Most organizations need funding to sustain themselves and continue delivering on their missions, but not everyone knows how to fundraise. Take the guesswork out of fundraising by working with one of our Fundraising Advisory Consultants. You can receive expert advice at a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional fundraiser. Projects average between 20 and 40 hours of consulting, and include activities such as:

• Assessing your organization’s readiness to fundraise
• Grantwriting
• Developing diverse fundraising strategies
• Coaching board members on their role as fundraisers
• Training staff on how to execute fundraising tactics

Say “goodbye” to the days of second-guessing or feeling alone in your efforts. Say “hello” to learning how to get your staff, board, and supporters on the same page so everyone knows their role in raising critical dollars for your mission.

For more information or to get started, please complete a Request for Assistance and we will be in touch to set up an initial call.

Grantwriting Assistance

The landscape is shifting in nonprofit grants, with many funders changing their approach and priorities. We can help you navigate diverse guidelines and application procedures to submit well-crafted proposals and increase your chances of securing funding.

Our consultants employ a collaborative approach that gives you the guidance, support, and insight to develop grant proposals on your own. We can help you articulate your organization’s story, demonstrating community needs and your ability to meet those needs. We can also help you develop a compelling pitch targeted to a specific funder's priorities and guidelines.

You know your organization best. We know proposal preparation and writing! Our grantwriting services include:

• Grant strategy planning
• Identifying potential funders and grant opportunities
• Help determining if an opportunity is a good match for your program
• Ensuring proposal questions are answered clearly and concisely
• Responding to Request for Proposals/Qualifications/Information
• Ensuring project budget align with proposal narrative
• Developing case statements for support
• Prepare to manage a grant and provide compelling reports

Lack of funding can be stressful but grantwriting doesn’t have to be. Let us help you streamline the application process so that you can submit funding requests more confidently. For more information or to get started, please complete a Request for Assistance and we will follow up to schedule an initial discussion.

Fundraising Online with Washington Gives

501 Commons facilitates Washington Gives, a year-round fundraising platform, and sponsors two annual fundraising events: GiveBIG Washington and Giving Tuesday. Washington Gives provides a website payment portal and gives you year-round access to peer-to-peer fundraising. Visit the Washington Gives website to find out more and to sign up.

Online fundraising has been growing and is really kicking into high gear because of the pandemic. Peer-to-peer campaigns pages are driving much of the growth in online giving.

When you sign up for GiveBIG you pay a participation fee that gives you access to the fundraising platform for the year. You also receive free fundraising trainings and a Fundraising Accelerator newsletter that will help you prepare and execute a successful fundraising campaign.