For many, June 30th is the end of their fiscal years. I want to take a moment to single out and recognize some of our clients that I work with personally. I can hear people saying, “Here we go, bragging again.”
Okay, sure. But this isn’t about me. Many of the clients I work with have been with me for a long time, and for a long time they have been very successful. Through 9/11 recession they raised money and through this most recent crash in 2009, they raised money.
Is it hard?
You’re damn right it is hard. But these groups and most of our clients know that if they don’t raise the money, the people they serve go without. They take this responsibility very seriously.
Harvesters, the Community Food Network in Kansas City, has been a client for 11 years. Each year they have exceeded the past year and this year raised $13.6 million in cash and acquired 42 million pounds of food valued at $69.3 million for a record annual total of $82.9 million. Eleven years ago, they were doing a third of the food and about a million dollars in cash. In the eleven years they have generated for their network $740 million in food and cash to deal with the hunger issue in their community. Kinetic is proud to be a small part of that success. Joanna Sebelien is their Vice President for Resource Development.
The Heritage Foundation in DC is not on a June 30th fiscal year, but is ahead of budget on major gifts with a goal of over $80 million for the year. Since Hartsook has been counsel for Heritage, in six years they have raised over $700 million. John Fogarty is the Vice President for Development and John Von Kannon is their Vice President and Senior Counsel.
Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Kansas City is approaching their $30 million capital campaign goal supporting the building of a new emergency department, intensive care and now women’s health facility. This is the largest campaign in their history. Lou Gehring is the Senior Executive Director of the Foundation.
Truman Medical Center, a partner in the designation as a national Cancer Center, raised over $9.5 million in commitments this year toward a variety of causes. This is the largest annual support they’ve had in several years. TMC has been a personal client of mine off and on for almost 20 years in three campaigns raising now nearly $100 million. Jim Dawson is Executive Director of the Foundation.
Tulsa Boys Home, another long time friend of Kinetic is in the first year of their $28 million campaign. So far, they have raised $10 million, including a $2 million and a couple of million gifts. This is an endowment and capital campaign led by President Gregg Conway.
Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS,) also in Tulsa is a new member of the my family of clients. They are just starting a $20 million capital and program campaign. Already, in the initial stages of requests with her Board and four gifts, they have raised nearly $1.5 million, including a $1 million from a former Board Chair. A new shelter, transitional housing and an office complex will change the face of DVIS in Tulsa. Tracey Lyall is the Executive Director.
I also am counsel to the Humane Society of Greater KC and the Florida Hospital Tampa Foundation, both in the early stages of developing their fundraising plans. But when they look to the seven long time personal clients of mine and know that these institutions have collectively raised over $1.6 billion dollars for their causes during their Hartsook relationship, I’m sure they find that compelling. They know they can achieve greatness, too.
As I said, this is not about me–but in a way, it is. My clients achieved greatness because they worked with Kinetic, not just Bob Hartsook. Each of our consultants gives his or her clients the Kinetic quality of counsel that helps them raise unprecedented fundraising success. We all have a list like the one above that is full of client successes and those who have trusted us over the years. But this blog is my ink, so I get bragging rights here.
Of course, I am proud of each of my clients’ achievements but I want to be careful not to take credit for all of this. Each of them has been blessed with creative, skilled, dedicated staff and volunteer leadership. While we have been their coach, confidant, mentor and friend, the successes are theirs.
Fundraising is a team sport, we are grateful that we are on each of these successful teams.
New team members are always welcome, by the way. It’s not without a lot of hard work, but who wouldn’t rather be on the winning team?
