Our Approach:

We walk alongside our partners, and for KACC, that meant spending five months, January through May of 2025, building both the systems and the people who would run them. On the fundraising side, we built a full toolkit from the ground up: an annual fundraising plan and calendar, a gift range chart, a foundation pipeline, donor cultivation and solicitation plans, a gift entry process, gift acceptance policies, a gift fulfillment plan, and a donor profile guide the team could use to get to know supporters at a deeper level. We also rolled up our sleeves on materials that would put those systems to work: sponsor packets and letters for the Paint Kerrville event, Board recruitment letters tailored to specific prospects, and regular progress reports to keep the team accountable to its goals. On the governance side, we facilitated a full board education session grounded in purpose-driven leadership. We walked the board through four fundamental principles: prioritizing purpose before organization, respecting the ecosystem, maintaining an equity mindset, and honoring authorized voice and power. We clarified that authority rests with the full Board of Directors, not with individual members or committees, and drew a clear line between the board’s strategic role and the staff’s operational role. We covered the essential, leading, and compliance practices every board needs, from strategic planning and executive sessions to conflict-of-interest management and reviewing IRS Form 990, and introduced action agendas to keep meetings focused on high-importance strategic questions instead of getting lost in the day-to-day. Just as important, we introduced the board to its role in building a culture of philanthropy, encouraging members to serve as ambassadors for KACC through donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, down to personal thank-you calls and notes.