MSHEF: Development Coaching Case Study
Challenge accepted
The Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation was a relatively new nonprofit, co-founded and led by three passionate founders deeply committed to Holocaust education. While their mission was clear and urgent, their growth was primarily fueled by personal networks.
They did not come from nonprofit fundraising backgrounds, and as the organization expanded, they recognized a critical inflection point: in order to scale their impact nationally, they needed structured development systems, strategic donor cultivation, and a roadmap for sustainable growth beyond their immediate circles.
Solution proposed
Strat Labs partnered with the Foundation to provide hands-on Development Coaching through weekly strategy sessions with our fundraising experts and the co-founders. Together, we implemented a structured Moves Management system, diving deeply into donor data to identify major donor prospects, supporters ready to increase their giving, corporate partnership opportunities, and board-level leadership candidates.
Rather than relying on reactive fundraising, we shifted the Foundation toward a proactive, relationship-centered strategy. Several notable growth opportunities emerged:
01
New Celebrity Board Member
A well-known public figure already expressed support through a fundraising campaign, but we identified the opportunity for deeper engagement. Through coaching, we supported the development of formal Board Member Expectations and an Agreement, equipping the founders to confidently extend a board invitation.
02
Cultivation of a Major Donor & Board Member
Our team identified an influential Holocaust education advocate on the West Coast, a region where the Foundation had limited reach. We facilitated the introduction and supported cultivation strategy over more than a year. That relationship evolved into a major donor partnership and ultimately Board membership.
03
Matching Gifts
Through ongoing campaign strategy and donor analysis, we helped secure major matching gifts for annual campaigns, generating over $50,000 in matches.
Problem solved
Today, the Foundation operates with a far more sophisticated fundraising engine. What began as a mission driven by passion and personal networks has evolved into a structured, relationship-centered development program.
Through coaching and strategy implementation, the organization has:
– Increased their annual fundraising by 112% in two years
– Elevated supporters into Board leadership
– Expanded its geographic donor base nationally
– Built a sustainable Moves Management system