A 6-Month Nonprofit Turnaround

December 2024 – Present

CHARTER SCHOOL CLIENT

In just six months, we helped Charter School overcome compliance challenges, launch new fundraising campaigns, and secure $270,000 in grant funding. Through strategic planning, executive coaching, and campaign execution, our work positioned Charter School for long-term financial sustainability and deeper community impact.

Client Overview

Charter School is a nonprofit private school serving youth through education, community support, and life-skills development. In late 2024, the school engaged me to develop its fundraising strategy, resolve compliance setbacks, and build institutional funding pipelines.

The Challenge

When we began, Charter School was:

• Behind on key compliance filings, jeopardizing their eligibility for funding

• Without a formal development plan or grant pipeline

• Underutilizing its Board of Directors for fundraising

• Preparing to enter a critical fundraising year without systems or content in place

The stakes were high: leadership needed fast results without sacrificing strategy or sustainability.

Our Approach

Over six months, we implemented a high-impact development roadmap:

Resolved Compliance Issues to Unlock Funding

By January, we worked with leadership to resolve delinquency notices from the California DOJ and confirm Charter School’s Board of Tax Compliance (BOTC) documentation. This restored their full eligibility for public and private grant applications.

Secured Immediate Grant Wins

Wrote and submitted 10 grant applications totaling $983,000 within the first 90 days. Four of those were awarded within the contract period—including a $100K major gift—bringing the total secured funding to $270,000, with more pending.

Built Fundraising Infrastructure & Board Engagement

• Delivered a comprehensive 2025 Fundraising Strategy targeting $1.25M in revenue

• Activated the Board of Directors with a peer-to-peer giving plan for the Big Day of Giving (BDOG) and Spring Giving campaigns

• Created 21 campaign-ready messages across email, text, and social media

• Produced a one-page organizational prospectus used to secure press coverage, attract donors, and pitch to corporate sponsors

Launched New Strategic Initiatives

• Conducted partner due diligence to avoid misaligned or exploitative vendor relationships

• Developed a comprehensive funding strategy to sustain and expand programs

Results

$270,000 in secured grant and philanthropic funding

10 grant applications submitted, with more pending

21 multi-platform donor messages created for two campaigns

100% compliance restoration with DOJ and BOTC standards