Cause Effective trains and counsels nonprofits through one-to-one consulting, workshops, or a combination of both. Our goal is to equip you with the tools to strengthen your organization. We tailor our approach and our solutions to your organizational needs. The three areas of consulting we specialize in are:

Fundraising
We start with an assessment of your current fundraising activities. Once we understand your strengths and weaknesses, we will create a plan to help you raise more money. We will advise you on how to:

• Grow your base of individual donors
• Increase institutional giving
• Diversify your income stream
• Attract greater in-kind support
• Form supplementary groups such as advisory boards and steering committees
• Execute effective mail appeals, annual and/or capital campaigns, and special events

Board Development
We provide guidance to boards in meeting their full fundraising and governance potential. Our first step is to analyze your current board composition and activities. Then we will help you:

• Create an ideal board profile
• Identify, recruit and train new board members
• Define appropriate board responsibilities and communicate them to board members
• Design functional committee structures
• Train and inspire your board members to become better fundraisers

Special Events
We can help you produce successful special events that will yield maximum returns on your investment. In addition to creating a comprehensive fundraising strategy, we can work with you to:

• Create events based on your organizational goals and fundraising objectives
• Set realistic budgets and timelines
• Recruit and manage task-oriented committees
• Help you use events to effectively promote your mission
• Raise ancillary income through tools such as souvenir journals and silent auctions

We can also be your offsite Special Events headquarters and manage your event from the mailing of the Save-the-Date cards through the after-event evaluation.

We also recommend that you purchase The Special Events Toolbox, a book we published that contains best practices, checklists, and event ideas.

To learn more about how Cause Effective can help you make your organization great, email us at info@causeeffective.org.

Depending on your needs, we will work with you on an individual consulting basis, through group workshops, or both.

Individual Sessions
We will work with you through collaborative brainstorming and one-on-one coaching to help you develop effective strategies for moving your organization forward. The number and length of sessions will depend on your particular situation and objectives.

Workshops
Cause Effective's workshops are interactive, informative, practical, and fun. A mixture of expert-led discussion, peer-to-peer learning, and individual planning time, they are designed to impart actionable lessons for real-world situations. The following workshops can be customized to meet your group's unique needs.

Ready, Set, Go Participants learn to set objectives, select appropriate events, develop a budget, create a corresponding fundraising plan, and execute a successful event. Includes a step-by-step guide to planning and implementing special events campaigns.

Fundraising PlanningParticipants learn how to develop a realistic and useful development plan to support the sustainability of their organizations.

Individual Donor DevelopmentFocuses on the key tenets of fundraising from individuals, with an overview of the most effective strategies and how to customize them.

Resource Development Roundtable Facilitated group discussion dedicated to fundraising in which participants share ideas and exchange feedback with peers and a Cause Effective expert.

Fostering Good Governance Designed especially for Executive Director/Board member teams, these sessions cover a range of board development and governance topics, including:

• Roles and Responsibilities
• Finance and Fundraising
• Board Structure and Leadership
• Board Development and Diversity
• Workplans to Implement Change

To register for a workshop, or plan one especially for your group, email us at info@causeeffective.org.

Most of our clients see our fee not as an expense but as an investment in sustainable growth. There are three ways that clients pay for our work:

Self-pay
Some clients use funds from their operating budget to cover the cost of our services. Others raise the funds through their network of donors to finance the cost. The fee depends on the scope of your project, so call us to discuss how we might be able to help you.

Third-party funding
Start by checking with the organizations and funders that support you-they may have special funds set aside for capacity building. Among those that do who have supported Cause Effective's work are Hispanics in Philanthropy, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, New York Foundation, New York Women's Foundation, New York Community Trust, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, and the United Way of New York City. Support can come from a foundation, umbrella organization, or individual donor. In addition, some foundations support Cause Effective and set aside funds to subsidize organizations that want to avail themselves of Cause Effective's services.

Pro Bono Assistance
Through the Lauren Goldstein Opportunity Fund, Cause Effective can provide services to eligible organizations. You may fill out an application here.