Feasibility Studies

A feasibility study is the primary tool for doing the most important task of fundraising -- planning.

A feasibility study, sometimes called a planning study, performs three essential tasks.

1. First it tests and identifies philanthropic interest in the desired goal within the primary community of support, especially among potential high dollar donors, by interviewing those potential donors one on one.
2. Second, the interviews are an occasion to make the case for support, building interest in and momentum for the envisioned campaign.
3. Third, the feasibility study focuses on identifying volunteer donors who will also take strong leadership in the campaign.

Before conducting any interviews your consultant will help you prepare a thorough and detailed preliminary case statement.

Building on that case statement, good feasibility study will generate support and enthusiasm for the campaign vision that will feed directly into the campaign itself.

Costs:

A feasibility study for a campaign in the $1 - 5 million range is likely to cost anywhere from $6,000 to $60,000 depending on the following variables:

• The firm conducting the study. Everybody has their own rates. (Be sure to ask whether travel expenses are included.)
• The size of the proposed campaign and, as a corrolary, the number of interviews to be conducted. More is better. (Expect about 25 interviews per million dollars in campaign goal.)
• Travel time required to get to the interviewees. (More time means more work days needed to complete the interviews.)
• The fundraising and campaign experience of your institution as reflected in the amount of homework you have already done and the preparation that remains. (Many folks aren't nearly as ready for a study as they would like to believe.)

There is no substitute for face-to-face interviews conducted by a skilled development professional who is seen by the interviewees as a third-party bound by professional confidence.

A feasibility study conducted in this manner provides reliable information about how much can be raised, about who is willing to take an active role in the campaign, and about where potential leadership and major gifts may be found as well as obtaining important feedback on possible challenges the campaign may face.

Affinity Resources prepares and presents a full, detailed report at the conclusion of the feasibility study.

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