CASE STUDY
Tripled Revenue and Strengthened Donor Relationships
How Nathan Gardner increased revenue with a donor from $10,000 to $30,000 by implementing Growth & Co.’s Fundraising Intelligence training
Nathan Gardner, CEO
Keegan Cizikas, Volunteer and Community Development Coordinator
Inexperienced fundraising team and no major gift strategy
Nathan Gardner, CEO of Back Door Mission, leads a vital organization that facilitates a collaborative social service and primary health care hub for those experiencing homelessness in Oshawa.
While the organization was making a tangible impact, its fundraising efforts lacked focus and strategy. Donations were coming in, but Nathan knew the potential for growth was untapped.
Like many nonprofits, Back Door Mission’s sole fundraiser was selected for their strong interpersonal skills but had no prior fundraising expertise. Without formal training, the team struggled to deepen donor relationships or maximize giving.
Nathan recognized the need for expert guidance to shift their approach and empower their team with the skills to build meaningful relationships with donors and secure larger contributions.
Fundraising training and coaching with Growth & Co.
Nathan discovered Growth & Co. through LinkedIn. After exploring their insightful content, connecting with past Growth & Co. clients, and speaking with CEO Larissa Stoddart, Nathan trusted Growth & Co. as the right partner to transform their fundraising efforts.
He enrolled his staff member, Keegan, in the Fundraising Intelligence training and coaching program.
Through the program, Keegan learned essential skills such as preparing for and conducting donor meetings, creating compelling Cases for Support, and crafting personalized proposals that resonated with donor interests.
From $10,000 to $40,000 - tripling one donor's annual giving and gaining a new donor
Using the donor meeting agenda and preparation techniques learned in the program, Nathan and his team achieved significant milestones: they secured their first $10,000 donation from General Motors, and they tripled another major donor’s annual contribution from $10,000 to $30,000.
Three months after the program ended, Nathan shared an update:
"We took the initiative to engage an [existing] annual foundation donor and provide a little more details and insights on our needs. This included the case for support ... a meeting on our finances ... and a site tour. Happy to say we jumped from 10k to 30k, and the group is a lot prouder to be associated with us!"
As their fundraiser Keegan reflected,
"People often get put in the fundraising role as I was. A program like this that teaches me what to do is very helpful. I appreciate the content and talking with fundraisers from other organizations each week. It is super helpful to hear how others are doing things."
He also shared his experience working with Larissa: l"Larissa is no b*llsh*t! We've had consultants who just bend to what they think Nathan or I wanted to hear in the past, but she's direct and pragmatic, which I appreciated."
Nathan said in the program wrap-up meeting: "Keegan has grown significantly. The audit and case for support he's built are excellent. The support he has received has been excellent. The fundraising plan is great. I am happy we have clear direction and am pleasantly surprised at how in-depth the plan is! We have strategy and direction now for fundraising as well as clear messaging."
Beyond the financial success, Nathan gained confidence in their ability to approach donors with strategic, personalized funding requests. The team now has the tools to strengthen relationships and elevate other donor contributions, and they saw a return on the investment in working with Growth & Co. rapidly.