Past Clients
Beverly Arts Center | Appeal Writing
Betsy was invited by the Beverly Arts Center (BAC) to develop the content for and write a compelling end-of-year appeal letter to their donor base. Betsy thoughtfully met with key BAC staff to identify their project goals, discuss the components of a successful appeal letter, identify the appeal letter’s theme and interviewee/subject, and prepare their donor data for the letter. In under three weeks, Betsy collected this information, held a meaningful interview with a program participant, drafted the appeal letter, and prepared their donor data for merging. By the end of the contract, the BAC had a persuasive appeal letter written and it was ready for design.
Chicago Women’s Health Center | Major Gifts
Betsy was hired by Chicago Women’s Health Center (CWHC) to assist their small development team with launching an unintimidating major gifts project. During their work together, Betsy designed and delivered a 90-minute, interactive moves management training to CWHC’s board and staff. She also provided guidance and feedback on their outline of a donor-facing case for support, opened doors to potential wealth screening partners, provided a Recency Frequency Monetary (RFM) analysis of CWHC’s database, discerned a top donors list, and assisted development staff with determining a cultivation and solicitation strategy for their major donors. A.J. Barks, Interim Executive Director, said: “Betsy was phenomenal to work with! She’s knowledgeable, engaged, and supportive. Our work together will have a lasting impact on the organization.”
iMentor Chicago | Institutional Giving + Board Coaching
Betsy was invited by iMentor Chicago to conduct research on and identify new foundation funder prospects, determine potential inroads with prospects, draft grant proposals to new and existing funders, and provide training and one-on-one coaching to iMentor Chicago’s Associate Board.
Betsy swiftly conducted research on iMentor Chicago’s existing prospects and unearthed over 20 new funder prospects. Based on giving priorities and criteria, Betsy narrowed the list to excellent prospects, interviewed staff and collected necessary documents, and drafted five grant proposals during the three-month contract. Betsy designed and delivered a 90-minute training to iMentor Chicago’s Associate Board focused on working their circle of influence, and followed-up with one-on-one coaching calls to assist Associate Board members with conducting outreach to their networks.
At the end of the project, Betsy’s staff contact, Eric Barbour, said: “I feel very fortunate to have been able to work with Betsy. We were seeking a development expert who could help move our work forward during a transition, and Betsy did exactly that. She pulled from her network, resources, and expertise to support in prospecting, outreach, and applying to new opportunities. She also led upskilling for our junior board. I highly respect and recommend Betsy.”
H-CAP | Institutional Giving
In partnership with The Intersect, Betsy was hired by H-CAP to help map current and future funders, as well as funding opportunities, using H-CAP’s priority programs and desired impact. Betsy created and maintained H-CAP’s grants calendar; conducted thorough prospect research, identifying over 50 potential funders; drafted grant proposals; and crafted outreach language for funder outreach and relationship-building.
Northwest Compass | Fundraising + Branding
In collaboration with branding partner, LimeRed Studio, Betsy was hired by Northwest Compass to assist with a comprehensive fundraising project, including conducting a development assessment of current strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth; assisting with transitioning them to a new CRM database; working with the staff to create an annual development plan that outlined goals, objectives, and tactics for the year; drafting a persuasive appeal letter to its constituents; creating a corporate sponsorship packet to attract new philanthropic support from businesses; and conducting two skill-building trainings for Northwest Compass’ board of directors to improve their fundraising and ambassadorship capabilities.
Betsy’s staff contact, Eli Ugolino, said of the fundraising and branding project: “Working alongside Betsy and the team at LimeRed was an absolute pleasure. They have not only delivered on all the goals we outlined together at the beginning of our work; they've also been generous with their coaching and time. We were not prepared for how to come together as an internal team to determine our new direction. They not only helped organize and focus our vision, they were patient with our never ending pivots and requests. If your organization is looking to do something like this but you want to do the work in a setting that feels personal, intimate, and hand-tailored to your mission, I couldn't recommend them enough. So grateful for the opportunity to learn from them.”
“Betsy’s genuine interest in getting to know people at their deepest levels is a huge asset in helping them get comfortable with fundraising and finding a path that best leverages their unique combination of skills, interests, and current and potential resources.”
Shahiedah Shabazz, Habitat for Humanity Chicago Board Member