Sullenberger Aviation Museum

The Carolinas Aviation Museum (now Sullenberger Aviation Museum) had been asked to relocate due to increased corporate demand for hangar space, which forced the fledgling organization to create a new home in the height of the pandemic. Despite not having a physical presence for six years, leadership exceeded the Museum’s original $25MM capital campaign goal and raised over $34MM to build a state-of-the-art campus and launch innovative and dynamic programming. The secret to their remarkable success? Visionary leadership linked the Museum’s mission with our region’s critical needs, distinguished the Museum’s unique value proposition, engaged credible investors who contributed generous private and public support, and believed passionately in the cause.

Related services: Campaign Management, Strategic Advisory

Center for Digital Equity

The Center for Digital Equity sought outside counsel to help shape a unified, long-term funding strategy to fuel and sustain its growth and value to the community. After charting and testing a growth strategy that includes driving greater impact through regional expansion and the ongoing development of its business model, Vandever Batten invited key shareholders to offer confidential feedback to the Center’s plans. A final report included key findings and recommendations, as well as a roadmap outlining how to grow earned and contributed revenue significantly over the coming decade. This included a comprehensive campaign strategy, budget, timeline, organizational structure, and suggested fundraising leadership and prospects.

Related Services: Growth Planning

Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte

As Charlotte’s central philanthropic organization supporting the Jewish community, the Federation is always looking to strengthen its fundraising approach to fuel greater results. Vandever Batten joined its team in an advisory capacity to help shape innovative strategies to engage a greater number of donors of all ages at all levels, strengthen volunteer and donor engagement efforts, and continually work at distinguishing the value of the Federation’s cause across the system of Jewish-related organizations.

Related Services: Strategic Advisory

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Emerging from the pandemic, agency leadership was eager to shift its focus back to shaping long-term solutions; emergency services were not meeting the chronic challenges of many facing housing instability. Vandever Batten hosted a Growth Planning process to refresh the organization’s identity, adapt its business model, shape a growth plan to drive greater impact faster, and a funding model to fuel it. As Crisis Assistance approaches its 90th anniversary, plans are developing to dramatically grow private support and an ad hoc Board committee continues to monitor and inform the implementation of growth planning recommendations.

Related Services: Growth Planning, Implementation Support

Charlotte Symphony Orchestra

In 2022, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra sought assistance in shaping a realistic endowment campaign plan. CSO leadership invited Vandever Batten to assess the campaign model and strengthen it for success, which led to two potential options: right size the campaign plan to yield $8MM over a longer period of time or engage top civic and corporate leadership in a $50MM effort to shape a permanent solution to the Symphony’s pernicious annual operating deficit. After choosing the more audacious approach, community leaders have secured $45MM in endowment and expendable support to date. Success will be a historic achievement that will help undergird our region’s cultural system at large.

Related Services: Mid-Campaign Assessment, Campaign Management

Carolina Youth Coalition

Established in 2018, Carolina Youth Coalition (CYC) has made tremendous strides in preparing high performing, historically underserved, and highly motivated high school students to attend their best-fit college and support them through graduation. Vandever Batten helped CYC shape a growth plan to triple the number of students they serve and invest in their infrastructure in ways that will yield even greater programmatic results. Following a growth planning process, momentum from a successful $10MM capacity-building campaign continues to fuel ongoing capital needs to expand the number of students served. Given CYC’s critical mission, community leaders issued a mandate for growth, and CYC has exceeded its charge.

Related Services: Growth Planning, Campaign Management, Strategic Advisory

The Mint Museum

The Mint Museum has bold ambitions for its future and aims to activate its Randolph location in ways that propel the entire organization forward. Vandever Batten helped shape a Case for Support to test a $154MM capital and endowment campaign model, making clear the value of the arts and inviting confidential input from key shareholders to inform the Museum’s planning. The firm also evaluated the Museum’s Advancement function and reviewed its fundraising history. Given myriad community efforts currently in play to determine how best to fund the arts looking ahead, Vandever Batten helped crystalize universal needs and macro dynamics experienced across the cultural community to inform and align the Mint’s planning efforts to leverage maximum support.

Related services: Campaign Planning Study