Broadening the Appeal

Among new initiatives, CAS has started hosting informational roundtables of 15 to 25 major donors and prospects, having board members call donors to thank them for their gifts, partnering more with local corporations and diversifying its individual-donor base.

“We long have suspected that our typical donor is a little old lady who loves kids and doesn’t have much to do,” Grayson says. “That was an image that was just too simplistic. We have sharpened our focus and tried to get as much information as possible about our donors.”