Strategic Fundraising Counsel Services

The Vendor is required to provide strategic fundraising counsel firm to serve as a trusted, senior advisor to the advancement office and university leadership throughout the planning and execution of the unstoppable campaign.
- Campaign strategy and planning
• Advise on the refinement of overall campaign structure, phasing, and goal architecture in light of the feasibility findings and current pipeline status.
• Support the development and finalization of a comprehensive campaign plan, including leadership structure, volunteer cabinet architecture, prospect strategy, and solicitation sequencing.
• Review and advise on the chart of giving standards; assist in prioritizing and sequencing the solicitation of top-tier gifts.
• Comparative benchmarking against peer institutions and campaigns of similar scale in the post-secondary sector.
- Leadership and principal gift strategy
• Advise on the identification, qualification, and cultivation strategy for the top 25–50 leadership-level prospects, with particular focus on the pathway to the $30m lead gift.
• Counsel on solicitation approach, timing, and ask construction for transformational gifts (gifts of $5m and above).
• Advise on how early investments can build momentum and inspire confidence in the $175m goal among subsequent donors.
• Coach advancement staff on major gift best practices, cultivation sequencing, moves management discipline, and ask techniques.
- Volunteer leadership development
• Assist in the identification, recruitment, and structuring of the campaign chair and campaign cabinet, including role definitions, expectations, and engagement protocols.
• Support the preparation and orientation of campaign volunteers, including briefing materials, talking points, and peer solicitation training.
• Advise on how to effectively deploy volunteer networks in key geographic markets, including states.
- Presidential and leadership engagement
• Work alongside the VP, advancement, and other advancement/campaign leadership to support the strategic deployment of the president’s time in major donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Assist in the preparation of briefing materials, relationship strategies, and follow-up frameworks for presidential and senior leadership engagement with priority prospects.
• Coaching to the president and senior university leaders on major gift conversations, cultivation event facilitation, and leadership gift asks.
- Communications and narrative strategy
• Advise on the finalization and deployment of the case for support as a campaign source document across fundraising, governance, communications, and stewardship functions.
• Provide counsel on campaign messaging strategy, donor segmentation, and the development of a differentiated narrative for non-alumni audiences.
• Advice on the integration of communications functions within advancement workflows, including cultivation-stage materials and stewardship communications.