Fundraising Feasibility Studies for Nonprofits
Know if your nonprofit is ready before launching a campaign.
A fundraising feasibility study helps your nonprofit understand whether your donors, board, leadership, case for support, and internal capacity are ready for a successful capital campaign.
Before you set a public goal, announce a campaign, or ask your board to commit to a major fundraising effort, you need honest donor feedback, clear campaign strategy, and a realistic understanding of what your organization can raise.
PRIDE Philanthropy conducts feasibility studies for nonprofits preparing for capital campaigns, major fundraising initiatives, facility expansions, endowment campaigns, and other significant funding priorities.
What a Fundraising Feasibility Study Helps You Answer
A feasibility study gives your organization a clear read on campaign readiness before you move forward. The study should help answer questions like:
Is our proposed campaign goal realistic?
How do our top donors and stakeholders respond to the vision?
Who may be willing to make a lead gift?
Is our board aligned around the campaign?
Do we have the internal capacity to manage the campaign?
Is the case for support clear and compelling?
What concerns need to be addressed before launch?
Should we move forward, adjust the goal, phase the campaign, or pause?
-
Signs Your Nonprofit May Need a Feasibility Study:
You are considering a capital campaign or major fundraising initiative.
Your board is supportive but has not been tested with specific campaign expectations.
You do not know if your top donors see the project as urgent or fundable.
You have a campaign goal in mind but no clear donor evidence behind it.
Your organization needs to understand whether the timing is right.
You need outside counsel to test the case, leadership, donor capacity, and readiness.
-
What PRIDE’s Feasibility Study Provides:
Campaign readiness assessment
Case for support build (or review)
Major gifts prospect list
Donor capacity and giving potential analysis
Board and volunteer leadership assessment/identification
Campaign goal recommendation
Key opportunities, risks, and messaging themes
Month-to-month timeline for the campaign
Our Feasibility Study Process:
1. Campaign Readiness and Discovery
We begin by understanding your organization’s funding priorities, donor base, fundraising history, board dynamics, internal capacity, and proposed campaign vision. This includes reviewing past fundraising activity, current materials, existing processes, and the strategic priorities that may shape a future campaign.
2. Case, Message, and Campaign Strategy Review
Before donors are asked for feedback, the campaign idea needs to be clear. We review how the need is being framed, what problem the campaign solves, why it matters now, and whether the message is likely to inspire major gifts. This helps your organization refine the case for support before moving into broader donor and stakeholder conversations.
3. Interview, Survey, and Stakeholder Planning
We help identify the right mix of people to include in the study, including top donors, board members, organizational leaders, community stakeholders, institutional partners, and prospective campaign champions. Depending on the scope of the study, this may also include broad-based email surveys, internal constituent engagement, focus groups, or a SWOT session with board and/or leadership.
4. Confidential Donor and Stakeholder Interviews
PRIDE conducts confidential one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders, in person, virtually, or by phone. These conversations help test campaign receptivity, donor perception, possible lead gifts, concerns, leadership confidence, and the likelihood of campaign support. Because we serve as a neutral third party, stakeholders are often more candid about how much they would give, what they believe, what they would support, and what could keep the campaign from succeeding.
5. Fundraising, Market, and Capacity Analysis
We combine interview feedback with fundraising data, donor potential, historical giving activity, local or regional market research, and nonprofit comparative analysis. The goal is to move beyond internal assumptions and develop a realistic picture of what your organization may be able to raise, who may be most important to early campaign momentum, and what conditions need to be in place before launch.
6. Findings, Recommendations, and Campaign Roadmap
At the end of the study, your organization receives a comprehensive report and implementation plan. This includes findings from the study, campaign goal recommendations, donor and leadership insights, messaging guidance, potential campaign structure, volunteer leadership considerations, and a practical timeline for next steps. When appropriate, PRIDE presents the findings in person to leadership and/or the board so there is room for discussion, questions, and alignment before major campaign decisions are made.
Who this is for…
PRIDE’s feasibility studies are built for nonprofits that are preparing for a significant fundraising initiative and need more clarity before moving forward.
This is often the right fit for:
Nonprofit hospices preparing for facility, program, or endowment campaigns
Hospital foundations, and healthcare organizations considering major funding priorities
Human service nonprofits planning expansion, renovation, or capacity-building campaigns
Organizations considering a capital campaign for the first time
Nonprofits with a strong mission but limited major gift infrastructure
Development teams that need board, donor, and leadership alignment before campaign launch
PRIDE staff and clients at the 2025 Daytona Beach PRIDE Academy.
What You Should Have at the End of the Study…
By the end of a feasibility study, your organization should have a clearer understanding of:
Whether your campaign goal is realistic
Which donors may be most important to early campaign momentum
How your case for support is being received
What concerns donors or stakeholders may have
Whether your board and leadership are ready for campaign expectations
What campaign structure, timeline, and next steps make the most sense
Whether to launch, adjust, phase, or delay the campaign
Let’s Start Solving Your Fundraising Challenges Together
Take the first step toward a successful campaign by partnering with PRIDE Philanthropy. Schedule a consultation with our team today, and let’s discuss how we can help you pave the way to achieving your fundraising goals.
Investing in a feasibility study is the first step towards a successful fundraising campaign. Let us help you pave the way for a brighter future for your cause.
Interested in learning more about the needs of your organization?
“Every time I read the report, I glean something new. It is just great. I am so thankful that we invested in this process. Looking forward to the next steps.”
Vice President and Chief Development Officer | Frederick Health | Frederick, MD
What a Feasibility Study Actually Looks Like
Frequently Asked Questions About Fundraising Feasibility Studies
What is a fundraising feasibility study?
A fundraising feasibility study is a planning process that helps a nonprofit determine whether it is ready to launch a major campaign. It usually includes donor and stakeholder interviews, campaign readiness analysis, case testing, fundraising goal assessment, and recommendations for next steps.
When should a nonprofit conduct a feasibility study?
A nonprofit should conduct a feasibility study before launching a capital campaign or major fundraising initiative. The study is especially useful when the organization is considering a large campaign goal, testing a new funding priority, seeking lead gifts, or trying to understand whether donors and board members are ready to support the effort.
Do we need a feasibility study before a capital campaign?
Most nonprofits benefit from a feasibility study before launching a capital campaign. A study helps test whether the campaign goal, case for support, donor base, board leadership, and internal capacity are strong enough to support a successful campaign. Skipping this step can lead to unrealistic goals, weak donor engagement, and avoidable campaign delays.
How long does a feasibility study take?
Many nonprofit feasibility studies take 90 days, depending on the number of interviews, the complexity of the campaign, and the availability of key donors and stakeholders. Larger or more complex organizations may need a longer timeline.
Who should be interviewed during a feasibility study?
A feasibility study often includes interviews with major donors, board members, executive leadership, campaign prospects, community leaders, institutional partners, and other stakeholders who can provide honest feedback on the proposed campaign.
What questions are asked during a feasibility study?
Feasibility study questions usually explore how stakeholders perceive the organization, whether the proposed campaign is compelling, what concerns may exist, who might support the campaign, how much the interviewee would consider giving, whether the goal feels realistic, and what leadership or messaging issues should be addressed before launch.
How does a feasibility study help set a campaign goal?
A feasibility study helps set a campaign goal by combining donor feedback, giving potential, stakeholder perception, organizational readiness, and campaign priorities. The goal should be based on more than internal need. It should reflect what donors are likely to support and what the organization can realistically execute.
What happens after a feasibility study is complete?
After a feasibility study, nonprofit leaders should have a clearer recommendation about whether to launch the campaign, adjust the goal, refine the case, strengthen board engagement, build donor relationships, or delay the campaign until key readiness issues are addressed.
What is the difference between a feasibility study and a campaign plan?
A feasibility study tests whether a campaign is realistic and identifies the conditions needed for success. A campaign plan outlines how the organization will execute the campaign, including timeline, donor strategy, volunteer leadership, communications, and solicitation sequencing.
How much does a nonprofit feasibility study cost?
The cost of a nonprofit feasibility study varies widely based on the scope, number of interviews, complexity of the campaign, and level of counsel required. PRIDE typically scopes feasibility studies based on the organization’s goals, interview needs, and campaign planning requirements.
Considering a Capital Campaign or Major Fundraising Initiative?