As the saying goes, it takes money to make money, but for a non-profit organization, striking the right balance requires efficient solutions. That’s where Laura Graham Consulting comes in. As a fundraising professional with over 10 years under her belt, Laura has made it her mission to help non-profits raise critical funds that enable world-changing work.
From a young age, Laura took a special interest in non-profit work. Having started volunteering in her teen years, she transformed this passion into a career managing fundraising in-house for organizations such as Amnesty International, the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, Pathways to Education Canada, and Evergreen Canada, among others.
Just as the COVID-19 pandemic introduced new hurdles for fundraisers, it also created challenges for working parents, Laura included. Together with her husband and young son, she sought more balance through a move from downtown Toronto to Milton and a major career change.
With support from an industry mentor, Laura took the leap to establish her own consultancy. She now operates as a member of the Fractional Fundraising Network, a group of independent fundraising consultants delivering fundraising strategy and implementation services.
Through her business, Laura is at the forefront of an increasingly popular employment style – fractional working, where employers can hire specialists to support on a project-to-project or temporary basis.
“My clients, because they’re small organizations, they don’t have the budget to hire somebody full time, and they don’t have the budget to hire somebody with a level of experience that is going to actually get them results that they need, so they can hire me” explains Laura. “I serve as a part-time fundraiser for them.”
Beyond budget limitations, many small non-profits lack the staff and time to implement fundraising plans. Hiring Laura as a fractional fundraiser eases that load. Working on a retainer, she can start by conducting an audit for the organization, develop a strategy, and then support it by implementing tailored tactics such as major donor outreach, corporate partnerships, and grant applications. As a fractional worker, Laura goes beyond what a typical consultant may offer by providing a strategy and executing it herself to ensure the organization achieves results.
“Having been on the other side in organizations that had a consultant prepare some sort of strategy – that never went anywhere,” shares Laura. “We would get that strategy; it was really great and super exciting, and then no one had time to do it.”
For teams that do have in-house capabilities but need some strategic guidance, she offers “The DIY Package,” which includes a customized fundraising plan. Organizations looking for top-down training can take advantage of her Empowered Board: Fundraising Training workshop, which helps board members understand their critical roles in fundraising through fun, hands-on learning.
“It is a key responsibility of board members to be involved in fundraising in some way, so I think it’s a really empowering workshop for them,” explains Laura.
Despite the unique trials of an ever-changing philanthropic landscape and an uncertain economy, Laura’s work highlights the generosity of everyday people.
“Right now, the economy is a big challenge,” says Laura. “But, it’s actually still been really amazing to see people continuing to be really generous and supporting the organizations that they really care about. It’s like people are tightening their budget, but then there’s still this sense of generosity that’s happening.”
While Laura regularly sees altruism through her client work, she also lives it by supporting worthy causes herself. Having put down roots in Milton, she gives back to the community through her volunteer role as Chair of the Re:SOUL Youth Centre, a dedicated drop-in centre for local youth ages 6-12. After all, the best way to steward fundraising success is to lead by example.
Interested in partnering with Laura? Find her on LinkedIn or via her website to book a free discovery call.
