Raising More Money: The Point of Entry Handbook
TERRY AXELROD, CEO and founder of Raising More Money, has over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit field, including founding three nonprofit organizations in healthcare and affordable housing. She realized early in her career that the only path to sustainable funding was to systematically connect donors to the mission of the organization, then involve and cultivate them until they were clearly ready to give—in short, to treat donors the way you would treat a close friend or family member, someone with whom you planned to have a lifelong relationship.Terry created the Raising More Money Model in 1996 after serving as Development Consultant to Zion Preparatory Academy, an inner city Christian Academy in Seattle, from 1992-1995. There she designed and implemented the fundraising and marketing programs which yielded $7.2 million in 2 ½ years as well as national recognition of the program including a cover story in the Chronicle of Philanthropy.Author of three books, Terry is a sought-after speaker, both nationally and internationally. Her passion and commitment to the possibility of sustainable funding for all nonprofits drives the mission of Raising More Money and each of its programs. "The donors are truly out there—wanting to contribute; it's up to the organizations to connect them powerfully to their work and nurture that connection over time. Our programs give them the tools to do that successfully."Terry currently serves as a Director of the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, a Trustee of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and Life Trustee of Swedish Medical Center. She received her Masters of Social Work and Bachelors Degrees at the University of Michigan.