves as the basis for all communications, this process also helps crystallizes the institutional vision, rallies stakeholders around a common narrative, and generates donor excitement.
Executive Search + Talent Services /
/ Network.
/ Specialists.
/ Results.
Recruitment + Executive Search
In this highly competitive landscape, KCI’s extensive network allow us to ‘talent spot’ and help organizations recruit (and retain) top talent. Our consultants are recruitment specialists, each with rich not for profit experience and success, allowing us to provide effective insights and guidance. With our strong track record in a wide range of organizations (Education, Health, Arts, Community, etc.), we offer a deep understanding of the positions we are helping to fill. Specializing in Fundraising, Marketing, Community Engagement, Donor Stewardship, Fundraising Operations, and Prospect Research roles, we have deep experience in recruitment for CEO, SVP, through to Senior Officer roles.
Interim Executive Placement
Do you have an Executive team member going on a temporary leave? Or perhaps the Board wants to pause before filling the CEO position as they revisit strategy and get an independent assessment of opportunities and issues. Leveraging our network of experienced interim executives (often recently or semi-retired non-profit executives), KCI can help you in filling a temporary vacancy with a proven leader who can keep things on track…or help you get things back on track.
Talent Strategy + Design
Talent is the number one driver of success and impact at any not for profit. We work with leaders to help them in determine optimal talent strategies and structures. In addition, we can provide expert counsel and support as you define and shape roles, establish expectations and goals, and determine how you will encourage, measure, and reward success. Our services include design of jobs, metrics, and performance evaluation systems, as well as organizational reviews and re/design.
Compensation Benchmarking + Counsel
Wondering if your compensation levels are competitive in the market? Or how to tie performance to compensation? Whether for one position or organization-wide, KCI is the recognized expert in compensation analysis and benchmarking in the not for profit sector in Canada. We can help you in evaluating, comparing, and establishing your compensation ranges for various positions and levels, or in ensuring your benefits and perks are on-par with the market. KCI can also provide expert, data-based opinions and salary recommendations for CEOs or other roles in your organization.