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I'm Megan.
I help nonprofit leaders in small shops build fundraising programs that bring in the money.
You are an expert in your field, but as an Executive Director, you now have responsibilities you were never trained for. Like fundraising. Now that you’re the head honcho, it’s your job to make sure those VIP donors are strategically developed. And you’re not sure if you’re doing it right.
Maybe you’re losing donors and funding and you need to stop the bleeding (and quick). Maybe your organization doesn’t have an individual donor program, and you don’t know where to begin.
It can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be.
I never imagined I could go from fearing fundraising to loving it.
All I ever wanted was to build impactful organizations.
When I became an Executive Director, I had no fundraising background. In fact, my single fundraising attempt to date had been an embarrassment of epic proportions.
(We don’t talk about it.)
But on my first day in my new Executive DIrector role, I was handed a list of major donors and told that they were now my responsibility. I had no idea what I was doing and no idea where to turn for help.
So I did what I do best: I powered through and learned the hard way. Out of sheer desperation, stubbornness, and force of will, I began to build strong relationships with my donors.
And it worked. In just a few short years, my organization's dedicated staff and I stopped the bleeding and increased funding by 58%. I worked with donors who increased their giving by over 400%. My organization had never been so well funded before, and we were able to hire more program staff and have more impact.
Over those years, through a lot of trial and error, I developed a style and a voice and became a successful fundraiser.
Or so I thought.
When I became a Major Gift Officer, I learned the difference between a relationship and a strategy.
As a Major Gift Officer, I learned pretty quick just how little I knew about fundraising, even after so many years. Sure, I could build a good relationship with a donor.
But then I learned how to build and implement a donor strategy.
I learned that the relationships I had been building didn't always meet my fundraising goals because I didn't know how to build those relationships with intention. I didn't know what steps to take or questions to ask to make sure I really understood my donors' philanthropy and effectively connected them with my organization. I didn't always understand what my goals for a donor conversation should have been.
But I do now. And I have raised millions of dollars for the organizations I have worked for.
What a difference a strategy makes.
I spent years struggling to figure out how to fundraise well.
And during those years, I did some good fundraising.
I just didn’t build nearly as strong a fundraising program as I could have for my organization to thrive and be sustainable. I look back now and think about all I should have done and where that organization would be today if I had.
But you don’t have to become a full-time fundraiser to learn what you need to know to build a powerful fundraising program now.
The experience you've been looking for.
Are you ready to become a sophisticated fundraiser who brings in the money?
You’re drowning in the pressure of having to raise so much money. Making payroll keeps you up at night. And you’re not sure where your fundraising program is falling down to know how to fix it.
All you wanted to do was change the world. You didn't think it would feel like this.
I can help. I train and coach nonprofit leaders like you to build transformational fundraising programs that bring in the money.
Some consultants come from big, fancy fundraising shops but don’t understand the challenges and constraints of small nonprofits. Some consultants come from small shops but haven’t experienced the fine-tuned effectiveness of a sophisticated fundraising machine.
I come from both. And I marry that fundraising experience with the experience of having been an Executive Director. I know how hard it is to fundraise while you're managing the board, managing the staff, managing the finances, fixing the systems... Oh yeah, and building a vision to change the world and the programs that will do it.
All my experience means you get one mighty partner in this journey.
Passion is why we're here.
I've spent almost 20 years in the nonprofit sector, working toward a vision of what our world could be: more compassionate, more equitable, more just, and much less warm. We’re not there yet, but that’s why I work with nonprofit leaders like you.
My passion is working with leaders who are driven to achieve impact, running organizations whose missions I care deeply about.
That, and chocolate.
Am I the right partner for you?
I'm talking your language if your nonprofit does policy or advocacy.
I work with all kinds of small and medium-sized nonprofits. But if you are the leader of a policy or an advocacy organization, you are my people. I've spent two decades working in policy and political advocacy. And I've spent years figuring out how to identify, work with, make compelling cases to, and inspire donors who give even when the outcomes you're fighting for are years away.
Do you run a 501c4 organization? Yup, I’ve done that too. You have your own set of challenges (and legal complications) that you have to think strategically about. There's no way around it: you need your individual donors. So you need to take really good care of them.
My commitment to you.
A judgement free zone complete with direct feedback.
You're in a spotlight and under a microscope. It comes with the territory of being a leader for your organization. And it can feel like everyone is judging you.
Worse than that, it’s lonely. You may not have anyone to turn to who understands your experience.
I understand what it’s like, and I get it.
In our work together, I promise a judgement free zone. It’s a safe space where you get to be the real you, struggling with real problems, and looking for real solutions. And that support and those solutions come in a plain-speaking package. No translation needed.
No judgement. Just someone lifting you up to succeed.
DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
Andrea Ranger, Board Member
Megan put us at ease, helped us practice pitches, and gave constructive feedback. She actually made me excited to get out there and start making calls again. I'm not sure what her secret sauce is, but, trust me, you'll want it.
Franz Plangger, Executive Director
Megan provided much-needed information enabling me to better focus my fundraising efforts. At the same time, she helped me anchor these fundraising priorities with Board relations, staff engagement, and day-to-day workflow.
Bonnie Bertolaet,
Executive Director
Megan establishes a climate of openness and dialogue while clearly demonstrating her expertise and years of experience working in the many different areas of development. This was evident in her ability to focus on our unique needs at this point in time, beyond the issues and challenges common with non-profits of our size.
