This is #8 and the last Hack for Fund Managers & IR Teams in this series – see all previously published Hacks in our blog.

Fundraising is getting tougher.

Allocators are asking harder questions.

And the diligence process still feels like it starts from scratch—every time.

But over the past year, something's started to shift – because there’s a new way to move things faster.

A growing number of managers are getting ahead of ODD—before the DDQ even lands.

What they’ve figured out is this:

If you can demonstrate to allocators that you’re verified and ready, the conversation moves faster.

That’s why more managers are now running a DDX Benchmark Report with Castle Hall before launching their next raise.

It’s a mock operational due diligence review—structured exactly the way an allocator would conduct it. You get a confdential, internal view of your operational strengths, red flag areas, and how you compare to peer managers.

But that’s not all.

You also receive a Due Diligence Exchange (DDX) Verification Report—allocator-ready, no extra work required.

This is a standardized diligence summary you can: 
 

• Share with allocators during fundraising

• Include in your pitch deck or data room

• Bring to meetings to show you're not scrambling—you're prepared

Allocators like it because it’s clean, verified by a third party, and because it’s free for them.

It gives them a head start. It gives you credibility. And it gets the process off the ground without the usual chasing and back-and-forth.

Here's what you're signaling to allocators
 

✅ You’ve already invested in institutional readiness
✅ You take operational risk seriously
✅ You’re not waiting to be asked—you’re leading the process

“This manager gets it. We can skip to the parts that matter.”

Why this is picking up momentum
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We witnessed this first-hand at SuperReturn Berlin this year, where several large allocators picked up Castle Hall sample reports to hand directly to managers—because they’re looking to standardize diligence requests and cut through inefficiencies.

As a result, Fundmanager.Tools has secured preferred pricing for managers looking to complete Castle Hall’s Benchmark + Verification process in 2025.

If you’re heading into meetings, preparing a raise, or simply want a cleaner, allocator-friendly way to show you’re ready—this is one of the smartest moves we’re seeing right now.
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To request a sample report or learn more about this offer, reach out directly:

Ben Cunliffe
Director – GP/Manager Solutions
📧 bcunliffe@castlehalldiligence.com
📅 Book a short call with Ben here
 

Simply mention that you saw this via Fundmanager.Tools, and Castle Hall will ensure you access preferred terms.