Gail Perry Group Featured in Chronicle of Philanthropy Report on Next-Generation Donor Engagement
June 5, 2025 – Gail Perry Group, a nonprofit fundraising consulting firm, was prominently featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s comprehensive report examining strategies for engaging younger major donors as the philanthropic landscape evolves.
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The article explored how fundraising professionals are adapting their approaches to connect with next-generation donors who have different motivations, communication preferences, and giving patterns compared to traditional major gift prospects.
Gail Perry, president of the Chapel Hill-based firm, provided expert commentary on the emotional aspects of philanthropic relationships that organizations often overlook in their data-driven approaches.
“We’ve become so data-oriented and so business-oriented,” Perry told the Chronicle. “We forget that giving is a joyful act. It’s all emotions.”
The report highlighted Perry’s observations about generational differences in donor loyalty and institutional connections. Perry noted that research and her firm’s direct experience show distinct patterns among younger philanthropists.
“Younger and middle-aged donors are not as institutionally oriented as their parents, as the older generation,” Perry said in the interview.
Perry emphasized the importance of personalized communication strategies when working with donors across generations. She outlined her approach to building authentic relationships through informal gatherings.
“One of the fundamental rules of major-gift fundraising is to discover your donors’ communication preferences and follow them,” Perry said. She described developing “porch parties” – intimate, casual donor-networking events with no presentations and no asks, focused on relationship building and understanding donor motivations.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy featured Perry’s insights on a critical oversight many organizations make when planning for future fundraising success.
“I think a lot of institutions take those younger people for granted, and that’s a real mistake,” Perry said. “If you’re worried about the next generation of donors, are you creating strategies to pay attention to them?”
Perry stressed the importance of focusing on existing relationships rather than constantly seeking new prospects. She advocates for a strategic approach to donor development that emphasizes cultivation over time.
“Who do we have in our database today, and what are we going to do to nurture those relationships to take them from this level to a higher level in five years?” Perry said.
The article concluded with Perry’s philosophy on effective donor engagement, emphasizing the human element that drives successful major gift fundraising.
“It’s not a matter of your pitch deck,” Perry said. “It’s a matter of asking the donor what they think and honoring them as a whole person and not as a pocketbook.”
About Gail Perry Group
Gail Perry Group is a leading nonprofit fundraising consulting firm serving organizations across the United States. The firm partners with educational institutions, healthcare organizations, social service agencies, and cultural organizations to achieve ambitious fundraising goals.
These nonprofit fundraising consultants provide expert guidance in capital campaigns, major gift strategies, board development, and strategic planning. The firm is distinguished by its “Fired-Up Fundraising” approach and proprietary “Campaigns by the Numbers” methodology, delivering both motivational leadership and data-driven results for nonprofit success.
For more information about Gail Perry Group’s services, contact us here.
Fundraising Consulting Firm Featured on Philanthropy.org for Leadership Guidance During Challenging Times
May 3, 2025 — Gail Perry Group was featured on Philanthropy.org for strategic guidance warning nonprofit organizations that modest goals and limited visions will not sustain them through current economic and social challenges.
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The fundraising consulting firm published guidance on the philanthropy publication advising nonprofit leaders that “a small vision won’t cut it” in the current environment marked by pandemic impacts, social upheaval and economic pressures.
The firm cautioned that too many organizations were operating in survival mode rather than taking bold action during the crisis period.
“Too many organizations are hunkering down, muddling along in survival mode,” Gail Perry, the firm’s president, said. “Will they make it? We doubt it.”
The consulting firm outlined five strategic recommendations for nonprofit organizations seeking to thrive during challenging conditions.
The firm’s first recommendation emphasized expansion over contraction, urging organizations to embrace bold thinking.
“Think outside the box, challenge yourselves, try the impossible,” Perry said. “This is the time to expand together, not contract alone.”
Gail Perry Group advised boards to focus on critical financial discussions rather than becoming distracted by operational details during meetings.
“The elephant in the room is your financial future — name it, face it, tackle it,” Perry said. “Leadership during crisis requires the ability to focus.”
The consulting firm strongly warned against cutting fundraising investments, stating such reductions would damage donor relationships and reduce revenue.
“If you want to do more good, you need more money,” Perry said. “More money requires investing in fundraising, not slashing it.”
The firm also recommended that organizations consider using reserve funds during the current period rather than maintaining overly conservative approaches.
“This is the emergency,” Perry said. “This is the rainy day you saved for.”
Gail Perry Group emphasized organizational reinvention over retreat, encouraging organizations to examine their business models and revenue strategies.
“Nothing is going back to ‘normal,’ so don’t cling to the plans of past years,” Perry said.
The consulting firm concluded that organizations must “step up, prioritize, communicate, act boldly” to navigate current challenges successfully.
About Gail Perry Group
Gail Perry Group is a leading nonprofit fundraising consulting firm serving organizations across the United States. The firm partners with educational institutions, healthcare organizations, social service agencies, and cultural organizations to achieve ambitious fundraising goals.
These nonprofit fundraising consultants provide expert guidance in capital campaigns, major gift strategies, board development, and strategic planning. The firm is distinguished by its “Fired-Up Fundraising” approach and proprietary “Campaigns by the Numbers” methodology, delivering both motivational leadership and data-driven results for nonprofit success.
For more information about Gail Perry Group’s services, contact us here.
Gail Perry Group Featured in Major Gifts Report on Capital Campaign Planning
May 1, 2025 – Gail Perry Group, a fundraising consulting firm, was featured in The Major Gifts Report for its approach to capital campaign planning and execution.
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The article highlighted the firm’s methodology for helping nonprofit organizations prepare for fundraising campaigns through strategic planning and donor relationship development.
Gail Perry, the firm’s president, told the publication that careful preparation is essential before launching capital campaigns.
“Smaller organizations that don’t have a lot of experience think that you can go right into a campaign,” Perry said in the interview. “But a capital campaign is risky. Hope is not a strategy.”
Perry outlined several steps organizations should take before launching campaigns, including engaging potential donors through small events and meetings to build interest in funding initiatives.
“Just like in the eighth grade, if you wanted to ask a girl to the prom, you’d try to sit next to her in the lunchroom a little bit,” Perry said. “Donors are like that too. The more work you do with them up front, the better your campaign will flow in the long run.”
The firm uses a 29-point checklist to guide organizations through campaign preparation. Perry emphasized the importance of having major gift prospects identified and securing volunteer leaders from the community.
“The right volunteer leaders make your campaign legitimate within the community, and it opens doors,” Perry said. “People pay attention to what they say.”
Perry also stressed that organizations need adequate staffing and resources for successful campaigns.
“The money is not going to walk through the door,” she said. “The money is not going to come without investing money.”
The firm advises organizations to ensure board agreement on campaign projects and strategy before launch.
“If you do your preparation work carefully, the money will flow like a downhill stream, and if you don’t, it’s going to be tough,” Perry said.
About Gail Perry Group
Founded in Raleigh, North Carolina, Gail Perry Group is a leading nonprofit fundraising consulting firm serving organizations across the United States. The firm partners with educational institutions, healthcare organizations, social service agencies, and cultural organizations to achieve ambitious fundraising goals.
These nonprofit fundraising consultants provide expert guidance in capital campaigns, major gift strategies, board development, and strategic planning. The firm is distinguished by its “Fired-Up Fundraising” approach and proprietary “Campaigns by the Numbers” methodology, delivering both motivational leadership and data-driven results for nonprofit success.
For more information about Gail Perry Group’s services, contact us here.
Gail Perry Group Featured in NonProfit PRO on Government Relations Strategy
April 30, 2025 — Fundraising consulting firm Gail Perry Group was featured in NonProfit PRO for its expertise on nonprofit government relations and securing public funding, following a presentation at AFP ICON.
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The article highlighted the firm’s strategic approach to helping nonprofits build relationships with elected officials, presented by Gail Perry, founder and president, and Cassie Rice, chief operating officer at Gail Perry Group.
Rice, who previously worked on Capitol Hill and in North Carolina for former U.S. Rep. David Price managing the congressman’s schedule, shared insights on navigating government relationships during the session titled “Partnering for Impact: How to Engage Elected Officials to Advance Your Nonprofit’s Mission.”
The presentation addressed nonprofit concerns about government relations due to lobbying laws. Rice explained that lobbying involves advocating for specific legislation, while engagement focuses on education.
“Now, isn’t that an empowering message to be cheerfully aggressive, because if we’re not doing it, nobody’s going to do it,” Perry told attendees, as reported in NonProfit PRO. “And your elected officials want to know about [how federal funding cuts have affected your organization], and especially at the state and local level, they need to know how the federal cuts are impacting their constituents.”
The firm outlined a four-step process for securing meetings with elected officials, beginning with direct phone contact rather than online forms.
“I would say, ‘My nonprofit does X, Y and Z for your constituents,'” Rice said in the presentation. “‘Our objective for meeting with you is X, Y and Z.’ And ‘When can we meet with the congressman?’ Not a, ‘I would like to meet with him.’ Or, ‘May I please?’ It’s a ‘When can I?'”
The strategy emphasized building relationships with staff members, including bringing coffee to meetings for legislative assistants and schedulers.
“You will forever be known as the person who brings a coffee to the meeting for the staffer, because they are working very hard to make sure that their elected official has what they need for this meeting,” Rice said. “The staffers usually get overlooked.”
For engaging politicians directly, Perry recommended sharing constituent stories rather than distributing handouts.
“And if you make it really powerful and really short, what’s the elected official going to do?” Perry asked. “They’re going to remember it. It just might pop up in some of their speeches. So these are the things you offer your elected officials. You have more power than you realize.”
The firm advised nonprofits to maintain ongoing relationships through twice-yearly in-person meetings and monthly email updates, even when officials don’t respond.
Rice also encouraged inviting elected officials to organizational events for community visibility and photo opportunities.
“I know that my former boss would get invited to go to visit nonprofit organizations all the time,” Rice said. “And he was really excited because that meant he was going to talk to other people that he wouldn’t normally have access to, and that was huge.”
About Gail Perry Group
Gail Perry Group is a leading nonprofit fundraising consulting firm serving organizations across the United States. The firm partners with educational institutions, healthcare organizations, social service agencies, and cultural organizations to achieve ambitious fundraising goals.
These nonprofit fundraising consultants provide expert guidance in capital campaigns, major gift strategies, board development, and strategic planning. The firm is distinguished by its “Fired-Up Fundraising” approach and proprietary “Campaigns by the Numbers” methodology, delivering both motivational leadership and data-driven results for nonprofit success.
For more information about Gail Perry Group’s services, contact us here.
Rapid Growth in Fundraising Leadership at Gail Perry Group
October 17, 2023 – Gail Perry Group, a prominent nonprofit fundraising consulting firm headquartered in North Carolina announced today that Evan Northup has joined as Fundraising Consultant, part of GPG’s strategy to support its growing roster of clients. Northup will guide the next generation of nonprofit CEOs and their leadership teams in accomplishing their fundraising goals and capital campaigns.
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Evan Northup, CFRE, brings a wealth of experience to her role. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Miami, Florida, Evan’s career in the world of fundraising began on Capitol Hill. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in political science from the highly selective American University, and a master’s degree from world-renowned The University of Edinburgh, where she focused on business, history, and theory of art.
Throughout her career, Northup has showcased her leadership in various aspects of fundraising; spanning annual individual giving, major gifts, capital campaigns, and strategic assessment and planning. Her remarkable track record extends across diverse sectors, including political organizations, higher education, and the arts and cultural realm.
Her experience encompasses a deep understanding of nonprofit technology and extensive consulting work. Notably, Northup spent three years as the head of development for the Foundation for Philanthropy at AFP International Headquarters.
“We are impressed by Evan’s unwavering commitment to invoking positive change in local communities and the world through fundraising strategy. Her intense passion to empower board members and fundraising staff aligns perfectly with Gail Perry Group’s mission, and will undoubtedly lead to an increased spotlight on our clients’ impact, value, and potential for growth,” commented Gail Perry, President of Gail Perry Group.
With the addition of Northup’s expertise, passion, and commitment, Gail Perry Group is poised to continue growing to support nonprofits in achieving their capital campaign and fundraising goals, while making a lasting impact on the causes they serve.
Nonprofit fundraisers lead the way
Charles Davis joins top consultants at Gail Perry Group
September 26, 2023 – Gail Perry Group, a leading US-based nonprofit fundraising consulting firm, is pleased to announce that Charles E. “Chuck” Davis III has joined as Senior Consultant. In his new role, Davis will craft philanthropic strategies to help GPG clients’ reach transformational capital campaign and fundraising goals.
Davis brings a demonstrable record of success in building and nurturing authentic relationships which result in transformational philanthropy through major gifts.
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Davis’s career spans almost 30 years leading advancement programs in the higher education, secondary school, and nonprofit sectors, to support increased philanthropy and fundraising, both domestically and internationally. As a senior advancement leader, he recently led the MBU Empowers Campaign at Mary Baldwin University, which began with a modest $25 million goal and closed in June 2023 at more than $73 million.
The campaign included some of the largest major gifts in university history, including a cash gift of $23 million, an additional $5 million from a dedicated alumna and an historic $12.5 million planned gift.
“Chuck’s capacity to build meaningful and authentic relationships with nonprofits, will help us advance their philanthropic goals. , which is at the heart of successful advancement professionals, boards and organizations,” said Gail Perry, President of Gail Perry Group.
“We look forward to leveraging Chuck’s rich expertise for Gail Perry Group’s wider philanthropic, donor, and community engagement efforts across our footprint. Chuck will also focus on expanding our work with educational institutions and international organizations.”
He has worked in global fundraising, building philanthropy programs at the Robert Gordon University Foundation in Aberdeen, Scotland, as chief executive officer from 2012-2015, and served as director of strategic development at the International School of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. In each position he has helped facilitate the most significant gifts in each institution’s history, and built processes and teams for sustained success.
Prior to working internationally, Davis served from 2003-2012 as the director of the Ever Elon campaign and assistant vice president for university advancement at Elon University. Over his 9-year tenure, he served as the principal architect of Elon’s then largest capital campaign surpassing a $100 million goal.
Earlier in his career, Davis served as interim president and director of development for the Medical Foundation of East Carolina University, and director of development at the Graduate School of North Carolina State University. Davis is a proud graduate of Furman University.
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