Meet Clinton Jackson! Clinton is a senior at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, and completes his semester as an intern with Kennari in December 2023. During my time as an intern at Kennari Consulting, I was a part of a variety of different team projects, personal...
Sandi Frost Steensma Named Recipient of 16 Over 60 Award by Senior Neighbors, Inc
We are proud to announce that our founder, Sandi Frost Steensma, will be honored at the 16 Over 60 Awards Gala on November 15, 2023 for her continued contribution to West Michigan and beyond. The 16 Over 60 Awards Gala, hosted by Senior Neighbors, is an...
Cultivation: The Rule of Thumb
Often, fundraisers think that cultivation is purely about asking a donor for a specific amount of money. We disagree. The process of cultivation, when successful, means that when you meet with a donor, instead of saying, "We would like you to consider a gift of $X,"...
Year End Appeals – That Work!
There are several things that make for a successful year-end campaign, but planning is likely at the top of the list! When you plan ahead, it allows you to be proactive in crafting a great letter, segmenting your mailing list well, getting your board involved, and...
Eight Strategies to Boost Fundraising
There's no magical solution to growing your fundraising, but there are some key strategies that – when applied consistently - will help you make progress on your fundraising outcomes. Here are some practical ways to prioritize your efforts toward those that have...
Host a Tour & Drive Home Your Mission
Looking for a simple way to share your mission with your community? Isn’t it about time everyone knew how great you were and what services you offered? Hosting a regular, monthly tour at your organization can do just that. A tour is a simple point of entry event...
New Team Member: Jesse Wolff
Kennari Consulting welcomes our newest team member, Jesse Wolff - joining our team as a Senior Strategist. After living in Denver, Colorado for 25 years, the Wolff family moved to Michigan in 2016. Yes, it was on purpose! Jesse has diverse nonprofit...
Thanking Your Donors
Plan your thank you like you plan your ask. As fundraising professionals, we all know that donors need a thank you when they make a gift. But what we don’t always spend enough time on is how to make that thank you special to the donor. At Kennari...
You Talkin’ About Us?: The Value of Third Party Endorsements
A third-party endorsement is becoming a must have for any nonprofit who wishes to stand out above the crowd; it’s the nod of approval for your organization from an outside source. It could be another organization you work with, an association to which you belong, or...
Staff Perspectives: Vu Le’s Reimagining Philanthropy
Kalamazoo Public Library’s OnePlace programing recently livestreamed “A Better Normal: Reimagining Nonprofit and Philanthropy with Vu Le,” where more than 300 people gathered virtually to challenge ineffective philosophies and practices in the non-profit and...
10 Key Ingredients of Successful Boards
Creating and maintaining a well-balanced, effective board for your organization doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are 10 'ingredients' of well functioning boards: The Board Takes Responsibility. This includes having a Governance Committee to focus on pieces like...
Intern Spotlight: Mario Vargas
Meet Mario Vargas! Mario is a senior at Grand Valley State University, graduating spring 2023 with a Bachelor's Degree in Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration with a minor in Sociology. Mario completed 2 semesters as an intern with Kennari in December 2022....
The Best Piece of Fundraising Advice
We asked each one of the team members at Kennari Consulting the following question: What is the single best piece of advice you would give a nonprofit organization that wants to strengthen their fundraising efforts? Here are our answers: Megan Brodie - Be intentional...
7 Takeaways from our latest Roundtable: Applying DEI Practices in Nonprofits
Any goals toward diversity, equity, and inclusion should drive your processes and practices. We recently sat down with a panel of community representatives who shared lessons and anecdotes from their own work in this space.
New Team Member: Kelly Yagiela
Meet Kelly Yagiela! Kelly comes to Kennari with her most recent experience as Fund Development Specialist at Milestone Senior Services, where she was responsible for their grant portfolio and has also been supporting their capital campaign and annual giving. She has a...
Client Tour Spotlight: Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
As an intern, I was grateful to be given the opportunity to get a tour by McKenzie Rounds, Donor Relations Manager at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. The Civic Theatre, located in Downtown Grand Rapids, is one the oldest and largest growing community theatres in the...
4 Ways to Appreciate a Donor – Right Now
Do you have half an hour to spare? Five minutes? With the ongoing needs and goals of one’s development department, it’s easy to forget about the simple ways in which we can take a moment or two to appreciate your supporters. According to Bloomerang, there are various...
Best Practices for Managing a Grant Award
Grants can be a great way to raise funds for your organization, but many grants are time-consuming to prepare and submit. Further, the work doesn’t always stop after a grant is submitted. While being awarded a grant is exciting, receiving a grant award can bring with...
Staff Perspectives: The Young Professionals of Color Conference (YPCC)
The Young Professionals of Color Conference (YPCC) grows diversity and inclusion efforts in the business community by creating a space for young professionals of color to gather and engage with peers and leaders in the Grand Rapids community. YPCC's annual conference...
Donor Segmenting – Take Your Communications to the Next Level
Business intelligence concept. Big data analytics, chart and graph icons and female hands typing on laptop. Kennari President and CEO, Laura Kruisenga, recently presented a webinar with our partner QGiv on the Basics of Donor Segmentation. Based on the response we...