Case Studies
The best part of my job is watching leaders make fundamental, yet practical, shifts in their organizations that transform their entire approach to revenue generation.
Through these videos and articles, you’ll hear how my clients create a sustainable funding model, diversify revenue, finally fund their Strategic Plans, and know how to add substantial gen-ops revenue to their bottom lines. But mostly, their development departments and board have transformed into high-ROI revenue generators—aligning their hours with relational dollars—and set free from the limitations of transactional fundraising.
Now they can breathe.
FEATURED CASE STUDY
Yamilée Toussaint, Founder & CEO, STEM From Dance
🎯 As a result of implementing Sherry’s methodology, Yamilée’s organization has tripled its budget in 24 months and is ahead of schedule to reach a $10M annual budget. Today, Yamilée regularly secures 5-, 6-, and 7-figure gifts through the relational fundraising techniques she learned.
“I’ve always found that once I’m in a meeting I'm able to navigate the conversations well. But, in the work I’ve been doing with Sherry, my preparation for those meetings has shifted. I used to go in and feel like I had that one opportunity to make the ask. Now I feel like I can enter into meetings more confidently knowing the trajectory, what to say, and having tools in-hand that eases the donor into the ask. I don’t feel like I’m chasing anymore or must ask for money. Now it feels more natural, and the conversation is leading somewhere that I’ve planned. I have way less hesitation to ask because I feel way more confident in conversations with donors. I simply approach donor communication in a completely different way.”
– YAMILÉE
FEATURED CASE STUDY
Amy Fass, CEO & Executive Director, Shoes That Fit
“Having worked in higher education fundraising for years and having done my own consulting work, I knew what I didn’t want in help. When I reached out to Sherry, I was looking for a thought partner. At the time we had a very small staff, and despite raising millions, the pressure was on me, and I was exhausted. I saw one of [Sherry’s] podcasts and [she] clearly described our organization’s problem to a T—and then articulated where we needed to go. I wanted somebody who could help me dig down and put a program together, bring on more staff, and raise more unrestricted support. I needed my team to learn how to ask for general-operating support so that we could scale and support more kids. What’s amazing to me is that now we’re having different conversations with our donors. They’re responding generously and growing their gifts from hundreds to thousands. The methodology Sherry taught us is both relationship and business focused. For the first time in a couple of years, I feel like I can breathe! It’s great to feel like the work is going on and I’ll be pulled in when I'm needed by the staff. Now, the machine is running, and I can focus on larger growth opportunities.”
– Amy
Watch the Case Study for Shoes That Fit to learn about how Sherry became a Thought Partner for their nonprofit.
FEATURED CASE STUDY
Mandy Moody, Executive Director, Green City Market
“To think about a number as big as $1.6M for someone who was raising, just two years ago, half that, right? It can be very anxiety producing. There's so much when the donor is considering the gift, like that part is out of your hands. We talked about that part, that's on them. But everything leading up to [the ask] and everything after it, we do have control over how we're showing up for our donors, for our organization, for ourselves. Having everyone on that same page through that, the structure that [Sherry] helped us to provide has definitely been the biggest takeaway.”
– Mandy
Watch the Case Study for Green City Market to learn about how Sherry helped with Donation Strategy.
Read Our White Paper Case Studies
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L'Arche of Greater DC
The Challenge:
This wasn’t an “organization in trouble” situation, but Sarah realized it wasn’t very sustainable, especially considering that 40% of annual charitable contributions came from one generous major donor.
Success:
The year after implementing Sherry’s methodology, L’Arche was fully funded by month nine and had raised more charitable revenue than ever before.
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India Rural Evangelical Fellowship (IREF)
The Challenge:
The organization had lost an annual gift from a lead partner who had been contributing nearly 25% of their revenue. Subsequently, IREF had been in the red for the past four years. They had one major fundraising event each year and a large child sponsorship program, but it was not enough to fully pursue their mission.
Success:
After taking Sherry’s program and learning her high-ROI fundraising methodology, things changed dramatically. IREF was back in the black within a year.
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Houston Welcomes Refugees (HWR)
The Challenge:
When Molly came on board as the first paid staff member and executive director, not only was she new to fundraising but the organization was also in transition. It had been a 100% volunteer-run operation, with much of the funds restricted. Molly had quite the challenge ahead.
Success:
After completing Sherry’s program, Molly was able to transform the organization’s entire revenue stream, executing the plan they made together with precision. The results were quick and remarkable: she raised her entire annual budget within the first six months of her fiscal year!
