Case studies
our clients
Let us share with you what we’ve learned before.
Raised
Organizations served
The Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) had recently updated their strategic plan which included several capital improvements and increased scholarship funding. Significant resources were necessary to achieve the desired outcomes. The school had never had a campaign before and the board and staff were very anxious about it. The board chair had worked with The Compass Group in the past and facilitated an introduction. Compass partnered with CRMS to conduct a Readiness Assessment to evaluate internal and external capacities to implement a successful campaign. Based on the findings of the ... Keep Reading
"It brought our team together for the long term. Everything I’ve learned in that campaign I’ve institutionalized throughout our organization."
Lisa Raleigh
Development Director
The Los Alamos Historical Society (LAHS) was a small-town museum struggling to grow beyond their limited staff and facilities. A new community opportunity on the horizon spurred an interest in growing their member base, expanding their programming, and improving their fundraising productivity. Past campaigns had underperformed, and they were eager to understand why and to address weaknesses directly with a new campaign and different strategy. LAHS had an Executive Director, but no fundraising staff and a board that had not done a campaign before. In addition, there had been no successful ca... Keep Reading
"Our new ability to fundraise has transformed the organization. Compass showed us how to turn generosity into philanthropy - it was a huge culture change."
Heather McClenahan
Executive Director
National Park Trust (NPT), a land trust and environmental education nonprofit, is dedicated to preserving parks today and creating park stewards for tomorrow. While the organization’s staff is small, its impact has been great in large part because of the dedication and commitment of the Executive Director. Compass was engaged initially to conduct a Planning Study which recommended NPT challenge its board to deepen its collective philanthropic commitment to the organization. Since the study, NPT and Compass have been working in partnership to create a unique service model. This model inclu... Keep Reading
"The Compass Group has worked closely with our board on a fundraising strategy and provided the tools and techniques that they were able to implement immediately to engage new friends and supporters of National Park Trust."
Grace Lee
Executive Director, National Park Trust
The Nature Conservancy – Wyoming Chapter knew they had to conduct a campaign in order to meet their strategic plan objectives. However, none of the staff had ever done a significant campaign before and, more importantly, not many of their board members had either. The thought of a $40 million campaign was scary to everyone! The Compass Group conducted a Planning Study for the Chapter. The results provided a roadmap for success that empowered the board to join hands and endorse a campaig... Keep Reading
""
Wolf River Conservancy (WRC), in Memphis, TN is not only dedicated to protecting the habitat within the Wolf River watershed, but they are also spearheading the Wolf River Greenway project, which is a corridor of protected green space along the river. Funding for the project required both public support and private fundraising. The Compass Group worked collaboratively with WRC to secure funds from state and local municipalities, as well as individuals, corporations and foundations in the area that believed in the project. The initial campaign goal for the Greenway project was $20 million. D... Keep Reading
"Our experience in working with The Compass Group has been very important to the continued development of our organization. As we moved from a ‘grassroots’ organization to a professional land trust, managing a multimillion dollar project the counsel from Compass for both fundraising and board/organizational development has been invaluable."
Keith Cole
Executive Director, Wolf River Conservancy
Olivet College (Olivet) is a small liberal arts institution located in southwest Michigan. Having experienced the benefits of working with The Compass Group at a previous institution, Dr. Steven Corey asked Compass to conduct a Development Audit shortly after he began his presidency. The audit provided valuable insight and direction toward building the capacity of Olivet in anticipation of a multimillion dollar campaign. A year was spent implementing the recommendations of the audit. When Olivet was ready, Compass conducted a Planning Study to test the feasibility of a $40 million capital... Keep Reading
"The greatest impact of the campaign has been the enhanced engagement of our alumni and donors, and the strengthening of the culture of philanthropy in support of our college. That is what helped generate the largest single gift in the college's history, three successive years of record giving, and a campaign that, while only partially completed, has already raised more than double any prior campaign. None of this is possible without the engagement and support of our alumni and donors."
Steven Corey
President, Olivet College
Santa Fe Preparatory School (Prep) had completed a strategic plan which called for a $7 million investment. These funds would support the design and construction of new $4 million library and classroom building, creation of a more unified campus design plan with a central plaza and a re-worked traffic scheme, and increased endowment. The Compass Group was retained to partner with Prep to conduct a Planning Study and assist them with the execution of the campaign. A campaign was new for Prep’s staff and board leadership, and fundraising in Santa Fe, NM was very competitive. The recommendat... Keep Reading
"I honestly don't know how we could have successfully completed our ambitious capital campaign without the expert advice and personal encouragement of Frank Pisch and his Compass Group team. Where we saw challenges, he saw opportunities."
Bill Conway
Board Chair, Santa Fe Preparatory School
Memphis Union Mission (MUM) has a long and successful history of supporting homeless men, women and children in the Memphis, Tennessee area by providing short term housing, education, rehabilitation and helping them transition into the workplace and independence. Historically, the bulk of MUM’s generous support had been from churches, businesses and individual small donors. They had never conducted a multi-million dollar campaign before. Understanding that the MUM staff and board did not have this kind of campaign experience, the Chairwoman of the Steering C... Keep Reading
"The Legacy of Hope campaign was the largest in the Mission’s history, and Compass’s wise counsel during this process was invaluable. We are so grateful for everything Compass has done to help make our vision become a reality. You have made a tremendous difference in this ministry, in the lives of the people we serve and in our community."
D. Scott Bjork
President and CEO, Memphis Union Mission