Stick Figure Fundraising, LLC

Stick Figure Fundraising, LLC is a fundraising and nonprofit consultancy based in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, in the 19512 ZIP code. The firm works with charitable organizations that want to build deeper, longer lasting relationships with their donors, and it approaches that work through coaching, planning, campaign management and direct staffing support rather than through a single packaged product. The consultancy operates both in person and remotely, which allows it to serve organizations across Pennsylvania and in surrounding states and regions.

The group is made up of career nonprofit professionals who collectively bring close to 100 years of experience in the field. That experience spans a wide range of sectors, including higher education, health care, social services, arts and culture, environmental organizations, youth development programs, and fraternal and Greek life organizations. Because the team has worked inside development offices as practitioners, much of the firm's guidance is framed around the day to day realities of fundraising staff: limited time, competing priorities, and the need for plans that can actually be carried out.

Four Areas of Practice

Stick Figure Fundraising organizes its work around four main pillars, each of which can be engaged separately or combined depending on an organization's needs.

• Nonprofit coaching and training for individual fundraisers and full teams
• Board development and strategic planning
• Capital and comprehensive campaign strategy and management
• Fractional and interim development staffing

Nonprofit Coaching and Training

Coaching engagements are available in person or remotely and range from a single day session to ongoing, long term support. Topics covered include asset based giving, deferred gifts, major gifts, structuring donor outreach, and the practical mechanics of planning a full day with a donor. The emphasis is on preparing frontline fundraisers to have the conversations that lead to transformational gifts, rather than on general fundraising theory. Teams that are newer to major gift work, as well as experienced staff members looking to refine their approach to complex or non cash gifts, are both within the firm's scope.

Board Development and Strategic Planning

A significant portion of the consultancy's work involves boards of directors. The stated goal is to move a board beyond being another meeting on the calendar and toward a role as active advocates and strategic partners for the organization. Related to that work is strategic planning, where the firm focuses on producing documents that are used rather than filed away. Stick Figure Fundraising applies proprietary tools designed to synthesize community insight and actionable data into plans that can guide ongoing effort and track measurable progress over time.

Capital and Comprehensive Campaigns

The firm provides campaign strategy and campaign management for efforts of varying size and complexity. It positions itself as a middle option for organizations that have found other consulting firms either too small to handle the scope of the work or too expensive to retain. Smaller campaigns receive the same structured approach, scaled to the organization's capacity.

Fractional and Interim Development Staffing

For organizations whose development teams are stretched thin, Stick Figure Fundraising offers fractional and interim staffing. Nonprofits can outsource an annual fund, a planned giving program or a grants program, including the support and back office components that often consume staff time. The intent behind this service is to free internal staff to concentrate on donor relationships while the consultancy handles the operational side. Interim arrangements can also bridge gaps during staff transitions or periods of growth.

Planned Giving

Planned giving is a particular specialty of the firm and is led by founder Greg Wilson, CAP, CFRE, MS, who brings more than 20 years of frontline fundraising experience. Services in this area include building out a planned giving program from the ground up, proactive marketing and networking strategies for legacy gifts, and guidance on navigating planned giving vendor relationships. Wilson also speaks and presents to nonprofit staffs, Association of Fundraising Professionals chapters and other professional associations on planned giving and related subjects.

Partner Services

Stick Figure Fundraising extends its capabilities through two partner organizations:

• Planned Giving Marketing, an advancement communications and marketing team with a working knowledge of planned giving and gifts of appreciated assets. The partner offers custom design work, direct mail campaigns and digital marketing assets.
• StratSimple, a strategic planning solution that pairs technology with human experts to help nonprofits build and implement inclusive, data driven strategic plans.

These relationships allow clients to access specialized marketing and planning resources without assembling a separate roster of vendors.

The Team

The consultancy is led by founder Greg Wilson, CAP, CFRE, MS. The senior consultant group includes Michelle Ellison, Jim Spencer, Cassandra Mesko and Ryan Baumuller, with Grace Rinehimer serving as a consultant associate. The firm describes its approach as hands on, meaning that engagements are staffed by experienced practitioners who participate directly in the work rather than handing it off.

Clients and Service Area

Organizations the team has worked with include Hawk Mountain, Malvern Retreat House, Cedar Crest College and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, a mix that reflects the firm's range across environmental, religious, higher education and social service missions. While the business is headquartered in Boyertown, Berks County, remote delivery means geography is not a strict limitation, and in person sessions are available for clients who prefer face to face training, board retreats or planning meetings.

Practical Information

Stick Figure Fundraising offers a complimentary 30 minute introductory call, scheduled through an online booking system, for organizations that want to discuss their current situation and goals before committing to an engagement. The firm notes a general response time of one business day for inquiries. Appointments are recommended, and the consultancy can be reached by phone at (484) 661-7581.

Engagements are structured flexibly, from one day workshops to multi year campaign counsel and ongoing staffing arrangements, so nonprofits of different sizes and budgets can find an appropriate level of support.