Fundraising + Development Services
At Acceleraise, we offer a comprehensive suite of fundraising and development services designed to support nonprofits at every stage of their fundraising journey. Whether you're looking to identify new funding prospects, launch a successful capital campaign, enhance your grant writing capabilities, or strengthen donor relationships, our expert team provides the strategic guidance and hands-on support necessary to achieve your goals. We understand that every organization is unique, which is why our services can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Explore our full range of services below to discover how we can help your organization thrive.
Prospect Research
Acceleraise provides comprehensive prospect research to help organizations identify and qualify ideal donors, including national, regional, and local leadership donors. This involves utilizing various databases, interviews, and 25-years of funder knowledge to determine the financial feasibility of aligned donors. Prospect research deliverables include:
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Your organization’s unique funder profile.
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A list of prospects that are foundations, corporations, and individuals. This list will include names, contact information, information on priorities, and suggested ask amounts.
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Suggested cultivation and solicitation strategies for your prospect list.
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A robust tracking system to stay organized and on track.
Corporate Sponsorships
Acceleraise designs compelling corporate sponsorship decks tailored for fundraising events, such as galas. Acceleraise also conducts outreach to targeted corporations to help secure sponsorships for events. Corporate sponsorship deliverables include:
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A professionally designed sponsorship packet that includes a summary of the event, levels of sponsorship, and key benefits such as branding and promotional activities.
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A list of aligned potential corporate sponsors that includes contact information.
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Actual e-mail outreach to help secure sponsors for the event.
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A tracking system to stay organized on sponsorship procurement.
Annual Campaign
Acceleraise helps organizations design and execute impactful annual campaigns to drive sustained donor support. Throughout the campaign, Acceleraise tracks progress, accesses engagement, and provides recommendations to optimize results and build long-term donor relationships. Annual campaign deliverables include:
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An annual campaign goal and strategy.
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An EOY appeal letter.
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E-mail copy for outreach.
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Written and designed social media posts.
Major Gifts Strategy and Support
Acceleraise helps organizations identify potential major gift (MG) prospects from an organization’s existing donor networks, including past and current donors. Acceleraise sets up structured approaches to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts. Acceleraise conducts outreach to secure meetings with prospects, and prepares the organization’s staff with key talking points and strategies for successful engagement. Finally, Acceleraise assists organizations in closing major gifts by asking directly or providing guidance throughout the solicitation process to ensure positive outcomes. Major Gifts Strategy and Support include:
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Prospect research to determine the highest financial capacity of individual major donors (from your existing donor base.)
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A Moves Management template to track and manage interactions with these prospects.
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Direct solicitations for major gifts.
Capital Campaign Feasibility Study
Acceleraise conducts comprehensive feasibility studies to assess the financial potential of a capital campaign. The study includes interviews with key stakeholders, such as prospective donors, Board leaders, and community opinion leaders, to evaluate their interest and commitment. A final written report provides insights on the campaign’s financial viability, recommended fundraising goals, and a strategic approach to overcome any potential challenges. Capital Campaign Feasibility Study deliverables include:
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A case for support for the campaign.
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25-30 interviews with major donors.
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A questionnaire for the interviews.
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A written feasibility report.
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A power point presentation for the Board and leadership.
Capital Campaign Plan
Acceleraise writes capital campaign plans to help institutions raise millions for infrastructure, fixtures, furniture, and equipment. The Campaign Plan includes: assessment of the external environment; assessment of the organizational infrastructure needed to prepare for a campaign; messaging and elements of the case for support; phases of a campaign; cultivation and solicitation strategies; communications strategy; campaign committee and volunteer structure; stewardship and donor naming opportunities; campaign staffing and budget; and a detailed campaign timeline of activities.
Capital Campaigns
Acceleraise guides organizations through the execution of a capital campaign, focusing on securing leadership pledges and cash gifts. This includes setting up a tailored moves template for each major prospect, ensuring regular outreach, and creating personalized strategies for donor engagement. Acceleraise assists with recruiting and managing a campaign committee, facilitating monthly meetings, and ensuring all members are accountable and engaged. Capital Campaigns require, at minimum, a one-year engagement with Acceleraise, and a maximum of five-years of engagement.
Grant Writing Services
Acceleraise assists organizations in identifying and securing funding through well-crafted grant proposals. Acceleraise develops compelling narratives and ensures alignment with funder priorities. Acceleraise works closely with the organization to gather the necessary information and write clear, persuasive proposals that highlight the impact. Acceleraise also manages deadlines, tracks submissions, and writes grant reports to ensure successful, long-term relationships between nonprofits and institutional funders.
School and Facility Tours
Acceleraise supports donor engagement by designing, managing, and facilitating tours of your organization’s headquarters, school, or facilities to engage current and potential donors. Deliverables include:
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A tailored, designed invitations for the tour.
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Outreach to appropriate recipients for the tour.
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A tour script and dry-run.
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Execution of the tour.
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Following up after the tour to secure investments.
Executive Coaching for Fund Development
Acceleraise provides executive coaching to enhance organizations’ fundraising leadership. Coaching sessions are customized to focus on donor cultivation, major gifts, and long-term sustainability. The leadership team receives guidance on improving strategies for donor relationships and fundraising effectiveness. The coaching comes with useful resources and ongoing support.
Professional Development Sessions
Acceleraise offers interactive group training sessions designed to equip an organization’s team with practical tools for fund development. Topics include prospect research, annual giving strategies, major gifts, and moves management. Sessions combine structured learning, hands-on practice, and Q&A opportunities. Additionally, participants gain access to helpful resources and templates for further support.
Interim Development Director
Acceleraise steps in to provide comprehensive development support during transitions or staffing gaps. Acceleraise fills the void by ensuring continuity in fundraising efforts, managing key relationships, and maintaining momentum in donor engagement. Acceleraise assists with the execution of fundraising strategies and provides strategic guidance to staff. This support ensures that your development operations remain strong and aligned with organizational goals until a permanent solution is in place.
CRM Selection, Creation, and Management
Acceleraise helps organizations set up and integrate a CRM to manage donor, grant, and membership data. This includes organizing and uploading existing spreadsheets for mass data entry, configuring user permissions, and establishing protocols for ongoing updates and audits. Regular maintenance and tracking will ensure smooth operation and up-to-date records. Additionally, Acceleraise provides hands-on training for the staff to ensure efficient use of the CRM system.