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Case Study:
Building a Sustainable Fundraising Engine
Project
Brief
STRONGER SYSTEMS, SHARED OWNERSHIP, & A MORE DIVERSIFIED APPROACH TO REVENUE
Pretty Purposed had built what many nonprofits work years to establish: trusted community relationships, effective programs, and a consistent record of grant success.
Founded in Petersburg, Virginia, in 2014, the organization empowers girls and young women through mentorship, enrichment, and leadership development. Its programs were growing, and funders recognized the value of its work. Yet the infrastructure supporting that growth had not kept pace.
Approximately 85% of Pretty Purposed’s budget depended on grants. The knowledge required to develop strong proposals, cultivate diverse funding opportunities, manage awards, and report on outcomes remained concentrated among a small number of people, particularly Executive Director Bianca Myrick. As the organization grew, so did the pressure on its leadership.
Pretty Purposed needed more than additional grants. It needed a fundraising strategy that could support its long-term vision, stronger systems for managing the work, a more diversified funding base, and greater participation from staff and board members.
Danielle and her team are efficient, effective, and truly walk alongside clients in the work they do. They remain flexible and open to pivoting. The leadership coaching and tools I received are valuable and the grant writing engagement provided us with refreshed language, allowing me time to work on other priorities. We secured three new funding relationships through the engagement, which we hope will be multi year relationships. Additionally, our board received training that was helpful with preparing them to have a spirit of philanthropy and fundraise (friendraise). I highly recommend strategic disruption consulting.
— Bianca Myrick,
Executive Director, Pretty Purposed
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RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Through its partnership with Strategic Disruption Consulting, Pretty Purposed:
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Secured $40,000 in grants from first-time funders
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Increased support from a returning foundation partner by 60%
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Secured a public funding award at an annual amount more than 240% higher than the organization had received annually from the same source in previous years
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Received that increased public funding commitment for two years rather than the previous one-year grant period
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Established three new funding relationships
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Expanded its support across foundations, municipalities, corporate partners, community foundations, and donor-advised funds
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Strengthened its organizational language, grant materials, and impact-reporting practices
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Equipped its board to participate more actively in fundraising and relationship-building
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Created the foundation for a more diversified, multiyear revenue strategy
THE CHALLENGE
Pretty Purposed was successfully securing grants, but its fundraising model created several organizational risks.
Fundraising responsibility rested heavily with the executive director. Essential information about programs, outcomes, budgets, proposals, and funder relationships was not yet organized into systems that could be easily used across the organization.
Fund development was also shaped by immediate opportunities and deadlines. Pretty Purposed needed a more proactive approach that would help leadership identify priority funders, plan for renewals, cultivate relationships, and pursue opportunities aligned with its long-term goals.
The organization also wanted to reduce its dependence on grants by developing stronger relationships across multiple funding channels. Reaching that goal would require a shared understanding of fundraising among staff and board members, along with clearer systems for communicating the organization’s value and impact.
SDC'S APPROACH
Strategic Disruption Consulting began with a comprehensive assessment of Pretty Purposed’s existing fundraising infrastructure.
Our team reviewed past proposals, program materials, financial documents, funder requirements, reporting practices, and organizational messaging. We also interviewed key stakeholders to understand what was working, where internal friction was slowing progress, and what the organization needed to support its next stage of growth.
The resulting strategy was grounded in Pretty Purposed’s actual goals, resources, and capacity. The work focused on four interconnected priorities.
FUNDRAISING STRATEGY & REVENUE DIVERSIFICATION
SDC helped Pretty Purposed establish fundraising priorities, identify aligned prospects, and create a practical pipeline for managing outreach, proposals, renewals, and funder relationships.
We also worked with leadership to examine the organization’s revenue mix and identify opportunities to expand support beyond traditional foundation grants. This included strategies for cultivating government, corporate, community foundation, donor-advised fund, and individual support.
The goal was to help Pretty Purposed move from responding to funding opportunities toward managing a deliberate, multiyear fundraising strategy.
GRANT DEVELOPMENT & FUNDER CULTIVATION
SDC strengthened Pretty Purposed’s core organizational language so leadership could communicate its programs, outcomes, and funding priorities more consistently.
We conducted targeted prospect research, supported proposal development, and helped the organization strengthen relationships with both returning and prospective funders. This combination of stronger proposals and more intentional relationship-building contributed to renewed support, larger awards, and new funding partnerships.
FUNDRAISING SYSTEMS & IMPACT MEASUREMENT
SDC worked with Pretty Purposed to better align its program narratives, budgets, outcomes, and reporting practices.
We also developed an impact assessment framework that clarified the organization’s indicators of success and supported more consistent reporting to funders and partners. These tools made it easier to communicate Pretty Purposed’s impact, respond to funding opportunities, and manage reporting requirements after an award was secured.
Together, these systems helped move critical fundraising knowledge out of individual people’s heads and into resources the organization could use over time.
EXECUTIVE & BOARD FUNDRAISING CAPACITY
Executive coaching helped Bianca clarify fundraising priorities, strengthen follow-through, and create more space to focus on organizational leadership.
SDC also provided tailored board training focused on fundraising and friendraising. Board members gained practical tools for identifying prospects, opening doors, communicating the organization’s value, and supporting relationship-building alongside staff.
As a result, fundraising became a practice the whole organization shares rather than a responsibility carried by one or two people.
WHAT CHANGED
The engagement generated immediate financial results while strengthening Pretty Purposed’s capacity for continued growth.
A returning foundation partner increased its support by 60%. First-time funders provided $40,000 in new grants.
The organization also secured an award from an existing public funding source at an annual amount more than 240% higher than it had received annually from that same source in previous years. The funder committed the increased amount for two years, replacing the previous pattern of one-year awards and giving Pretty Purposed greater stability and visibility into future revenue.
New investments also came through multiple channels, including foundations, municipalities, corporate partners, community foundations, and donor-advised funds.
By the end of the engagement, Pretty Purposed had stronger fundraising language, a clearer funding pipeline, improved impact-reporting tools, new funder relationships, and a board better prepared to support revenue development.
Revenue no longer depended on any single person or any single funding stream. Pretty Purposed could approach fundraising as an organization-wide function supported by clearer priorities, stronger systems, and shared responsibility.
WHY IT MATTERS
Strong programs and community trust do not automatically produce a sustainable fundraising model.
Many organizations experience the same challenge Pretty Purposed faced. Their programs are effective, funders recognize their value, and demand continues to grow. Yet fundraising remains concentrated with the executive director, driven by immediate grant deadlines, and disconnected from a larger revenue strategy.
Pretty Purposed invested in the infrastructure behind its impact.
By connecting fundraising strategy, grant development, funder cultivation, impact measurement, executive coaching, and board participation, SDC helped the organization build a more durable development function.
Pretty Purposed entered its next stage of growth with a broader funding base, stronger internal systems, a board prepared to participate in fundraising, and leadership equipped to plan across years rather than grant cycles.
IS YOUR FUNDRAISING INFRASTRUCTURE READY FOR GROWTH?
Your organization may already have strong programs, trusted community relationships, and a record of securing grants. The next step is building the systems and shared capacity required to sustain that success.
Strategic Disruption Consulting helps organizations create the strategies, structures, and partnerships needed to strengthen revenue, distribute fundraising responsibility, and support long-term impact.
