BrightDot adds Broward College, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) North Carolina, and Community College of Denver to New Client Roster
Raleigh, NC, April 22, 2021 – As the country spent much of 2020 navigating a host of challenges from the pandemic to civil unrest, nonprofit organizations recognized the need to remain steadfast in their fundraising activities and responded with new, creative short- and long-term strategies. According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals, these adjustments proved effective and charitable “giving in the United States in 2020 increased from 2019 by 10.6%, with the overall number of donors growing by 7.3%.” As nonprofits look ahead to a post-pandemic environment, many will leverage the growing potential for major gifts.
To help them prepare for, develop and execute capital campaigns, Broward College, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) North Carolina, and Community College of Denver have each engaged BrightDot, a fundraising consultancy in Raleigh. BrightDot’s proven approach to fundraising has helped clients secure their largest gifts ever.
“The recipe for a successful fundraising campaign is unique to each client, but we consistently use concepts from neuroscience and emotional intelligence,” said Bill Crouch, founder and CEO of BrightDot and former 22-year president of Georgetown College. “We help clients discover what prospective donors feel, think, and associate with joy and happiness, and then empower them to use those learnings to confidently ask for major gifts. We are looking forward to helping our newest clients set and achieve their fundraising goals.”
When Meredith College in Raleigh was in the midst of a six-year capital campaign, they engaged BrightDot to inspire, train and assist their team of major gift officers. Utilizing their Development Star Assessment, BrightDot uncovered the thinking style, behavioral traits and interests of each gift officer. After developing a comprehensive fundraising plan for each individual, BrightDot served as the accountability and training partner and built team members’ confidence and abilities to connect with potential donors. Ultimately, one major gift officer secured several $1 million gifts as well as a $6 million gift, and the campaign raised $90 million, which was $15 million above the goal.
Higher education institutions, such as Howard University and California Community Colleges, have recently announced historic major gifts, suggesting high wealth individuals are seeking opportunities to support worthy organizations, particularly as the country emerges from the pandemic. BrightDot specializes in strategies supporting quality over quantity, and thus emphasizes the importance of cultivating relationships rather than pursuing a large quantity of small gifts. It has been decades since BrightDot’s three newest clients have launched capital campaigns.
Many fundraising practices implemented in the past year have allowed for deeper engagement with donors, as people have welcomed others virtually into their homes and personal lives. Crouch encourages development teams to build upon those relationships to reach new levels of fundraising success.
About BrightDot
Founded in 2015 by Bill Crouch, BrightDot fundraising consultancy helps nonprofit development professionals, teams, and boards reach their fullest potential, in turn bringing hope to individuals facing life’s greatest challenges. BrightDot’s unique and powerful consulting and coaching techniques consistently deliver larger and more generous donations for their clients. The team includes fundraising professionals, performance psychologist, researcher and other specialists who counsel higher education institutions, national nonprofits and independent organizations. Clients typically engage BrightDot to help them raise between $25 million and $150 million. In 2020, BrightDot experienced nearly 75 percent growth over 2019.
