JSF: Dev Coaching Case Study
Challenge Accepted
The Jimmy Simpson Foundation was entering a pivotal growth phase, with plans for a building expansion that would significantly increase its capacity to provide specialized brain injury care. However, bringing that vision to life required launching a capital campaign, and the organization faced a familiar nonprofit challenge: stakeholder readiness.
Board and committee members cared deeply about the mission and were genuinely excited about the expansion. What was missing was clarity around expectations, roles, and accountability. Without alignment, there was risk that fundraising would fall to only a few individuals, limiting campaign momentum and long-term success.
Solution Proposed
The Jimmy Simpson Foundation partnered with Strat Labs to prepare for a successful capital campaign, beginning with a focused, high-impact 90-minute stakeholder training designed to align leadership and drive immediate action.
We anchored the session in JSF’s next chapter, clearly connecting the capital campaign to long-term sustainability, improved care outcomes, and increased credibility with funders. This alignment helped stakeholders rally around a shared vision for the coming year,
understand expectations beyond financial contribution, and embrace the reality that everyone plays a role in relationship-building.
Strat Labs reframed fundraising away from “asking for money” and toward trust-building, strategic storytelling, warm introductions, and long-term cultivation. This mindset shift lowered anxiety, increased confidence, and helped stakeholders recognize that fundraising is simply an extension of how they already show up professionally and personally.
We also introduced salon-style events as a low-lift, high-impact strategy to organically expand JSF’s network. These gatherings were positioned as a way to build credibility through personal endorsement and create natural entry points for future major donors. Stakeholders received practical guidance on how to host, sponsor, or support salons without assuming operational burden.
To ensure momentum extended beyond the meeting itself, we facilitated our proven Fortune Finder Exercise, identifying untapped relationships, industries, and growth opportunities within the room and translating them into actionable next steps.
Problem Solved
This training laid critical groundwork for a strong and sustainable capital campaign. As a result, the Foundation experienced:
– Shared language and aligned expectations across the executive team, staff, board, and committees
– Increased confidence in fundraising and relationship-building conversations
– A clear shift from passive support to strategic partnership
– Reduced pressure on executive leadership through distributed ownership and accountability
– Strengthened internal alignment, increasing funder confidence ahead of campaign launch
– Identification of new prospective major donor relationships through stakeholder networks
– Commitments to host or support salon events tied to the campaign
– Clear next steps and task forces supporting fundraising, visibility, and partnerships
“I wanted to take a moment to share how truly delighted I am with last night’s training meeting. The energy, engagement, and thoughtful participation were exceptional. I’ve already received several texts and emails full of ideas, suggestions, and potential names-which speaks to how inspired everyone felt.
I also heard many compliments about how clearly the information was presented and how smoothly the meeting stayed on track. Your professionalism, collaboration, and enthusiasm made the evening both productive and enjoyable.”
