Centralizing Philanthropy in a Siloed Organization

A large and well-established cultural organization in New York City was structured into eight separate and distinct programmatic centers. Each area demanded a bespoke fundraising plan that leveraged their activities, appealed to their specific donors, and was not concerned with the financial requirements of the full organization. Consequently, total contributed revenue was not keeping pace with the needs of the growing organization and there was inherent competition for attention from the Advancement department.

As Chief Advancement Officer, Lynne was tasked with re-imagining the Advancement department to meet the increased contributed revenue needs of the overall organization while balancing the relative influence of the unique centers of programming and delivering their specific needs.   

An internal assessment of the department and the organization from a fundraising perspective revealed several opportunities for revenue growth and new ways to approach the annual planning process. By creating working teams across programmatic areas, Lynne built camaraderie and shared purpose and program leaders began to focus on whole-organizational health.  She reorganized the Advancement team around disciplines which increased contributions and created role clarity. By assuming a more proactive role with the Board and major donors, Lynne introduced them to new types of programming, establishing trust and momentum around philanthropy. Total contributed revenue increased by double-digits each year and, most importantly, the eight program centers felt attended to and that they had partners in the organization.