Case Study | Nonprofit Consulting
We Helped This Nonprofit Map Out a Plan for Growth
The Mission
Our client, Change is Simple (CiS), develops workshops and STEM curriculum that inspire children to achieve academic success and become mindful participants in creating a healthier and more sustainable future.
The Challenge
The founders of CiS, Patrick and Lauren Belmonte, were looking for strategic guidance to develop a path toward growth. Their small organization had numerous advisors and a lot of enthusiasm around them, but no objective, pragmatic partner who was helping them build a plan and execute on it.
Finding the Right Partner
Patrick and Lauren met More Than Giving Co. founder Vicki Burkhart at a meeting with one of their corporate partners. They could see that she knew a lot about nonprofits and she offered them some helpful counsel even before she officially engaged with the group. Said Patrick, “She actually solicited our corporate partner to become one of our donors during that first meeting. I was blown away by her ability to fit right in!”
Setting the Plan
Lauren and Patrick began scheduling regular sessions with Vicki to help them develop a roadmap for advancing their organization. One of the areas that got the most attention was fundraising.
“This wasn’t an area we were as effective in as we needed to be,” shares Lauren. “We were trying too many things and often not getting the return we needed to secure our organization and our growth.”
Vicki worked with CiS leadership to define fundraising priorities, to set goals, and most importantly, to stay focused. Through a fundraising grid, each fundraising program was outlined with benchmarks and deliverables.
“One of the toughest things for nonprofits to do is stay focused,” commented Vicki. “They are constantly pulled in a number of directions, pursuing the ideas of well-intended volunteers. The fundraising grid was one tool to help them stay focused.”
Hitting the Benchmarks
Vicki played a pivotal role in strategically redirecting the organization’s approach to fundraising and, more importantly, in increasing CiS leadership’s confidence around fundraising.
Vicki’s consulting is cited by Change is Simple as helping them achieve the following:
“100% of our corporate partners renewed, and we are building relationships with two new potentially significant contributors.”
“We are about to request a $100,000 donation from a new donor.”
“Our Fall Event was a huge success. Our goal was to gross $100,000, but we exceeded that and raised $125,000. The net for that event was $102,000, compared to the year before, when it was only $65,000. Our event co-chairs really spent a lot of time strategizing and fundraising. We appreciated Vicki’s suggestion to mobilize them in this way and we could see the results in the event.”
Building Synergy and Momentum
Fundraising relies on having the right people developing the right relationships. In addition to mobilizing board members strategically around fundraising efforts, CiS was also pleased to announce that two new board members joined them as a result of this outreach.
Vicki’s overarching strategic plan for CiS also included measuring their success through data. An outcome of this recommendation was a longitudinal study, which is off to a great start: “The researchers began in May, and we have already gathered a lot of data,” shares Lauren. “They observed that students are engaged 100% of the time during our lessons, and our partner teachers are providing amazing feedback about the program and staff. We are very excited to have it all compiled at the end of this school year.”
The study researchers have also encouraged CiS to apply for National Science Foundation (NSF) funding, up to $500,000. They are familiar with NSF and the projects they have funded in the past, and they shared that Change is Simple is "doing so much more, and actually doing the work – it's not a plan or simply research. CiS is taking action and impacting students in a way that you don't see in the education field." CiS plans to frame the proposal around its training/professional development program for teachers, a program Vicki recommended could ultimately become a revenue-driver for the organization.
Lauren shares, “We have so much more productive traction now, and we’re excited to see what’s next!”