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In need of major upgrades to their 28-acre campus in Villa Hill, Kentucky, Madonna Manor engaged Smith Beers Yunker & Company for a pre-campaign planning process to access the potential for success of a multi-million major gifts initiative. Members of the Smith Beers Yunker team included Kay Atkins, Becky Sittason, Penelope Welz, and Jim Yunker.
Speaking for the Madonna Manor staff, Director of Development Suzanne Guerin commented on the firm’s “outside the box” approach. “The Smith Beers Yunker team delivered exactly what we had hoped for, and more. They were willing to go beyond what was specified in the contract to ensure that we received the assistance we needed.” Suzanne also remarked on the case for support that was written by Penelope Welz, saying that it “brilliantly articulated the warmth and caring that defines the culture of Madonna Manor.”
From a more broad perspective, Rick Ryan, President and CEO of Franciscan Living Communities and member of the Madonna Manor Board, confirmed Suzanne’s observations, saying, “The recommendations were different from traditional fundraising approaches and I especially appreciated the honesty of the assessment. The Smith Beers Yunker team gave us a realistic expectation, pulling us back considerably from what we had thought we could do. It’s very helpful to know that before going forward with a campaign!” Another observation made by Rick was the thoroughness of the interviews conducted by Kay Atkins, Becky Sittason, and Jim Yunker.
Both Suzanne and Rick mentioned the professional and effective way Becky Sittason presented the study findings to the board. “Becky did a phenomenal job of telling the board what they needed to hear, contrary to what they might have hoped,” said Suzanne. “But, she also justified the Smith Beers Yunker recommendations and built optimism and enthusiasm for going forward. We absolutely would recommend Smith Beers Yunker to other nonprofits.” |