Ossining Children’s Center
Location: Ossining, NY
Sector: Schools and education
Services: Feasibility study and capital campaign consulting
After serving immigrant and working families for more than 120 years, Ossining Children’s Center had established deep roots in the Westchester community. We helped OCC tap into those relationships to construct a modern childcare center, raising $10.5 million in lead gifts before we completed the feasibility study and ultimately exceeding their $17.8 million campaign goal.
The Backstory
Westchester County is affluent, but many parents in the town of Ossining struggle to find or afford quality childcare and early childhood education programs. Ossining Children’s Center pioneered one of the nation’s first daycare centers and remains a top early childhood program in New York, thanks to its tailored curriculum and tuition assistance program.
However, the center’s aging facilities stood in stark contrast to the nurturing environment inside, and left OCC unable to accommodate the growing needs of the community.
OCC partnered with the Heller Fundraising Group to explore a bold plan to purchase land and build a new facility.
The Challenges
The unprecedented size and scale of OCC’s $17.8 million campaign presented several challenges.
Leadership buy-in
The idea of leaving the center’s long-time home and pursuing a large-scale capital campaign was difficult for some board members.
Timing and planning
OCC had to search for and purchase a new site while simultaneously determining whether it was possible to finance it.
Unexpected obstacles
The death of several prominent supporters and the Covid-19 pandemic could have derailed OCC’s progress.
—Peter Heller, Founder, Heller Fundraising Group