When your nonprofit is ready to scale but lacks the infrastructure to fund its vision, you need more than advice—you need action. The Salus Center, a community hub for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in Lansing, faced this exact challenge. Lacking a development department, they partnered with Onward to build a sustainable fundraising operation from scratch.

The Salus Center knew it needed a development department to secure reliable funding. The problem? They didn’t have the tools, systems, or expertise to create one. Without a donor database, structured materials, or a clear strategy, the organization struggled to engage donors.

Renee Smith, Onward’s nonprofit fundraising expert, stepped in to transform their vision into reality. Renee didn’t just advise—she built the department step by step:

• Donor CRM Setup: Identified, implemented, and trained the team on a donor management platform to streamline tracking and communication.
• Fundraising Materials: Created evergreen tools like grant proposals and case statements to communicate the mission effectively.
• Strategic Planning: Set clear fundraising goals tied to measurable outcomes, aligned with organizational priorities.
• Team Training: Provided hands-on training, practical templates, and guides so the staff could confidently maintain operations.
• Onboarding Support: Recruited and coached new fundraising staff to sustain and grow the department.

In a few months, the Salus Center had a fully functional development department. With a donor CRM in place, polished materials, and a clear strategy, the team operates with confidence and clarity. No longer just maintaining funding, they’re now positioned to grow it.

Friends of Guest House faced a critical challenge: their lead fundraiser had departed, leaving a significant gap in leadership. With donors and deadlines looming, the organization needed immediate, expert support to keep fundraising efforts on track and ensure their organization didn’t lose ground.

Renee Smith, Onward’s leading fundraising consultant, stepped in as Interim Development Director to provide steady leadership and tackle the challenges head-on. Focused on action and results, Renee delivered:

• Strategic Fundraising: Wrote and delivered grants, answered donor correspondence, developed talking points for the Executive Director, and coordinated the annual giving appeal to keep fundraising on track.
• Donor Engagement Strategy: Researched and created talking points for donor meetings, developed a donor relationship calendar, and delivered evergreen materials such as grant proposals and case statements to strengthen donor engagement.
• Troubleshooting and Guidance: Designed a capital campaign strategy, navigated development obstacles with clarity, and supported the onboarding and coaching of new development staff to build long-term capacity.

Onward ensured Friends of Guest House maintained their fundraising momentum during a critical transition. Beyond bridging the gap, the organization emerged stronger with a strategic fundraising plan, tailored donor engagement tools, and a confident team equipped to lead future fundraising efforts.

N Street Village (NSV), a high-impact organization serving homeless and low-income women, faced a pivotal moment in its development operations. Amid organizational transitions—including nonprofit acquisitions and a temporary staff shortage—NSV engaged Onward to craft a robust five-year development plan.

Taking a deep-dive approach, Onward’s due diligence went beyond traditional reviews and audits. Our consultants immersed themselves directly in NSV’s mission, from serving meals to attending resident training, gaining hands-on insights into the organization’s daily work. This in-depth involvement informed a strategy that touched every aspect of NSV’s programs.

The process included a comprehensive department audit, stakeholder interviews to assess growth opportunities, and a national benchmarking study. Onward’s team interviewed six peer organizations across the country to understand their fundraising strategies, staffing models, and metrics, gathering best practices and innovative approaches.

This immersive approach shaped a forward-thinking development strategy tailored to NSV’s unique needs. The final deliverables included a multi-year strategic development plan, operational plans for each fundraising function, an optimized staffing structure, and a performance dashboard to track progress on strategic objectives. This roadmap equipped NSV with a solid framework and the tools needed to sustainably fund its mission and long-term goals.