Properly implemented, a feasibility study can be useful throughout the fundraising stage of a campaign and beyond.

By Leslie Mollsen and John Biggins

The interview
A good feasibility study interview is more of a discussion than a survey. During a conversation lasting less than one hour, the interviewee can answer some 20 to 25 questions. Consultants display a range of opinions on how many interviews are needed to gain an accurate picture of the attitudes of the donor community; it’s dependent on the amount of time available and the resources of the nonprofit. Studies routinely involve 40 to 60 interviews, but some have gone into the hundreds.