PsychOdyssey
Project Concept Note
Updated to January 2014
Project
CSPNJ Fundraising Office Initiative.
Recipient
Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey.
Provider
T. H. Pyle dba PsychOdyssey Services.
Objective
Establish a self-sustaining fundraising office at CSPNJ.
Description
To enable CSPNJ to develop an independent fundraising
function capable of sourcing up to one-third of its total revenues
from private philanthropic sources, this initiative seeks to raise
initial philanthropic funds sufficient for CSPNJ to institute a fulltime fundraising office consisting of a vice-president level
fundraising officer and two associates.
Rationale
CSPNJ is a private not-for-profit organization directed, managed
and staffed through the collaborative efforts of mental health
consumers, survivors and non-consumers. This is done through
the creation and administration of self-help centers, supportive
housing, advocacy, financial services, and entrepreneurial
programs for adults with mental health issues and other special
needs.
In over 20 years of service, CSPNJ has built up an impressive
array of services of, by, and for individuals with psychiatric
disabilities. CSPNJ is by far the largest New Jersey mental
health services enterprise enjoying direct funding from the State
of New Jersey. Of the over $12 million of revenues it received
in 2010, nearly all of it (over 98%) came from the State of New
Jersey.
CSPNJ promotes a vision of self-sufficiency and responsibility
through the interdependence of all with psychiatric disabilities
and their supporters. To fulfill a recently adopted strategic goal,
CSPNJ seeks to enhance the self-sufficiency and sustainability
of its own organization through the revision and enhancement of
its services and the diversification of its funding streams.
Funding stream diversification can be achieved by introducing
and increasing non-governmental revenue streams such as
foundation grants, individual donations, bequests, corporate
sponsorship, and social enterprise.
The development of such alternatives fall generally under the
rubric of “fundraising” (or “development”, or “advancement”),
an increasingly complicated and specialized management
activity. As a well-established social welfare agency, CSPNJ has
been deemed very successful in its services and operations as
shown by superior outcomes measurements, financial reporting,
and governmental audits. Apart from a few program grants
associated with its Wellness Institute, CSPNJ has to date not yet
undertaken strategic, systematic fundraising and now seeks to do
so.
Such an endeavor, however, would require an investment of
time, talent, and funding beyond what CSPNJ has currently
available. Thus CSPNJ seeks funding help over three years from
a foundation or corporate partner to start up and sustain a fully
operational fundraising development office.
Components
1. Preparation
a. History
b. Organization, e.g.,
i. Environment
ii. Industry
iii. Competition
iv. Customers
v. Company
vi. Products and services
vii. Economics and financing
c. Comparable organizations
d. Case formulation
2. Request formulation
a. Office and function determination
b. 3 year financial projections
c. Term sheet and presentation preparation
3. Research
a. Identification of possible funding targets
b. Determination of likely prospects
c. Outreach plan development
4. Execution
a. Meetings arrangement
b. Meetings participation
c. Application preparation
d. Follow-up
Deliverables
1.
2.
3.
4.
Presentation slides
Executive summary
Information memorandum
Meetings schedule, etc.