Description
Mike is a New York City based fundraising consultant, mentor, and coach passionate about helping small to midsize nonprofits build authentic donor relationships. He listens carefully to each organization’s unique needs, working side by side with them to offer personalized support and innovative strategies that make fundraising more effective and rewarding. With his CFRE certification, Mike brings both expertise and heart to his work, making sure nonprofits can thrive.
- Fundraising Strategy Development
- Fundraising Assessments
- Major Gifts & Donor Engagement
- Donor Stewardship & Retention
- Capital Campaigns
- Board & Staff Coaching
- Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
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Services
Comprehensive Fundraising Strategy
Helping nonprofits build tailored fundraising plans that align with their goals and mission.
Key Services:
- Assess and optimize your current fundraising efforts.
- Conduct feasibility studies and create strategies for capital and comprehensive campaigns.
- Design actionable roadmaps and implement successful campaigns.
Fundraising Coaching
Equipping teams with the skills, confidence, and coaching needed to lead successful fundraising efforts.
Key Services:
- Provide one-on-one coaching for fundraising professionals.
- Deliver tailored coaching to staff and board members on best practices for donor engagement.
- Offer strategic advice to enhance leadership and decision-making in fundraising.
Major Gifts & Donor Engagement
Building deeper relationships with high-impact donors through personalized engagement strategies.
Key Services:
- Conduct prospect research and develop donor cultivation plans.
- Implement strategies for long-term donor relationships.
- Coach staff and board members in major gift fundraising.
Donor Stewardship & Retention
Boosting donor loyalty and retention with effective strategies designed to sustain support.
Key Services:
- Design retention strategies to strengthen donor relationships.
- Address donor attrition with data-driven solutions.
- Provide ongoing training to enhance donor engagement efforts.
Resources
FAQ
Fundraising coaching is designed to be adaptable, depending on your organization’s needs. Typically, it can range from 1 to 6 sessions per month to match different goals and timelines, and engagements generally span anywhere from 3 to 12 months.
Fundraising coaching benefits everyone involved in your organization’s development efforts:
- Junior fundraising staff: To build foundational skills and confidence.
- Mid-level fundraisers: To enhance strategy, execution, and leadership skills.
- CEOs and Executive Directors: To strengthen fundraising vision, stragtegy, and integration with organizational leadership.
- Board members: To empower them as ambassadors and active fundraisers.
Whether you’re looking to refine your annual campaign, launch a major giving initiative, or improve board engagement, coaching can help every role unlock their fundraising potential.
A typical fundraising assessment takes approximately 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the complexity of your organization’s fundraising operations, size, and goals. The process involves data collection, interviews, analysis, and collaborative review sessions.
The outcome of a fundraising assessment is a comprehensive report and actionable roadmap that includes:
- Strengths and Gaps: A detailed analysis of what’s working well and where improvements are needed.
- Opportunities: Insights into untapped potential for donor engagement and fundraising growth.
- Recommendations: Clear, prioritized strategies for enhancing fundraising effectiveness across areas such as:
- Individual giving
- Major gifts
- Institutional giving
- Board engagement
4. Fundraising Action Plan: A step-by-step plan to implement recommendations, complete with timelines and resource needs.
By the end of the assessment, your organization will have a clear understanding of its fundraising potential and a roadmap for achieving sustainable growth.
Testimonials
Keeisi Caballero, MS, MBA, Common Future
Manager of Strategic Impact Initiatives
I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Mike Esposito during the 2024 Common Future accelerator program, where he delivered an insightful seminar on fundraising strategies and participated as a mentor for the cohort. Mike stands out not only for his in-depth knowledge of fundraising but also for his responsiveness and willingness to support others. His approachable demeanor and ability to simplify complex concepts make him an invaluable mentor to any team or program focused on understanding the fundraising landscape and preparing to fundraise.
Denny Stypulkowski, ParaCliffHangers
Co-founder and Executive Director
Mike’s approach was both strategic and practical, prioritizing efficiency and crafting a plan that our micro team of staff and volunteers could execute. The plan was broken down into tangible, monthly action items tailored to fit within our organization’s limited capacity while remaining flexible enough to allow for customization. Working with Mike was an absolute pleasure—he was highly receptive to learning about our organization, ensuring that his recommendations aligned with our existing community and culture. His collaborative spirit, coaching, and support were invaluable in aligning the plan with our unique needs and goals.
Shawon Jackson, Vocal Justice
Founder and Executive Director
Mike was an excellent advisor to me during one of the most challenging times for my nonprofit startup. He listened empathetically as I shared my concerns and offered thoughtful, tailored suggestions. He then produced a list of prospective supporters for my organization, and suggested strategies on how to engage each individual. The results were remarkable. Without question, my nonprofit is in a better place because of Mike, and so am I.
Shanita Perdomo, Yes M.I.S.S.
Founder and Executive Director
Mike is the epitome of the saying "What we didn't know we needed". During our initial call, I was very upfront with Mike about our lack of fundraising knowledge and staff capacity. He asked specific questions about our goals, resources, and relationships. After a few meaningful and strategic conversations, Mike created a fundraising assessment that was easy to understand and execute. This document is a motivation for our board members, corporate partnership interns, development interns, and grant writers. I truly admire Mike for his ability to gently push a startup nonprofit to position itself as a business doing business and not a charity asking for money. With Mike's help, I have undergone a mindset shift about fundraising and have immediately started to see the fruit of his support!
