Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati

In preparation for two major fundraising initiatives, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati engaged Smith Beers Yunker & Company to facilitate a coaching session for board members. The session was conducted by Penny Pensak and Becky Sittason following an in-depth analysis of the organization’s goals and the board’s current understanding of fundraising needs and strategies.

Summing up the results of the five-hour coaching session, President and CEO Kathy List observed that the response from the board was quite positive. “We were wise to bring in someone from the outside to encourage our board members to become more engaged in the fundraising process. I think if we had not brought in outside advisors, some might have seen this session as ‘just another board meeting.’  As it was, we had 85% participation.”

Vice President of Development Jacqueline Potts noted that the coaching provided by Smith Beers Yunker was very closely tailored to the needs of the organization. “It was not a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach. The process was thoughtful and insightful and they gave us a number of options going in. I was especially impressed with the speed of their response, as they had only a month to complete all their analysis in preparation for the coaching session.”

Echoing these comments, Kathy List added that the contrasting styles of the presenters was very effective in garnering attention from a diverse group of board members, most of whom are CEOs of  corporations. “Penny and Becky were so effective that we received a $10,000 gift from one board member immediately after the session,” she said. “And another board member felt so inspired by the presentation that he turned to Penny Pensak to ask her for a gift on the spot! I think consultants with this level of professionalism and flexibility are rare and, because of that, I have recommended Smith Beers Yunker to another group. I think that’s the best compliment I can give.”