The work speaks for itself.

Case Study

Building a fundraising program from nothing.

Wayside Academy was a small independent school with a powerful educational mission and almost no fundraising infrastructure. When I came on board, the school had roughly 50 donors and annual fundraising revenue of about $250,000. There was no development plan, no donor communications program, no systematic approach to cultivation or stewardship.

I built the development program from scratch. I wrote the case for support. I created the donor communications — newsletters, appeal letters, direct mail campaigns. I developed the donor pipeline, identified and cultivated new prospects, and professionalized every aspect of how the school engaged its supporters. And I met with the major donor prospects who were simply waiting to be asked, successfully earning multiple six-figure gifts.

“When John came on board, we had about 50 donors and no real fundraising infrastructure or strategy. Within a year, he’d grown our donor base to over 300 and more than doubled our annual revenue. He developed our case for support, launched our first direct mail campaign in years, and professionalized every aspect of how we engaged supporters.

For a small organization with limited resources, having someone who could think strategically and also execute was invaluable. And it’s worth noting — during this time, John was also serving as our headmaster, building out numerous other systems that resulted in record student enrollment and 100% teacher retention, and also teaching. The fact that he accomplished more in fundraising as essentially a side responsibility than many full-time development professionals might in the same period says something about how efficiently and effectively he works.

Oh, and did I mention that he promised to jump into our local Peterborough lake, in January (remember: this is Canada!), if we successfully hit our campaign goal. And when we did, he did. And, he somehow convinced me to join him in this crazy scheme. I can vouch that the water was frigid. But, that’s the kind of personal, skin-in-the-game commitment he brings to his clients.”

John taking the Polar Plunge after hitting the campaign goal — January, Peterborough, Canada.

Frank CallaghanFormer Board Chair, Wayside Academy

Case Study

A campaign built on honouring a community’s story.

The Peterborough Singers are one of Ontario’s most beloved community choral organizations. It was founded 35 years ago by Syd Birrell, a local organist and choir director.

When the organization decided to launch the Syd Birrell Legacy Fund to mark Syd’s retirement, they needed someone who could handle both the strategic demands of an ambitious campaign and the deeply personal nature of what it represented.

This was not a standard fundraising project. The choir Syd Birrell founded 35 years ago is not just one of the best community choirs in Canada, it has also been transformational in the lives of countless people, including Syd.

The deep heart in the choir can in part be traced to the role it played in helping Syd and his family navigate the cancer diagnosis and death of his son, James, in 2001. Syd conducted Handel’s Messiah for the Singers on the very eve of his son’s death. In the decades since, hundreds of people have found hope and healing thanks, either as a choir or audience member.

This campaign needed a deep sensitivity to the unique heart and history of this choir. Thus, the work began not with spreadsheets, but with stories — conversations with Syd and his family, with long-time choir members, with supporters who had been part of the Singers’ journey for decades.

I developed the campaign strategy, crafted the donor communications, and managed the engagement. But the heart of the work was storytelling — finding the language that honoured what the Peterborough Singers meant to the people who built it, and who have benefitted from it, and making that story compelling enough to inspire a new generation of supporters.

Syd Birrell (centre) with his sister Diana (left), wife Pam (right), and daughter Rebecca and son Ben.