5 Lessons in Transforming Nonprofits from Heller Fundraising Group’s First 5 Years

As Heller Fundraising Group celebrates two decades of providing fundraising and strategic consulting services to more than 120 nonprofits, we’re reflecting on our clients’ biggest wins and revisiting the powerful lessons we discovered along the way.

Here’s a look back at a few of the highlights from Heller Fundraising Group’s first five years.

2004: Transform transactional giving into charitable support

When The Actors Fund, now known as the Entertainment Community Fund, first approached founder Peter Heller, the nonprofit faced a not-uncommon challenge. After years of prioritizing a membership model, major donors were more motivated by access to theater tickets than investing in a meaningful cause. Donations stagnated as a result. By emphasizing the organization’s valuable mission, we helped The Actors Fund foster a growing community of true believers (and supporters).

2005: Embrace bold fundraising conversations

When Sant Bani School’s Head of School planned to ask a major donor for $1 million, the donor responded with an unexpected challenge: “Instead of just giving you $1 million, I’ll match any gift over $50,000 you secure by year-end. No limit.” With the Heller Group’s guidance, the school met the moment by rallying support and unlocking more than $1.5 million in matching gifts.

2006: Your best donors are closer than you think

When the New York Center for Children first approached us, they believed their next major donor was hidden on an elusive list of wealthy people known only to consultants. Instead, we helped their board discover the power of their existing networks. Once they hired a dedicated major gifts officer to leverage those personal connections, NYCC successfully built a donor pipeline.

2007: When your donors give difficult feedback, listen to them

The Diller-Quaile School of Music entered their feasibility study with a clear goal to raise $10 million for facility renovations. Only the study—conducted as a collaboration between Andrea Kihlstedt and the Heller Group—showed that donors didn’t find the campaign message compelling. With our deep analysis to guide them, Diller-Quaile decided to postpone the campaign and rethink their plans. 

2008: Campaign success is built on the fundamentals

Brooklyn Free School dreamed of raising $2-3 million to purchase a permanent home but lacked the fundraising history and infrastructure to make it a reality. The Heller Group shared our expertise on campaign fundamentals, such as a clear list of prospects, a story that will compel donors to act, and training a group of school leaders and volunteers to do the hard work of organizing and fundraising. The result? A successful move into a beautiful Brooklyn brownstone.

We’re just getting started.

In the coming weeks, we’ll continue to share 20 stories about how we helped clients challenge their fundraising assumptions to achieve unprecedented success over the last 20 years. Follow along on Heller Fundraising Group’s LinkedIn. And if you could use some guidance breaking out of old patterns, we’re here to help.

Schedule a free strategy session to find out more.

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