Michelle Nathanson

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER 03/2020 to CURRENT

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) | Atlanta, GA

Overview: A seasoned fundraiser and strategic leader within the Boys & Girls Club, a national organization committed to empowering youth. Demonstrated success in increasing revenue by engaging high-net-worth individuals to join the Board of Trustees and significantly exceed their annual giving commitments.

Challenge: Tasked with expanding the National Board of Trustees for the Pacific region by recruiting high-net-worth individuals who could not only align with the organization's mission but also contribute substantial financial support beyond their annual give/get requirements.

Actions & Impact:

• Orchestrated a targeted outreach strategy to identify and engage high-net-worth individuals with a strong alignment to the Boys & Girls Club mission.
• Successfully recruited and onboarded board members who were not only committed to the organization's goals but also willing to give beyond traditional expectations.
• Fostered strong relationships with board members, leading to increased financial contributions, including significant donations beyond their pledged commitments.
• Led revenue growth efforts that resulted in a significant increase in philanthropic support, elevating contributions by 608% from 2020 to 2023.
• Increased board diversity by 52%, including a 32% rise in gender diversity and a 36% increase in ethnic diversity.
• Successfully partnered with event planner in 2022 increasing event revenue by 185%
• Actively contributed to the organization's strategic direction through service on the ERG committee as Chair of POWERS (internal women's group) and the Extended RD Leadership Committees.
• Recognized with an achievement award from CEO/President Jim Clark for outstanding contributions and commitment to excellence.

Overview: Recruited to rebuild and lead the Development Department at ReSurge International, with the primary goal of re-establishing trust among key stakeholders and significantly enhancing the organization's fundraising capabilities.

Challenge: Faced with strengthening relationships with corporations, foundations, and individual donors, with a mandate to raise $8M to support the organization's mission.

Action:

• Assembled and led specialized Development team, including experts in Database Management, Grant Writing, Direct/Annual Appeals, Major Gifts, and Event Planning, creating a versatile "tiger team" to address the organization's diverse fundraising needs.
• Partnered closely with Chief Marketing Officer and external social media team to develop and implement weekly social media campaigns and marketing initiatives, engaging broader community and cultivating new base of lower-end donors.
• Achieved an impressive donor retention rate of over 75% for three consecutive years in the Annual Fund, with an average gift size of $3,000.
• Spearheaded the planning and execution of the annual "Transformations Gala," a key fundraising event, which involved devising and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy, cultivating relationships with donors post-event, and managing all event logistics.
• Established and executed a strategic partnership with L'Oreal subsidiary SkinCeuticals, securing funding for the inaugural "Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery Initiative," aimed at empowering women surgeons in developing countries through advanced surgical and leadership training.

Impact: Successfully re-established trust among key stakeholders, leading to the successful raising of $8M. Demonstrated strong fundraising understanding, particularly in Major Gifts, and consistently achieved growth in donor relations and retention, positioning ReSurge International for continued success.

Overview: Appointed to grow the organizational endowment and secure legacy commitments to ensure long-term financial support for various Jewish organizations in the South Bay area.

Challenge: Faced with increasing the organizational endowment from $1.8M to a significantly higher target while managing the efforts of 23 lay leaders and three full-time staff members to drive fundraising and legacy commitments.

Action:

• Developed and executed comprehensive fundraising strategies aimed at significantly expanding the organizational endowment.
• Successfully established a $5M endowment by securing a substantial single donor-directed fund, demonstrating the ability to attract large-scale donations.
• Managed and provided strategic guidance to 23 lay leaders, facilitating their efforts to secure 127 letters of intent for legacy commitments within a year, ensuring sustained support for various regional Jewish organizations.
• Supervised and mentored three full-time staff members, fostering a high-performance environment and ensuring team efforts aligned closely with the organization's goals.

Impact: Successfully increased the organizational endowment from $1.8M to $12.4M by 2015, including creating a $5M endowment through a critical donor-directed fund. This substantial growth in financial resources secured the Federation's ability to support its constituent organizations long-term. Additionally, under your leadership, the team collected 127 letters of intent for planned gifts, demonstrating strong fundraising expertise and the ability to mobilize and inspire staff and volunteers.