Guides
Plain-English fundraising guidance.
Short, practical explainers on the decisions and documents that come up again and again across a raise — how a mandate is structured, the arc from first principles to first commitments, and the materials that survive institutional review — each linked to the templates that put it into practice.
General information only, not legal, tax or investment advice. Engage qualified counsel in the relevant jurisdiction before acting.
Engagement scope & fees: how a fundraising mandate is structured
What a fundraising adviser actually does, how a retainer and success fee fit together, why exclusivity and a tail period matter, and how to read the engagement letter before you sign it.
Read guideFrom first principles to first commitments
The arc of a real raise — from deciding whether you're ready, through structuring and materials, to the term sheet and the first signed commitment. What happens at each stage and which document carries it.
Read guideThe investor materials checklist
Exactly what goes in a fundraising pack that survives institutional review — the teaser, the information memorandum, the financial model and the data room — and the common gaps that stall a raise in diligence.
Read guideNDAs before the data room: what they cover in a raise
Why every serious investor conversation starts with a non-disclosure agreement, what 'confidential information' really means, the standard carve-outs, and when to use a mutual, one-way or individual undertaking.
Read guideReady to put a guide into practice? Prepare the matching document in minutes.
Browse document templates →