Advancement Services

Operations and advancement support services are a vital element of the total fundraising program and are critical not only to the success of the fundraising enterprise, but also to the profile and reputation of the institution. Using a business process review model, S. Sutton & Associates Inc. can work with you to identify opportunities for operational improvements in advancement operations and guide you through a strategy to implement and integrate these functions within your organization.

Overview

Advancement Services are the functional areas within an organization that support fundraising on every level. The success of frontline fundraisers becomes one element in an overall system of support that develops and sustains relationships with donors. Effective prospect management and tracking, gift processing, counting, receipting and acknowledgement, revenue tracking and reporting and donor stewardship are critical not only to the success of the fundraising enterprise, but also to the overall profile and reputation of the institution.

Functional Area Expertise

The functional areas of advancement operations are highly technical. Our experienced and expert consultants in these functional areas are well equipped to provide guidance and support in the following areas:

Donor centric stewardship operations to maintain and enhance relationships.
Prospect management and tracking – review of the prospect pool, evaluation of gift capacity, target ask amounts and assignment to gift officers.
Gift officer workflow and productivity.
Back-office operations such as gift processing, counting, receipting and acknowledgement.
Revenue tracking and reporting.
Selection, design, and implementation of integrated fundraising software platforms and systems for fundraising.
Management of database records to improve operational efficiencies and reduce overhead costs.
Standard reports inventory to introduce cost-effective solutions and eliminate ad-hoc requests.