From building grant programs to navigating capital campaigns and helping leaders make difficult decisions, these are a few of the ways we’ve gone into the storm with our clients and helped them move forward.
Building a Grant Program From the Ground Up
Fundraising
The Challenge
A community based food justice nonprofit had virtually no grant infrastructure in place and needed a way to identify the right funders, manage opportunities, and build stronger relationships without adding unnecessary complexity.
Our Approach
We built the grant infrastructure from the ground up, including a grant template, tracking system, funding research process, and ongoing proposal strategy. We also helped connect the organization with government and private funders and created opportunities for leadership visibility.
The Outcome
The organization moved to building a strong, repeatable funding program that generated nearly seven figures in funding in two years and strengthened relationships with government and private funders.
Turning a Community Vision Into a Permanent Home
Capital Campaign
The Challenge
A Portland nonprofit serving people experiencing houselessness had a clear vision for a permanent home. What they needed was the fundraising infrastructure and management, donor strategy, grant work, and leadership support to turn that vision into a successful campaign.
Our Approach
We built the campaign infrastructure around the vision, including donor pipeline development, prospect research, grants and letters of intent, major donor conversations, campaign strategy, and campaign materials and messaging. We worked alongside the Executive Director, board, staff, volunteers, and community throughout the campaign.
The Outcome
The organization successfully completed a nearly eight figure campaign, combining foundation grants, government funding, major gifts, and broader fundraising support to create a permanent home for the community it serves.
Helping a Board Decide What Comes Next
Capital Campaign
The Challenge
A community based nonprofit was considering a capital campaign but wasn’t yet sure whether the organization was ready, where to begin, or whether a campaign was even the right next step.
Our Approach
Over two months, we guided leadership through the fundamentals of campaign readiness, explored campaign phases and budgets, and facilitated early conversations among board members to build alignment.
The Outcome
Leadership gained the clarity and information needed to confidently choose its next move: pause, hire internal campaign leadership, or begin preparing for the first phase of a campaign.
Bringing Funders and Nonprofits Into the Same Room
Leadership Support
The Challenge
Private foundation and nonprofit leaders were often operating from very different perspectives, with limited opportunities to speak honestly about where philanthropy was working, where it wasn’t, and where relationships were getting stuck.
Our Approach
We brought foundation and nonprofit leaders into the same room and facilitated honest conversations about philanthropy, communication, and the assumptions each side brings to the relationship.
The Outcome
Participants gained a clearer understanding of one another and identified opportunities to rethink how funders and nonprofits communicate, collaborate, and work together.
Get In Touch
Have a meaningful idea, a capital campaign, or a fundraising challenge to navigate? Let’s start the conversation.
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