At PMA Nonprofit Leadership, we're always eager to learn more about the organizations and individual leaders with whom we’ve partnered over the past 15 years. While we pride ourselves on our knowledge about our clients, we know that there is always more to learn, as we aim to provide the highest-quality, most tailored services to nonprofit leaders.
As we enter our 15th year of serving talented professionals and organizations in our community, we decided to take a deep dive into the history of our work and reflect on the findings about the clients we've been lucky to help over all these years. To assist with this project, we recruited the time and talents of our three outstanding Graduate Student interns and our Digital Marketing Associate (whom you'll meet a little bit lower down) to collect, analyze, and strategically reflect upon the data we currently have on our clients, as well as the knowledge we still need to source from members of the PMA community.
"This project has been a great opportunity to open up our archives and get a fresh picture of what PMA's history has looked like," said Zach Perry, PMA's Operations and Community Manager, who leads the project and helps coordinate the efforts of our researchers. "For as long as some of us have worked here, we're always surprised to gain new insights about the people and organizations with whom we've crossed paths over the past decade and a half. It's an added bonus that we get to borrow the keen analysis produced by our researchers, who have driven this project."
We've been taking a closer look at four of PMA's audiences:
- Mastermind Leadership Program: Alumni of our newest and signature leadership development program.
- Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: Graduates of our fundraising-focused training for new development professionals, offered in partnership with the Institute for Philanthropic Leadership (IPL).
- Leadership Gift School: Alumni of our organization-focused fundraising program, also facilitated with the IPL.
- Organizational Counsel: Clients to whom we have provided medium-term consulting services or one-off engagements.
Here is snapshot of each focus area and the researchers who are making them come alive:
Organizational Counsel - Lima Alizai, Graduate Student Intern
"I enjoyed working on the Organizational Counsel project since it increased my knowledge about the nonprofit world. It also helped me understand the diversity of services within each organization."
Hailing from Afghanistan, Lima serves as a Graduate Intern for the firm and is a highly accomplished professional currently pursuing a master's degree in International Studies at North Carolina State University, specializing in humanitarian crisis, refugees, and human rights.
Data Insights:
1. More than half of our clients have been in healthcare, arts and culture, or social services.
2. While the vast majority of our clients are based in the Charlotte area, we have served organizations in almost every region of North Carolina.
3. Our most common services have been fundraising counsel and organizational assessments.
PMA offers a comprehensive approach that targets strategic planning, organizational assessments, board development, and fundraising counsel. Learn more about our consulting services today.
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Leadership Gift School - Parker McDowell, Digital Marketing Associate
"Two things emerged from our research into the Leadership Gift School program. One is the turnover that affects so many of our nonprofit partners. As we looked back at the earliest cohorts, over 90% of the participating leaders have moved to other organizations. The second take-away is the greater accessibility the recent hybrid programming has allowed. While the original cohorts were almost exclusively Charlotte-based, the last few cohorts have included nonprofits from across the region and from other parts of North Carolina given the in-person and virtual program design."
As Digital Marketing Associate, Parker enhances PMA's digital presence, including the global podcast Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership and the firm's customer relationship management database. With a focus on media trends, Parker develops engaging content for PMA's nonprofit leadership community and ensures its reach across media platforms.
Data Insights:
1. Over 240 leaders have participated in the LGS program so far.
2. The higher education and K-12 education sectors have been the most represented, with over 30% of participants hailing from these backgrounds.
Led by PMA President Patton McDowell, the Leadership Gift School is a transformative, cohort-based program tailored for nonprofit CEOs and Development Directors determined to enhance fundraising strategies and cultivate skilled teams. Apply here today.
Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy - Samir Omary, Graduate Student Intern
Samir serves as a Graduate Student Intern for the firm and brings a global perspective through his bachelor's degree in political science and public administration from the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF). He’s currently pursuing a Master of International Studies at North Carolina State University, and his academic journey reflects his commitment to global understanding and effective communication.
Data Insights:
1. While targeted to development professionals, nearly a quarter of ELP program participants were not in development roles at the time.
2. Almost half of our participants came from higher education, healthcare, or community development.
Also led by PMA's Patton McDowell, the Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy program is an exceptional and budget-friendly introduction to fund development. Apply here today.
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Mastermind Leadership Program - Bella Marques da Silva, Graduate Student Intern
Analyzing our signature leadership program, Bella is a Graduate Student Intern for PMA, pursuing her Master of Public Administration at North Carolina State University following her successful completion of a BA in Political Science from Appalachian State University. With a diverse background and a drive for excellence, Bella brings a unique volunteer perspective to the firm.
Data Insights:
1. More than half of Mastermind alumni have worked in roles other than fund development.
2. Over 14% of our participants have joined us from outside of the Carolinas.
3. A majority of our alumni worked in higher education, K-12, or social services at their time of participation.
The PMA Mastermind is a small group of highly motivated individuals committed to each other's growth and development while driving each other to reach the highest levels of success. Learn more about this opportunity today.
We could not be more proud of the work accomplished so far by our researchers and we are eager to find what this project continues to reveal about our firm and the leaders who make our sector run.
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