FamilyWise

Amplify Services at Work:

While we are happy to engage with clients in whatever way works best for them, we find our work especially rewarding when we can partner with organizations both broadly and deeply. Our collaboration with FamilyWise Services has been such a case.

The strong partnership also represents an example of “The Amplify Way,” which frames our work across four phases:

• Discovery
• Triage
• Optimization
• Amplification

Discovery

AmplifyDMC launched this partnership by getting to know the FamilyWise team, then assessing the current state of their fundraising, communications, and grant-writing “readiness.” After these discoveries, we jointly agreed to a strategy for working with the client.

Triage

Based on our assessment of their needs, we identified—and quickly implemented—a set of activities that would kick-start FamilyWise’s development and communications work. This included fleshing out a development calendar, including grant deadlines, which Amplify’s project manager oversaw (and continues to oversee). This not only led to more intentional long-range planning, but also helped FamilyWise avoid the dreaded last-minute grant application scramble (or worse, missing deadlines altogether).

Optimization

With systems and a shared strategy in place, the FamilyWise-Amplify partnership took shape through a range of fundraising and communications projects, including:

• Crafting key messages and talking points
• FamilyWise staff using key messages in donor calls, on social media, in e-newsletters
• Staying ahead of grant deadlines and shaping new cases for support
• Prospecting for new grant funders

Amplification

Through the strategies above, FamilyWise has seen greater fundraising support from a wider range of both foundations and individuals. The organization has also created a more balanced fundraising plan by diversifying its development streams to include crowdfunding, annual appeals, and fundraising events in addition to grants. Along the way, its development committee and board of directors have also become more engaged in the organization’s fundraising efforts.