How This Nonprofit Raised $1M in Just 2 Weeks
By Lisa Scott
While I love teaching the many different aspects of our method here on the blog, I also know there’s nothing more motivational or informative than seeing it work in practice.
Today, I want to share the story of Cradles to Crayons, a national nonprofit with sites in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, that implemented The Transformational Giving Playbook™ method and began seeing incredible results, including one of its sites securing one million dollars in gifts within just two weeks.
They’re an incredible organization working to combat childhood poverty and end clothing insecurity by giving children the essential items they need – shoes, a warm coat, a backpack to carry their schoolbooks and supplies – so they can thrive at school, participate fully in life, and simply be a kid.
Building a stronger foundation for fundraising
When Cradles to Crayons came to us, the organization was navigating leadership and role transitions. Team members and leaders were burned out, and some of the fundraising models and mindsets they had relied on were no longer producing the results they needed.
As a new CEO seeking to create meaningful change across the organization, Christine Morin wanted more than fundraising theory. The team needed practical guidance they could apply to real donor relationships immediately.
Through the TGP training and group sessions, team members began shifting both their mindset and their fundraising practices. They tested and refined new approaches in real time, building confidence through action.
The work also engaged busy and initially skeptical team members. Rather than discounting the experience they already had, we helped them build on that expertise while introducing our evidence-based, approach to transformational gift fundraising.
The results began quickly
During our 6-month program, they saw great momentum. For example: In the first three months, one site closed an increased six figure gift from a top 10 prospect.
The next month that same site raised $1M within 2 weeks.
And the successes kept coming after the program was finished:
A team member increased a donor’s gift by 5x.
One of the organization’s most significant national donors who had been giving steadily for many years increased their support by 10%.
Another longtime donor doubled their gift.
A lapsed donor came back and committed $100,000.
The CEO put it this way:
“Momentum is building. We have a clear strategic plan, and the work we did with TGP is taking hold. Because of the foundation we set with you, we are now running with the plan, building stronger, more sustainable relationships that are helping us reach more kids.”
That foundation gave the team practical, actionable strategies they could use, not only to pursue one large gift, but to strengthen fundraising across the organization.
This wasn’t luck... It was strategy.
These results came from changing how the team thought about its prospects, donor relationships, and fundraising opportunities, and giving people a clear system they could put into action.
“Our team has always been highly motivated and successful at raising funds, particularly through events and seasonal giving campaigns, but it was very transactional and not scalable.
"TGP helped us shift our team’s thinking from individual renewed gifts to long-term sustainable donor relationships. It gave our team the tools and confidence to create more intentional cultivation and stewardship strategies, leading to deeper engagement, more meaningful donor relationships, and ultimately stronger fundraising.”
~ Lauren Rosenberg, Vice President, Philanthropy
If you’re ready to create the kind of transformational gifts that can truly transform your nonprofit, explore The Transformational Giving Playbook™ On-Demand Essentials course.
And if you’d like to support the extraordinary work of Cradles to Crayon by donating time, funds, or goods, I invite you to learn more HERE.