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“It was wonderful working with McDonald Schaefer because they really brought that sense of partnership to the project. They brought in their expertise and they married it so beautifully to our experience and our knowledge of the donors. That has everything to do with the kind of success we saw.”
“We had heard a lot about different projects and the success McDonald Schaefer was having. We invited them in for a presentation and immediately fell in love with them. They were very warm and we felt they could blend in with our community. They really helped us structure a campaign that was doable; it was a good feeling of comfort, it wasn’t panic and chaos, it was a very structured and confident process.”
“We had to raise $11.6 million. So, then we started looking and ended up with McDonald Schaefer. We needed to feel comfortable with the people we were working with, and McDonald Schaefer had those people. I think now if you asked every board member what they thought about the fundraising process, they would laugh thinking they could run the campaign themselves.”
“McDonald Schaefer did a feasibility study and then came back with a really in-depth report that’s one of the best consulting reports that I’ve seen in my lifetime, really giving us the confidence and validating our thoughts that we would be able to raise the type of money that we needed.”
“When we outgrew our building, McDonald Schaefer did a feasibility study and initially told us we could raise $7 – 8 million, but our project would require $12 million! That made a really strong positive impression on me like these guys really know what they’re doing and they’re not overselling; they are truly going to partner with us and they’re going to tell us what we need to hear and know.”
“The timeline was short. Typically to raise $5 million we’d want more than 18 months. To have McDonald Schaefer’s leadership was really essential.”
“I think we’re one of the fastest campaigns McDonald Schaefer has ever done. We were able to complete the campaign in less than a year. So, it was very successful and a smart move for us to use McDonald Schaefer. Don’t go alone, don’t try to do the campaign alone. It will work, it will be successful.”
“I speak for The Prairie Enthusiasts staff, board, and volunteers in saying that your incredible Campaign Director was absolutely vital to the success of our campaign. We could not have done this without her. She worked long hours with diligence, competence, grace, and good humor. She enabled many of us on the fundraising team to reach folks and request gifts in ways we had not done. She made it seem easy and pleasant. She knows fundraising – that’s obvious – but even more important, she brings out the best in people.”