OUR SERVICES
Expert guidance from first conversation to closing gift.
We work hands-on alongside your team — not just as advisors, but as active partners through every stage of your campaign. Three core services, one relentless goal: your largest gift ever.
01 CAPITAL CAMPAIGNS
02 FEASIBILITY STUDIES
Campaign management
We don't hand you a plan and wish you luck. We get in the work with you.
Leading a major fundraising campaign can feel overwhelming — especially when your team is already stretched. With 15+ successful campaigns and deep roots in the DC and Maryland philanthropic community, we bring proven strategy and hands-on execution support so you can reach — and exceed — your goal.
Proven track record: 15+ campaigns managed, 100% met or exceeded goal — including a $14M close on a $10M target.
Hands-on partnership: We work alongside your team to implement strategy, engage donors, and keep momentum strong through every phase.
Major gift solicitation: From cultivation to closing, we help you approach 6- and 7-figure donors with clarity, confidence, and care.
Volunteer leadership: We recruit, train, and support campaign volunteers and board champions who open doors you didn't know existed.
Local philanthropic expertise: Deep knowledge of DC and Maryland donors, networks, and giving culture — so you're never starting from zero.
Typical engagement: We generally work with campaigns of $1M–$20M. Not sure if you're in range? The strategy call is the right place to find out.
Start smart. Move forward with confidence.
Before you launch, you need clarity — not guesswork.
Nonprofits that skip the feasibility study and go straight to campaign launch are taking a costly gamble. Our feasibility studies give you a strategic, donor-informed foundation — revealing what's truly possible, who your top prospects are, and how to approach them — so you launch with the right goal at the right time.
Confidential donor interviews: We speak candidly with your key prospects to assess their capacity, interest, and readiness to give at a major level.
Honest goal validation: We'll tell you what the data says — even if it means adjusting your timeline or goal. That honesty is what makes campaigns succeed.
Prospect identification: We identify and prioritize the donors most likely to give at a transformational level — so your energy goes to the right people.
Messaging that resonates: Real donor feedback shapes the messaging and case for support that will inspire generosity and build trust.
A clear path forward: A custom, step-by-step action plan — whether you're ready to launch now or need 6–12 more months of cultivation first.
Feasibility Studies
Good to know: A feasibility study typically runs 8–12 weeks. It is the single highest-ROI investment a nonprofit can make before a campaign.
Who we work with — and who we don't.
We're a boutique firm. We stay small so every client gets Gudrun or Farrah directly — not a junior associate. That means we're selective about who we work with, and that's by design.
✓ We're a great fit if you are...
✓A nonprofit in DC, Maryland, or the surrounding region planning a campaign of $1M or more
✓An organization with strong board leadership and a willingness to invest in the process
✓A development team that wants to build real major gift capability — not just outsource the work
✓An executive director who is ready to be personally involved in donor relationships
✓An organization whose mission you're proud to tell donors about — because that's what we'll be doing
✕ We may not be the right fit if...
✕ -You're looking for someone to run the campaign entirely without staff involvement
✕ - Your board is not yet engaged or supportive of a major fundraising effort
✕ - Your campaign goal is under $500K
Independent Schools
Capital campaigns for building projects, endowment, and scholarship funds.
Social Services
Campaigns for human services organizations, disability services, and community nonprofits.
Faith-Based
Building campaigns and major gift strategy for faith communities and religious organizations.
Higher Education
Major gift campaigns for universities, community colleges, and foundations.
Arts & Culture
Capital and endowment campaigns for arts organizations, museums, and cultural institutions.
Environment & Health
Mission-driven campaigns for environmental, health, and advocacy organizations.
A proven process. Customized for your mission.
HOW WE WORK
1 . Understand Your Vision
We start by listening to your goals and aspirations
2. Assess Readiness
A thorough feasibility study reveals what's truly possible and who will lead the way.
3. Build the Roadmap
A custom strategy — timelines, donor tiers, messaging, leadership roles, and milestones.
4. Execute Together
We work alongside your team — not just as advisors, but as active partners in the campaign.
5. Celebrate & Sustain
We help you reach — and often exceed — your goal, then build the systems for what's next.
What nonprofit leaders say about working with us.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
"I have been involved in many fund raisers over the years. Gudrun Hofmeister is the best fund raising professional I have ever worked with. She enthusiastically kept the volunteers on task and she is an absolute expert at raising money from foundations. I would highly recommend her to any charity trying to raise a large sum of money."
Blackie Bowen, Chair, Empowering Lives Campaign
“Philanthropic Fundraising has helped us be so successful because we've been able to take a crisis, manage through the crisis, and then pick up and figure out how to continue to excel in resource development.”
Katie Collins-Ihrke, Executive Director, The Arc of Howard County
“There's a tried and true way to fundraise. The knowledge that the team from Philanthropic Fundraising brought to the table was great. Their process gave our board the confidence to approach donors we never would have approached on our own.”
Addie Nardi, CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Washington County, MD
Frequently Asked Questions About the Feasibility Study
The Feasibility Study
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A feasibility study is your test. We reach out to your constituents, volunteer leadership, most generous and committed donors, and prospective donors, including coveted foundations in your community, and we interview them to gauge their interest in and reaction to your campaign.
We test a preliminary case for support, which sets the stage for what you are trying to do and how you would use the funds. We ask a consistent series of questions in every interview, covering everything from whether the project is feasible to their personal interest in supporting it.
The feasibility study typically takes three to four months from start to finish. That includes developing the preliminary case for support, building the interview list, and conducting every interview ourselves. All interviews are done confidentially so that participants feel free to be candid.
At the end, you receive a comprehensive report of approximately 25 questions and 40-plus slides of detailed qualitative information that you simply cannot get any other way. That information goes to your board and forms the basis for setting a realistic, defensible campaign goal.
We test a preliminary case for support, which sets the stage for what you are trying to do and how you would use the funds. We ask a consistent series of questions in every interview, covering everything from whether the project is feasible to their personal interest in supporting it.
The feasibility study typically takes three to four months from start to finish. That includes developing the preliminary case for support, building the interview list, and conducting every interview ourselves. All interviews are done confidentially so that participants feel free to be candid.
At the end, you receive a comprehensive report of approximately 25 questions and 40-plus slides of detailed qualitative information that you simply cannot get any other way. That information goes to your board and forms the basis for setting a realistic, defensible campaign goal.
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We typically recommend a feasibility study when there are unanswered questions about how much you could realistically raise. If you know you want to purchase a building or grow a program but have no idea what your donors could support, it is better to start there than to work backward from what you need.
The goal needs to be realistic and achievable. If you announce a $10 million goal and only raise $5 million, everyone sees it as a failure. If we recommend a $5 million goal and you raise $5 million, everyone sees it as a success. You can always do a phase two or pursue alternative financing for the rest.
Every time we conduct a feasibility study and set a goal, and then go on to manage the campaign ourselves, we surpass that goal. The number is not pulled from nowhere. It is based on actual interviews and the projections participants provided themselves.
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A few things set our approach apart:
We ask directly how much each interviewee might be willing to consider giving, typically over a five-year period. This often surfaces positive surprises and, occasionally, important recalibrations about what a prospect is actually ready to contribute.
All interviews are conducted by us, confidentially and directly with the prospect. This allows funders to share information they might not say directly to the organization, including insider perspectives and concerns.
We sometimes uncover planned gifts, meaning a donor has already included your organization in their will, which the organization would not have learned any other way.
We identify who is most supportive from a volunteer perspective, so you know the best people to recruit for your campaign committee.
We often revisit the case for support based on what we learn. If a component of the case is testing poorly, we will come back to you and recommend tweaking it to better reflect what your top donors actually want to fund.
We also flag any pitfalls or concerns that surfaced during interviews so you can address them before the campaign launches.
Let's get your nonprofit its largest gift ever.
READY TO START?
Book a free 30-minute strategy call. We'll talk through where you are, where you want to go, and whether we're the right fit to get you there.