A year of donor-centered-fundraising support: A case study
Last year, I had the privilege of working with grantees of the Omidyar Network’s The Tech We Want initiative—and what a transformative experience it was. These three Luminary organizations are building a future where technology serves the public good. Our shared mission? To help each of them develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising and development strategy, tailored to their unique work, goals, and teams—rooted in the principles of donor centered fundraising.
From the beginning, our goal was bold and clear: To get a fundraising insider on their side—so they could exceed their fundraising goals and make the world better without working themselves to the bone.
We brought a structured, hands-on approach. Together with mindfulness and collaboration designed to build lasting confidence and systems. They got off the hamster wheel and onto solid ground, with a clear plan and the tools to carry it out.
In the sections ahead, I’ll share more on exactly what we delivered, what changed for these organizations, and what’s possible when funders invest in capacity—not just programs.
What happens when funders invest in grantee fundraising?
When funders go beyond writing checks for programs and actually invest in how grantees raise money, something powerful happens: organizations become more resilient, more confident, and more in control of their future.
That’s exactly what we saw with The Tech We Want grantees.
Fundraising often feels like a black box for nonprofits—especially those led by newer executive directors or doing work outside the usual funding lanes. They’re often brilliant at their mission, but under-resourced, overwhelmed, or just unsure of how to consistently bring in the funding they need.
Fundraising also usually feels lonely. Nonprofit leaders often feel pressure to project confidence while scrambling behind the scenes to patch together grants, juggle donor data, and hit goals with limited time and tools. they feel like it’s a “me” problem rather than a systemic problem. Plus, they were never trained for it. It’s exhausting.
When funders step in to support the development side, not just the program side, they send a crucial signal:
“We believe in your vision, and we want to help you build what it takes to sustain it.”
And the ripple effect is huge.
“We now have clear roles and responsibilities for our fundraising team and we are gaining traction with new funders every day.” — Luminary
“I feel much more confident personally. You've given us so many tools to move forward with.” — Luminary
“It’s no longer the massive stress cloud overhead that I used to see in my brain.” — Luminary
When funders support this kind of growth, they don’t just help an organization survive another year.
They help it build the engine for long-term impact—especially when that support includes essentials like operating grants for nonprofit organizations, not just project-based funding.
The support we delivered
The core of our work was straightforward: give each organization what they need to fundraise effectively—without reinventing the wheel or burning out. Every organization started at a different point, so our model was built to flex and meet them where they were.
Fundraising Strategy & Diagnostic
We started by zooming out. Each organization received a high-level diagnostic of their current fundraising ecosystem:
What’s working?
What’s missing?
Who is funding what in your space?
Where’s the energy going?
Where are the missed opportunities?
From there, we built a custom fundraising roadmap, based on their unique model, team capacity, and funding landscape. Each roadmap included concrete next steps and a clear path forward— no fluff.
Funding Pipeline Research
We delivered deeply researched funder pipelines:
Institutional funders (foundations, aligned intermediaries)
Individual major donors (HNWI)
We leveraged platforms like Inside Philanthropy and Candid Foundation Directory for institutional funders, and iWave and Lexus Nexus for individual donors. Each list was delivered with detailed profiles so the teams weren’t just handed names, but a real strategy for cultivation.
And the lists themselves were structured to serve as a funder tracker from day one.
Fundraising Kit
We armed teams with:
Core messaging for donor centered fundraising
Custom pitch language (deck, email templates, call scripts)
Modular grant template + LOIs
These tools made outreach faster, sharper, and more aligned.
“The grant boilerplate and the core messaging has been so foundational, and we’re actually starting to build a system—rather than each one being like starting from scratch.” — Luminary
Implementation Support
Through regular support calls and between-session help, we worked hand-in-hand to:
Review proposals
Troubleshoot bottlenecks
Adjust strategies
Build confidence
“Your approach to fundraising KPIs lets us ramp up our expectations as our skills develop.” — Luminary
Group Capacity Building
We held live cohort training sessions on:
Tailoring proposals
Structuring your fundraising team and setting up the systems and processes for success
Plus templates, trackers, and reporting tools to make the work easier.
“This is demystifying it for me. Breaking down the ‘cookbook’ to learn it is very helpful.” — Luminary
The impact: In their words
“We’re in a completely different place now… This has been so needed for us... I feel very lucky and grateful for everything you shared with us.” — Luminary
“We’re gaining traction with new funders every day.” — Luminary
“This is world-changing for me and my work.” — Luminary
Why this approach works
It builds core competencies, not dependencies.
Organizations leave with the knowledge and tools to lead their own fundraising efforts sustainably.
It’s repeatable and sustainable.
Templates and systems become a launchpad for growth.
It aligns with values.
Fundraising can be done with heart—free of the “ick factor.”
It multiplies every dollar granted.
Capacity support is a force multiplier, not an overhead line item.
Want to empower your grantee partners like this?
If you're a funder looking to strengthen your grantees’ long-term fundraising capacity, I’d love to talk. Whether you're supporting emerging nonprofits or seasoned changemakers, this kind of beyond-the-check support to your grantees can be transformational. Our work is customizable, values-aligned, and proven to work.
Reach out here and let’s explore what’s possible.
To stay up-to-date with our fundraising & grant writing tips and tools follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter.
