✨ New Partnerships & Fundraising Insights

Fundraising with The College & Community Fellowship

In Spring 2025, we began working with The College & Community Fellowship (CCF). Based in New York City, CCF helps formerly incarcerated women attend and succeed in college and beyond. We’re partnering with CCF to address immediate fundraising needs, to increase funding from foundation partners, and build systems for long-term financial success. Working with their Executive Director, staff and board, we’re developing a fundraising plan, setting goals, and strengthening staff and board fundraising skills. Anne and Zacha were able to attend CCF’s amazing graduation in New York in June 2025 (see photo above). We’re inspired by the vision and legacy of this community organization and thrilled to help CCF increase their funding to make this work possible.

Strategic Planning for Valley Health Foundation

This fall we’re partnering with Valley Health Foundation (VHF) to develop a 3–5 year strategic plan. Located in San Jose, CA, VHF is rare among healthcare foundations, since it supports the public healthcare system that delivers world-class care in Santa Clara County. In recent years, the county’s public health system expanded significantly — it now includes four hospitals and 14 primary and specialty health centers, with over 15,000 physicians and staff. VHF raises funds to support specialty clinics and programs, like the Santa Clara Valley Burn Center, the Perinatal Equity Initiative, art therapy for incarcerated youth, and other programs. Through stakeholder interviews, an in-person board/staff retreat and work with their strategic plan committee, we’re working with VHF leadership to focus their priorities, sharpen their goals, and align strategies for greater impact. We’re honored to support VHF in charting its next chapter.

Foundation Fundraising Strategy & Coaching

How can your nonprofit improve its fundraising strategy and increase funding from foundation partners? We’re working with multiple clients to do just that! A key part of the work is identifying “best fit” funders through foundation research and prospecting, and then helping clients develop effective strategies for each funder. Our approach is targeted and practical – we begin by analyzing clients’ peer organizations to identify a pipeline of 200+ potential donors. We then conduct deeper research to identify high priority prospects from this pipeline, focused on donors aligned with each client’s mission.

From there we help clients develop targeted strategies to approach each funder — with pitch emails, relationship mapping and coaching on how/when to approach each prospect. Since successful foundation fundraising is based on building strong relationships with prospective funders, we help clients to identify “best fit” funders and then provide hands-on advice to “get in the door”. Through these steps, we help clients to prioritize top funders, sharpen their approach, and focus their efforts to secure long-term support.