Service
Campaign planning
Test the goal before you announce it. A planning phase tells your board what can be raised, from whom, and who will lead it, before you commit to a number in public.
Focus Ireland's planning phase set a €30 million goal. The campaign raised and pledged €39 million.
Is this for you?
- You have a capital project or a strategy that needs more philanthropy than you have ever raised.
- Your board wants evidence, not optimism, before it approves a campaign.
- You are not sure whether the goal should be €5 million or €15 million.
- You need the people who will fund the campaign to feel they shaped it.
What we do
Confidential conversations
Thirty to forty one-to-one interviews with major donors, business leaders, board members, and staff. These are advisory conversations, not donation requests, and they double as cultivation.
A tested case
A discussion document that sets out the proposition and three fundable strands, refined by what interviewees tell us.
A tested goal
A table of gifts built from real capacity and real interest, not from the size of the need.
Leadership
We identify who could chair a Philanthropy Council and who would serve on it.
Readiness
An honest view of your team, systems, data, and board.
What you get
- A board-ready final report with a recommended goal, timeline, and structure
- A table of gifts
- A rated list of lead prospects (capacity, linkage, interest)
- A recommended Philanthropy Council and chair
- A case for support ready for design
- A presentation to the board
How long, and who
Typically four to six months. We ask for one hour from your CEO each fortnight, two board conversations, and a fundraising lead who works alongside us throughout. James leads every planning phase; Aisling Nolan works on most.
With: James Ó Murthuile, Aisling Nolan
Working with your team
Your team sits in on the conversations, works the prospect list with us, and owns the plan at the end. The planning phase is where the campaign's relationships begin, so they need to be your relationships.
Cōnsilium guided us through the planning stages of our €25M 'One Billion Meals' campaign. Their structured approach strengthened our fundraising capacity, and James' major gift expertise boosted donor engagement, built momentum, and ensured a foundation for success.
In practice
FoodCloud
One Billion MealsCHECK
- Goal
- €25 million over five years
A €25 million campaign to help FoodCloud rescue One Billion Meals by 2030, in Ireland and through its technology in other countries.
Read the case study