[Shanna G.]

Hi All,

My org is interested in Benevon (the program formerly known as "Raising More Money") and I'm looking for some opinions on it. I've tried Googling it, but all I get appears to be info that's straight from the Benevon folks. I'd like some thoughts from people who aren't selling it!

Anyone have anything to say? Good or bad, I want to hear it all!

[myersanderson]

We paid for Benevon under a former VP who came from a very different kind of organization. It seemed that we paid a lot for a service that was much better suited to a smaller organization with less sophisticated fund-raising efforts. It was teaching nothing that a good development officer wouldn't already know as far as I could tell.

[PamelaBryman]

I took the Benevon training with another organization I worked with previously. While their methods could be incorporated into a good development plan, they are not the be-all, end-all that Benevon touts -- UNLESS your board & staff is committed to spending LOTS of time and effort. I've worked with some exceptional boards, but it does seem to me that the amount of time required by your board to implement this program is prohibitive. And, once the program IS implemented, even Benevon estimates that it takes approximately 20 staff hours per week to maintain. I like the small event format, I like the "creating your organization's story" - you can buy the book and do it yourself & save a lot of money.

[Cygnet]

I agree whole-heartedly with the above comments. Basically, if your organization is a) wealthy enough and b) sophisticated enough to be using Blackbaud products it probably has surpassed most of the Benevon / RMM methodology.

It's fundraising 101 and is great for some small, poorly funded or staffed organizations. My guess is if you are really curious, -- again -- read the book and implement a customized version that fits your organization.

[Karenw]

We've been using it successfully for about six years. Before starting it, we had a very small individual giving program and now have several hundred donors. For us, a well-established but not well-known mental health organization, it has been just as much about building visibility as building a donor base, as well.

I agree with the above comments - it definitely requires a commitment from your board and key staff. It is an extremely time consuming model, but for us the outcome has definitely been worth the effort.