Before The Gift™ Briefing
One important gift. One organization. 90 minutes to figure out what you actually know.
90 minutes · $1,000 · one gift, looked at closely
There's a specific gift on the table.
A real organization. A real number. And it's large enough that being wrong about whether the organization can deliver would matter.
You've done the part you know how to do.
You've looked at the finances. You've considered the tax and gift-planning implications. Maybe you've reviewed the organization's website, annual report, leadership, and reputation.
But there's still a question that's harder to answer from the outside:
Is this organization actually as good as the story says?
Maybe you're the one giving.
Maybe you're the advisor a giver trusts to help them think it through.
Either way, "they seem great" has stopped being enough.
You'd rather know than hope. That's what the Briefing is for.
What the Briefing is
The Before The Gift™ Briefing is a 90-minute working session focused on one organization and one consequential gift.
We look past the pitch and examine the evidence behind the story:
This isn't a generic nonprofit assessment.
It's a focused look at the decision in front of you.
You walk out knowing where you stand.
After 90 minutes, you'll have:
A clear read on the evidence
What the available information allows you to say with confidence, and what is still uncertain. You'll be able to distinguish evidence of impact from evidence of a good story.
The questions worth asking
A focused set of questions to put to the organization before anything is finalized. Not a generic due-diligence checklist. The questions that actually matter based on what we find.
A sharper conversation about the gift
You'll be better equipped for the conversation that tends to follow: "So what do we actually think about this organization?" If you're giving, that's the clarity to move forward on your own terms. If you're advising a giver, it's the read that lets you help them think it through without being put on the spot. Either way, the answer rests on what the evidence supports, not on a good feeling.
A written portfolio read
If this gift is part of a larger giving strategy, you can share that context before the session. Several organizations. A developing foundation. A DAF. A broader charitable portfolio. We'll focus the live session on the gift at hand, and you'll receive a written read on the broader portfolio afterward.
What this is not
The Briefing is not a full independent impact evaluation.
It's not a 30-page report.
It's not a recommendation to give, or not give, to a particular organization.
And it's not another exercise in checking whether a nonprofit has filed its paperwork or spent its money appropriately.
It's the step between "this organization looks good" and "I understand what the evidence actually tells me."
If the gift warrants a deeper investigation, the Briefing can also show you exactly where that deeper work should go.
Why spend $1,000 on a $100,000+ decision?
Because the question isn't whether $1,000 is a lot.
It's whether clarity is worth 1% of the decision.
If you're the one sitting on this gift, or advising someone who is, it's probably not the amount that's stopping you. It's not knowing whether you'd catch it if the story didn't hold up.
There's no guarantee here, but the Briefing gives you enough evidence to move forward with real peace of mind, whether that means giving, or deciding not to. Either way, the decision stays yours, or your client's.
If it gives you the confidence to move forward without second-guessing, or surfaces a problem you would have missed, it has paid for itself many times over.
Because significant investments deserve more than a good feeling.
How it works
Complete a short intake
Before we meet, you'll share information about the gift, the organization, and anything you already know or are wondering about. That means we spend the 90 minutes on your situation, not getting me up to speed.
We look closely
We spend 90 minutes working through the evidence, the gaps, and the questions that matter.
You leave knowing where you stand
You'll have a clearer understanding of what you know, what you don't, and what needs to happen next. And if you shared a broader giving portfolio, you'll receive the written portfolio read after the session.
Who you're working with
I'm Dr. Christian Onyemali, founder of Eleven 11 Consulting. I've spent 15+ years evaluating whether nonprofit programs actually work, for organizations funded by the Gates Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and other major philanthropies. I've also run a nonprofit myself, as founder and Executive Director of a youth-serving organization, so I know both sides of the table. Which means I know what strong evidence actually looks like, where it's usually missing, and what it takes to build it.
Deepest expertise in education and youth-serving organizations. Other sectors welcome.
One gift. One organization. One focused question.
You don't need another nonprofit report. You need to know whether the story holds up.
Before The Gift™ Briefing
90 minutes · $1,000
Book Your Briefing →Limited to two Briefings per week so each one gets the preparation and attention it requires.
