The CEO of Concord-Assabet Family and Adolescent Services wondered if he did. Was the organization doing all it could to raise money to expand the reach of its services? Were they asking the same small cadre of loyal supporters to do too much? Was it possible to identify and reach out to a broader constituency of donors?

Concord-Assabet Family and Adolescent Services’ aim has always been to help those in need in the community. Tracing its roots back to The Concord Female Charitable Society, which held its first meeting in 1814, CAFAS helps individuals, youth and their families by providing residential schools, emergency shelters, treatment programs for troubled teens, prevention counseling and education programs. Taking its modern form through a merger of two organizations, CAFAS gained strength from the combination and found a renewed vigor in its mission to create a range of programs that would make a difference in the communities they serve.

While there was visible synergy in the combined programs, the two enterprises had disparate cultures and two distinct methods of fundraising. The CEO called upon Mersky Jaffe & Associates to perform a development audit — an objective evaluation of CAFAS’ internal development procedures and results.

Beginning with an in depth review of budgets, timelines, strategies, and materials and continuing through insightful interviews with volunteers and staff, MJA worked to analyze the successes of the past and identify the challenges of the present.

As a result of the work done by the consultants from MJA, CAFAS re-organized its development function, re-deployed its staff, and created a development committee from its board that was mandated to oversee the total fundraising entity. To drive the reinvigorated efforts, Mersky Jaffe & Associates was then engaged to conduct an executive search, which led to the hiring of a new Director of Development.

With priorities clear, strong leadership in place, and its “board on board”, CAFAS was able to identify friends, funders and potential donors and successfully communicate its vision and values to them. With this new-found support, Concord-Assabet Family and Adolescent Services was able to move forward to fulfill their mission to serve children and their families in the region.