Challenge
For years, the Food Bank relied on direct response, corporate partnerships, and grant funding to drive fundraising. While effective at a certain scale, this model was not designed to support a large-scale campaign. To double its capacity and deepen its impact in the community, the organization needed to fundamentally evolve its development approach.
Without a robust major gifts program, a structured development operation, or a clear understanding of campaign readiness, moving forward posed significant risk. Before taking any public steps, the Food Bank needed a rigorous and candid assessment of its position and a clear path to campaign success.
Solution
Covenant Philanthropic Solutions began with a comprehensive development assessment, examining every dimension of the Food Bank's fundraising operation and delivering 40 strategic recommendations to strengthen capacity and prepare the organization for a campaign of significant scale.
From there, Covenant conducted a pre-campaign planning study to build the strategic roadmap the campaign would require. The process mapped projected revenue potential, anticipated expenses, a realistic campaign timeline, budget requirements, and return on investment. Ultimately, the process gave leadership a concrete plan and the confidence to move forward.
Impact
With a clear roadmap and measurable benchmarks in hand, the Food Bank moved decisively to strengthen its development operation. The organization expanded its team and engaged ongoing campaign counsel to implement recommendations into operational reality.
With a strengthened fundraising infrastructure and a strategy grounded in evidence, the Food Bank successfully launched its major gifts campaign and began pursuing the large-scale campaign goal needed to double its capacity for the community it serves.
