Higher Education Development Consulting Services
All of our services are tailored to the needs of our clients. As a team, the Meliora Group works together to provide the desired assistance in the most efficient manner possible. We can assist institutions with functions as detailed as prospect management systems and as broad as comprehensive planning for campaigns and departmental effectiveness.
We are delighted to conduct operational audits of development departments to help institutions set priorities.
Advancement Program Audits
Our group has extensive experience in reviewing the current structure, staffing and success of advancement divisions. We are experts at analyzing job responsibilities and staffing effectiveness. We understand the efficient use of budgets including outsourcing possibilities to save costs, and we like to consider how well institutions are using investments in technology to their fullest advantage.
Advancement Officer Searches
The Meliora Group can assist your institution with comprehensive officer searches.
Please see our job search page of more information.
Advancement Staff Training
Our veteran staff will provide one-time or preferably ongoing, on and/or off-site training in all areas of advancement: mentoring new vice presidents and other staff, campaign planning, planned giving, major gift solicitation, phonathon planning and on-site implementation, prospect research, use of any types of development software and all aspects of operations.
Technology Implementation and Conversions
Our staff are leaders in the use of Raiser’s Edge software in particular. We can assist with how development software interacts with other applications such as Microsoft Office, and networks, to assure that staff is operating as efficiently as possible.
For those institutions considering outsourcing development database conversions and/or support we can tailor a proposal to fit your needs. Our associates have orchestrated a number of software conversions and appreciate the timeliness and accuracy of implementing such changes. We will work closely with you to assure the integrity of your data and preparing staff to take full advantage of the capabilities of state-of-the-art advancement software. We are competent in working with information technology departments on hardware issues, as well as connecting development databases with those of other administrative departments.
Annual Fund Program Development
The Meliora Associates understand the importance of successful Annual Funds to institutions. Having been accountable for aggressive goals in this area, we specialize in making sure that the staff spends their time wisely and operations are able to support and record fund goals and progress.
Often times the Annual Fund is part of a larger campaign. However, it is important that the Annual Fund program be viewed as its own campaign. We assure that efforts are made to identify and cultivate the most promising prospects in coordination with any major gift solications. This is done with effective prospect management planning, and ambitious, but realistic, goal setting and monitoring.
Specific cultivation and solicitation strategies are designed for each institution. They can range from considering challenges, phonathons, budget relief affinity programs, and other efforts to solicit alumni such as reunion years, sports, campuses, etc.
Services in this area range from a comprehensive plan focused on prospect management -- identifying top prospects and appropriate strategies for them --through mass appeals such as direct mail, e-mail and phonathon approaches.
Campaign Planning and Ongoing Consultation
We have run many campaigns over the years ranging from building projects through comprehensive campaigns with goals in the tens and hundreds of millions. We understand the challenges of smaller organizations in supporting campaign management and at the same time keeping the most talented staff with donors and prospects. We offer organizing and ongoing evaluation of campaign planning to assure that staffs can use their time wisely.
We can assist with overall campaign committee organization, training, and the process of keeping all volunteers updated with timely information regarding the process, progress and their own assignments to assist them in succeeding.
Feasibility Studies
Our professionals will assist with determining the probable successfulness of launching campaigns. This includes all phases of planning and implementation from the quiet phase through completing celebrations.
Our staff had decades of years of experience in planning to use time effectively with the most promising donors and prospects. We assist clients with assuring that prospect management systems are designed and implemented for wisely using the resources of the institution -- staff, volunteers and financial investments.
Interim Advancement Officer Placements
We have experience as interim vice presidents, interim major gift officers and interim campaign managers.
We assist clients in finding temporary employment options that fill current staffing needs yet provide flexibility for the future.
Operations Consulting
Meliora's successful consultants will assist in year long planning and monitoring staff progress to assure the coordination of operations including data entry, acknowledgement procedures and cost effectiveness. We will lead technology conversion efforts, office procedures clarification and implementation (including procedures manuals), prospect management procedures and ongoing monitoring of the system.
Phonathon Management
Our staff all has experience supervising phonathons.
Kirsten Reppert has run one of the most successful programs in the nation in terms of increases in donor participation and dollars raised. She has the experience and track record to design a program that will dramatically improve results, management, and evaluation tools for our clients.
Christopher Washington has also succeeded with increases in participation and dollars raised. He has experience running call centers in the business and nonprofit worlds. He provides on-site training and mentoring of student callers.
We can provide a comprehensive program including on-site management, supervision and training. We can also provide on-site training and/or training through electronic sources from webinars to tutorials. We have developed a successful program that is tailored to meet the needs of our clients.
Planned Giving Program Development
Our expert in Planned Giving, Jack Kreckel, has devoted his career to helping donors make ultimate gifts. As the group leader of this area Jack has assisted our clients who have very small staffs to create, as well as to respond to, the sometimes complicated gift options prospects consider such as life insurance, trusts, annuity, property and stock transfer, and general estate planning. Additionally, he is skilled at all of the accounting and reporting requirements of planned giving.
Jack's successful approach has been to have empathy for the donors and assure that he only presents them with funding options that are in their best interest and also represent priorities for the donor. He assists clients in listening to donors and preparing proposals for their consideration.
The Meliora Group works with clients who need to create an entire Planned Giving program from start, or with those clients who are ready to offer more gift options to prospects.
Presidential Transition Planning
Typically institutions experience presidential transitions every five years. These are wonderful times for advancement to consider special campaigns. Our staff has experience of running campaigns and events to take advantage of celebrating the success of outgoing presidents as well as the steps to take to welcome new presidents into the community and assure that donors and friends are properly cultivated during transitions.
Prospect Research
New!!! The Meliora Group partners with Blackbaud's Analytic Team to provide one of the powerful electronic screening tools to institutions who desire periodic screening of a dozen prospects, such as a new group of parents, or a batch of screening needed to analyze a large group such as a reunion cohort.
Click here for detailed information regarding Prospect Research.
Public Relations
Our staff can assist in evaluating the hundreds of thousands that institutions spend on recruiting students and raising funds. We will evaluate what possibilities exist on campus for media expertise and help develop plans and partnerships to enhance publicity and inherently funding.
We will compare electronic and print publications to competitors – real and desired -- and best practices to consider if funds are being used as efficiently as possible.
We will work with the staff and other experts as needed to assure that funds are being well spent including a comparison of outsourcing possibilities. We can assist with analyzing media buying, putting bids out for best prices on mailings, evaluating mail procedures, etc.
The Meliora Group is experienced in using the web to promote institutions and giving. We can assist with alumni e-networking programs, e-communications and solicitations.
Training
Our veteran staff will provide one-time or ongoing training in all areas of advancement: mentoring new vice presidents and other staff, campaign planning, planned giving, major gift solicitation, phonathon planning and on-site implementation, prospect research, use of any types of development software and all aspects of operations.
Our staff are leaders in the use of Raiser’s Edge and Blackbaud Analytic (electronic screening) software in particular. We can assist with how development software interacts with other applications such as Microsoft Office, and networking, to assure that staff is operating as efficiently as possible.