Roger “Whit” Shepard
Senior Project Director
Giving back has always been an important part of my life and work. My parents were actively involved in serving several nonprofit and community service organizations. They did so not out of a sense of duty but because they knew that a thriving community absolutely depends on the active commitment of everyone who cares about keeping it that way. I am blessed that they taught me well and passed on those life lessons.
I can now proudly say that as a senior executive, I have more than 40 years of successful fundraising experience and an outstanding track record, coupled with mastery of all aspects of fundraising.
My own journey has given me – both as a staff member and later as a consultant – the opportunity to work with a whole bunch of wonderful people and a variety of organizations that I would never have encountered if I had chosen a different path.
To this day, my ability to provide leadership and expertise comes from my having learned everything I know from the “best in the business” – both volunteers, staff, and of course my family.
It is the relationships I have developed over time that last beyond the end of the campaign or whatever the assignment requires. Working as a team to achieve a goal that is larger than all of us is incredibly satisfying, whether the team happens to be a client or my fellow Convergent consultants.
Whit is a senior executive with more than 30 years of successful fundraising experience. He has served some of the most prestigious nonprofit industries in the country in the fields of higher education, healthcare, social services, and the arts. Before joining the Convergent team, he ran his own nonprofit consultancy, helping a wide range of clients with strategic planning, design of development programs, staff training and team building, and a host of other organizational development services.
An outstanding track record, coupled with a mastery of all aspects of fundraising, makes Whit one of the most valuable members of our team. He specialized in major eight- and nine-figure funding initiatives and is comfortable working in the highest circles of corporate executive leadership. Whit has both advised and solicited CEOs of some of the world’s largest multi- national corporations. This wealth of experience makes him a solid sounding board and reliable guide to nonprofit leaders as they travel through the capital campaign process.
Summary of Experience
- Recently completed periodic management of quiet phase of $8M campaign for Midland Care Centers of Topeka, KS. Currently guiding $1M campaign effort for Arapahoe Charter School in Arapahoe, NC.
- More than doubled funding for the prestigious Kellogg School of Management.
- Successfully solicited the largest single commitment ever received by the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, at the time: $15,000,000 from a single investor.
- Has directed major capital campaigns for organizations such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Botanical Garden, and The Campaign for Yale.
- Has launched campaigns or conducted feasibility studies for several nonprofit organizations and economic development organizations throughout the country, including North Carolina, California, Iowa, South Dakota, and Kentucky.
- Holds a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University.