Consulting

Optimal fundraising strategies tailored to your business needs -and budget!

If you and your organization, or business, are eager to optimize your fundraising strategies (i.e. capital campaigns, feasibility studies, major gifts efforts) rest assured they all are core deliverables available through Trident True’s suite of services.

Soar to the balcony of abundance rather than being saddled feeding the scarcity scarecrow. Maximize your fundraising strategies with our tailored fund development services.

If you’re hoping to launch a for-profit business Theodore -as his VC testifies- has been equally successful in that field, including as a mentor at Mass Challenge supporting start-up teams and with seniors seeking to develop an ‘encore’ career!

Theodore’s consulting differs from his coaching as it takes into account the entire breadth of concerns a new venture requires. These concerns arise for NPO’s and for-profits alike. Examples include creating a business canvas (business ‘plans’ are no longer in vogue), customer discovery, MVP prototyping (minimum viable product), financial planning, organizational flow charts, raising capital, marketing and human resources.

Consulting often includes engaging multiple players (teams) or colleagues (partnerships). Here again, clients find his style, both collaborative and instructive, to be practical and effective.

Theodore is an accomplished business professional alternating between the non-profit and the for-profit sectors; cross-pollinating both with ideas from the other for nearly three decades.

Theodore has led multiple successful capital campaigns and has developed myriad major gifts strategies. He is a subject matter expert on the below listed services and brings amusing anecdotes and experiences to the table.

Services in this aspect are often retained for a fixed period of time, based on anticipated duration of campaign or project.

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Trident True

Comprehensive consulting services being offered:

Capital Campaigns

Kingly Gift
Capital campaigns are a major undertaking, the organizations senior staff and trustees should approach it accordingly. It requires many hands to make light the work. You’ll be seeking gifts of time, talent and treasure that are kingly in their scope. As a result, your vision must be expertly expressed, the goals achievable and the leadership impassioned. It is a rare, many would argue foolhardy, organization that approaches this wearing rose colored glasses. It’s also a marathon, never a sprint. Your consultant must wear many hats- and well. Choose carefully. It is a multi-year commitment.

Pro-Tip: Interview several (3) consultants and determine which if all else is equal has an affinity for your work and is someone you’d enjoy sharing a meal with before, during -and afterwards!

Major Gifts Efforts

Dance of the Fireflys
If a capital campaign is a Kingly Gift, a major gifts effort is more princely. The synchronized movement of fireflies symbolizes the power of collaboration and unity. You’ll need both. The good news is, this is more of a sprint than a marathon. However, the same level of care and passion must be present for those “important gifts” to be realized.

Pro-Tip: Although a major gifts effort can be carried out with far less planning than a capital campaign, and a lean organization might consider undertaking this task internally, it is always a good idea to bring in an accomplished professional early to determine the organization’s readiness to proceed.

Feasibility Study

Shipshape and Bristol Fashion
Just as any shipwright, worth his salt, would not put a ship to sea without a stout anchor and a nautical chart, no accomplished consultant would leave their homeport without a solid study in their back pocket. At least the successful ones. Undertaking a comprehensive feasibility study may be the most important aspect in planning a campaign. It is your tiller and compass. Your North Star. Not only will you glean knowledge around your most impassioned patrons’ philanthropic priorities; you’ll also discover some new ideas and approaches to your business model. But here’s the kicker, the unintended consequence: A proper feasibility study will enable you to deepen your relationship with the donor. Smart and accomplished leaders understand that being in relationship – and not in transaction- not only trims the sails but also lifts your vessel so that it is underway and making way, effortlessly!

Pro-Tip: Think of a Feasibility Study as an aid to navigation, an opportunity to listen; albeit through the discreet ears of the consultant. The success -or failure- can, ultimately, be traced back to this study. Lost at sea? You should have packed a sextant!

Board Development

Come Hell or High Water
The age-old axiom: ‘Every trustee must be a champion but not every champion should be a trustee’, is age-old, because it is a truism. Selecting the right trustee(s) for your Board is, hands-down, one of the most important and perilous decisions a Board President/ Founder- often in tandem with the Executive Director- will ever make. Hell hath no fury like a trustee feeling “not heard!”

Done thoughtfully, and within a transparent and ethical process, this selection should allow your organization to soar with the condors not flail about with the dodo birds. Whether you hire someone to create a process that is tailored to your organization or to guide you through an already existing one this is an area too often overlooked, and the repercussions will leave you seeking the high water, enabling you to swim out to sea … as fast as you can.

Pro-Tip: Speaking of swimming: Just as you would not swim in the ocean without a life jacket, nor should you select a trustee without knowing how they perform not on a sunny day but rather when the clouds roll in. Because sunny days are numbered, and them clouds; they roll in. In other words: Test-drive every one of your candidates in a committee or task force first. They should earn the privilege of serving your organization, not simply enjoy the prestige!

Special Events

Fields of Barley
Invitations, ‘save the dates postcards’, postage choices, and social mediums from which to broadcast your event take time to do right. And, they make a difference. Everyone today is a collateral critic, make certain your event collateral material is OUTstanding.

Pro-Tip: The special event does not end when the band goes home. In many ways it begins. Follow up your event with thank you notes to all of the participants: Volunteers, caterers, florists, sponsors and, of course, those who showed up. Trust me: This oft-forgotten detail is what separates the wheat from the chafe. Be the wheat!

Grant Writing

Dogs Days of Summer
Grant writing, for many organizations, takes place in the off-season when programs or prospects are not a priority. However, the sophisticated organization knows that foundation deadlines occur throughout the year, albeit most have January or September cycles. Be prepared, plan the year in advance, set a goal of at least 26 proposals perhaps as many as 52 grants submitted. Consider off-loading some to Trident True, or others, when you simply do not have the Human Resources inside. There is gold in them thar hills, for every dog a bone!

Pro-Tip: When writing a grant begin your first draft with a name at the top of the page. Write to someone, not at someone. After all, generally speaking, it is a real person reading your proposal. They appreciate accuracy and authenticity; best served with a side of humor.

Branding & Logos

The chicken or the egg
Did you know ‘logos’ in ancient Greek philosophy stood for “the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning”? Does an organization’s ‘brand’ inform its logo, or is it the other way around? Does it matter? No. What matters is that both are simultaneously smart and clever. And that your ‘style guide’ reflects all the arduous work that has gone into assembling those pieces.

Pro-Tip: Not having a style guide is like not wearing mittens to the skating pond. It is more than a fashion statement it transmits the message that this is a prepared organization, or corporation, and that we should be taken seriously. We deliver on our promises. Believe it or not, this simple symbol, conveys the integrity of your efforts. If you do not possess one: start knitting. Trident True has both smart and clever ideas. See you at the pond.

Website Design

Make a splash
If you’re just starting out or haven’t overhauled your website in the last ten years it is time wade into those waters. For some people it is a daunting experience. For others, it is an opportunity to truly consider what you’re bringing to the table and why it makes you feel so alive! It need not be a daunting consideration or one that stops you in your tracks due the anticipated costs. Truth be known, it will be the best dollars you spend on bringing your project to the surface. Working beside brilliant and gifted designers and coders can be a thrilling experience. Let us be your life-guard on duty ensuring your day at the beach is sun-filled and that the water is fine for swimming! We’ll , keep the sharks off-shore,

Case Studies on Effective Consulting

“We did not plan to fail, we failed to plan”. May those words never be spoken again.

An aspirational but under-resourced NPO needed to raise an enormous sum …

Philanthropistst are standing by ready to fund your next big idea but you need to tell them about it.

Situation:

An aspirational but under-resourced NPO needed to raise an enormous sum, far more than they ever had, in order to grow, remain relevant and to fully realize their mission. Although beloved by those nearest, this organization was not well founded known throughout the community.

Task:

Newly-hired non-profit CEO was directed by Board of Trustees to raise 7-10 million dollars, but in order to do that she needed the full support of the Board of Trustees who, although excited about the prospect of a capital campaign, did not seem willing to give or get. And, she needed to elevate the public profile of the organization.

Actions:

The CEO knew she needed outside counsel in order to better understand what was the attainable financial goal of the campaign. CEO hired Trident True to undertake a confidential feasibility study of their top 75 donors, which included all of the trustees (22).

Results:

Trident True, after a comprehensive 60-day study of the top donors and others passionate about the organization, determined that the goal needed to be adjusted, lower. This is a terrific example of where one begins when they want to optimize fundraising strategies. The study also surfaced some concerns about the confidence the donors had in the assembled team to successfully support this undertaking. And, it revealed, that several donors were willing to make major gifts if their confidence could be improved.

Trident True advised the organization they needed to take one year to shore up the foundation, to broadcast more widely their successes and to spend more face time with their major donors. One year later TT led the organizations senior leaders and board members through an exciting and successful campaign that met all of the objectives including bringing closer the relationship between the trustees and the professional executive team members.

A non-profit organization had finished another year in the red …

Roses are red, your quarterly spread sheet should not be. We’ve got ideas and solutions.

Situation:

A non-profit organization had finished another year in the red. It was the third year in a row and a major donor who had been willing to subsidize the loss was growing frustrated stating this would be the last year they could expect her support. They needed a source of unrestricted funds that would shore up salaries, and cover operating expenses, while also attracting new donors.

Task:

Create a sustainable revenue stream that would not only generate a size-able surplus but also elevate the profile of the organization attracting new donors while also keeping engaged the existing ones.

Actions:

Trident True, retained to support development of a new revenue stream led an off-prem half-day retreat of those on the Board, CEO and staff who were already actively involved in developing revenue. Many possibilities were discussed, including fee-based services, but it was determined it would make sense to bring back a black-tie gala which had been suspended six years beforehand. Corporate sponsorship would be key to its financial success rather than depend on ticket sales. Trident True was hired to manage the publicity, to develop event collateral material for sponsorships and support the staff efforts on the logistics of food and beverage, live auction and the event center piece: a fashion show!

Results:

The event was easy to sell to sponsors as it was populated, in advance, by people prominent in the community who agreed to be “model citizens”. In addition it generated a lot of publicity both earned and bought on social media and print. The event sold out, burnished the brand and engaged the community elevating it’s profile and attracting new major donors. This ‘signature’ event also kicked off a significant profit – and retained the good will, and largesse, of the guardian angel donor.

What Our Clients Say:

Our special events were not only poorly attended but we lost money on almost every occasion. Theo at TT enabled us to create an event that was not only truly special- and aligned with our mission- but also generated an enormous stream of revenue which proved to be evergreen as now our event is annual!

Stephanie P.

They say change is the only constant in life. I could not agree more. Tired of my day-to-day, exhausted by the bureaucracy of the corporate world, I knew it was time to transition to something, anything more meaningful. Theo, through an exhaustive but illuminating process of thoughtful inquiry, gave me the courage to leave the financial industry and find meaningful work in the non-profit sector. Although I don’t make as much money I feel ten years younger and have been able to transfer my sales skills to the field of philanthropy-happiness has finally settled over me. Not possible had I not engaged Trident True to help me create a road map to a new life.

Zachary R.

It was not easy leaving a company I had been with for 22 years. But as I neared retirement, still full of vim and vigor, I decided to launch my own business. The team at Trident True walked me through the paces, holding my hand through the difficult early stage of liftoff. Today I have doubled my income and wake eager to go to work, no longer counting the days till retirement!

Joyce V.

Carol L.

Leadership requires awareness. Extraordinary leadership, Theo explained, required exceptional self-awareness. I discovered working with Theo I had it backwards: I needed to ask more questions rather than making declarative statements, listen more intently instead of interrupting mid-sentence, and allow time for my team to realize on their own that which I was eager (too eager it seems) to conclude. Working with the team at Trident True, spending a day off premises in retreat with my team, dramatically increased productivity and profit margins while also creating a more cooperative and innovative work environment. It also gave me more energy to deploy elsewhere.

John G.

It seems Theo at Trident True has read all of those self-help and business books so that I don’t have to – what a relief since I had neither the time nor the energy. Now I have both! His advice is sound and his counsel wise. But mostly it is not what he delivers but how he delivers it. Thoughtful and practical ideas enabled me to reconsider my professional life and realize I had many choices. Today I have time, energy, and an abundance of income as I have discovered my purpose on this planet and in doing so have been able to make a living without sacrificing my soul.

Judy G.

There was nothing special about our events. in fact, although they made us a modest profit they did not allow us to engage with our constituents in a manner that enabled us to make a more meaningful connection to our donor community. It took Theo at TT no time to reveal how we could do what we were doing better, make more money at the event, and, most importantly, deepen the relationship with our donors.

Gary S.

Who knew the world was waiting for the BEST version of me yet! Trapped in an energy-sucking cubicle I knew there had to be a better life than fielding irate customer service calls all day. The advice and counsel of Theo at Trident True proved to be a lifeline to an alternate universe. Within six months I was finally putting my degree to work; making almost twice the income; and feeling valued not only by others but by myself. I also lost ten pounds! Thank you Trident True.

Patty G.

Theo’s methodology is elegant in it’s simplicity:
Know thy self. My boss was a jerk, making my work life exhausting and my personal life miserable. It took only 6 months to realize that I was ready to pivot from working for another to building my own business. Hell, if I was going to log 80 hours/week I better invest in me and not an unappreciative boss. Today, I am now the owner of a thriving restaurant and although my hours still exceed 60 hours/week I go home knowing I’ve created equity in a business and I never need to worry about ‘what my boss thinks’ again. Or, getting fired since I finally shared what I thought! Now, the happy diners tell me daily their thoughts- in a much more positive and constructive manner. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur but don’t know where to start: start with Trident True!

Sarah B.

The maritime field is littered by guys like me who not only want but need to break from the ‘golden shackles’ of working on ships. Great money and blocks of time off but missing my kid’s birthdays and my wife’s smiles was making a very miserable sailor out of me. Theo, himself a former mariner, helped me realize my skills and training could be put to work in any number of shoreside careers. Within one year of working with Theo I was gainfully employed in an ascending sector ashore and home every night: attending everyone’s birthdays and enjoying my beautiful wife’s infinite positivity!

Wyatt F.

The music industry is wildly competitive, working with Theo at Trident True enabled me to cut through the noise (pun tended) and trust that I knew how to get heard and break out of my bubble. Shortly thereafter I entered several music festivals – and won- and released my third album to critical acclaim!

Emilia D.

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CONTACT US

Theodore W.B. Regan
16 Burton Street, Bristol, RI 02809
Email: Theo@trident-true.com

Consulting

Comprehensive consulting services being offered:

Case Studies on Effective Consulting

An aspirational but under-resourced NPO needed to raise an enormous sum …

Situation:

Task:

Actions:

Results:

A non-profit organization had finished another year in the red …

Situation:

Task:

Actions:

Results:

What Our Clients Say:

Your Chariot Awaits:

CONTACT US

JOIN US