A Little Help From Our Friends: Ideas for Chambers & EDOs Nationwide
We started a series of Virtual Round Tables this week for our friends and clients leading chambers and economic development organizations across the country. The purpose is to provide a venue for sharing frustrations, fears, questions, and most important, solutions. As COVID-19 changes the way we all operate on a daily basis, our communities are […]
Leading Your Organization During Unpredictable Times
There is no doubt that leading a nonprofit organization during the COVID-19 pandemic is new territory for all of us. Being optimistic, bold, and strong, while maintaining honesty, empathy, and a sense of realism is a delicate balance for leaders today. Here are eight action steps that you can take to ensure that your leadership […]
The Power of a Strong Feasibility Study
It was a pleasure to welcome Pellissippi State Community College President Dr. L. Anthony Wise and Convergent Partner Joe April to our podcast, The Difference. We discussed the college’s recently completed (and very successful!) capital campaign and the difference it made having an experienced nonprofit fundraising consultant conduct a strong feasibility study prior to that […]
Lessons in Fundraising for Challenging Times
A large majority of the nonprofit world was not prepared for the cataclysmic economic downturn of 2008. Terms like “underwater endowments” and “individualized stewardship plans” were new concepts for many. In 2008, I was in the middle of a $16 million capital campaign at a college in Western Massachusetts. I learned six key strategies that […]
An Inside Perspective on Economic Development Today
Creative Economic Development Consulting CEO Crystal Morphis and I met about seven years ago when we both worked on the Greenwood Partnership Alliance with Crystal providing the strategic plan, and Convergent coming in to test and fundraise for it. Getting to know this intelligent, strategic professional and truly calling her a partner and friend through […]
The Core of our Business as Capital Campaign Consultants
We take our core values seriously at Convergent. They guide our entire approach to capital campaign fundraising. Loving what we do and putting people first ensure that we listen closely to the needs of our clients. This enables us to be both strategic and creative in our recommendations for helping the nonprofits we serve reach […]