Case Study #1: SHALVA – Executive Director
Case Study #2: Goldie’s Place – Development and Communications Manager
Case Study #3: Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School (BZAEDS) – Director of Marketing and Communications

SHALVA – Executive Director

SHALVA had been conducting a Board-led search for an Executive Director for 10 months before hiring Giving Tree Associates.

‘We [the Board], were becoming frustrated after 10 months of not finding someone, so we made the decision to hire an executive search firm to help us. After interviewing many candidates, we decided to work with Giving Tree Associates, due to their extensive knowledge of the non-profit fundraising sector and their innate ability to know exactly what we were looking for in an Executive Director,’ says Board President, Sara Block.

Giving Tree completed the search in less than 5 months, which included screening over 80 resumes and conducting telephone interviews with 25 candidates before bringing the top candidates in front of SHALVA’s Search Committee.

‘One of Giving Tree’s biggest strengths is the ability to draw key skills from resumes that we [the Board], were missing. It was wonderful to have that level of expertise on the team; it really took the pressure off the Board. They also took the time to ensure the successful candidate was a right fit for SHALVA – meeting with her five times before the offer was made! It’s really paid off; she has made a huge impact on the organization with her strong leadership and also has great fundraising skills. Morale couldn’t be higher.’

The strength of an organization’s leadership is tantamount to its success and it is often important that executive directors have fundraising expertise as well as management experience. The executive director profile for SHALVA required significant experience in several key areas and our team took the time to balance qualifications in order to find the right combination of strengths, talents, skills and personality fit.

Goldie’s Place – Development and Communications Manager

Prior to assisting the organization with a director of development search, Giving Tree Associates worked with Goldie’s Place on developing a strong fundraising-focused Board of Directors and enhancing their Development strategy. Giving Tree advised Goldie’s that the hiring of a development professional would enable the organization’s long-term sustainability.

‘Since her hire, the Development and Communications Manager has made huge enhancements to Goldie’s fundraising capabilities – within months of her hire she had over-hauled our website, increased the fundraising revenue from our annual Chicago Cubs Rooftop Party by 30% and developed a professional corporate partnership sales kit, using tools also developed by Giving Tree. We couldn’t be happier,’  says Executive Director, Johanna Dalton.

‘Giving Tree rolled up their sleeves and worked WITH us to find the right person for Goldie’s. They add great value, provide wise guidance and operate as a true partner.’

Adding a fundraising position to a small organization can seem like a daunting expense, especially when the Board of Directors is tasked with fundraising. However, we believe that the right development professional can partner with the board to maximize capacity building, properly cultivate and steward donors and take the organization’s events to the next level. We are delighted to find that Goldie’s Place is enjoying success in these areas.

Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School (BZAEDS) – Director of Marketing and Communications

In February 2014 BZAEDS retained Giving Tree Associates to manage the search for its Director of Marketing and Communications.

‘We had been looking for a strong candidate to fill this director level position for 6 months before hiring Giving Tree Associates. We decided to outsource our search because the process became quite time consuming and we were not finding the high quality candidates we desired. Giving Tree has an extensive network of Jewish communal professional contacts, so it was clear they were the right firm for this search,’ says Marna Goldwin, Director of Institutional Advancement.

Giving Tree completed the search in 3 months, managing the recruitment process from beginning to end, including resume screening, telephone interviews, face-to-face meetings and offer negotiations.

‘We are so happy with Karen. She hit the ground running and has made great strides for the school in terms of strengthening our branding efforts and streamlining our messaging.’

Giving Tree Associates recognizes the importance of considering not only skills and experience level, but also the needs of the entire team and cultural “fit” when hiring the right candidate for a director-level position. We are pleased to have made a successful match for BZAEDS’ advancement team.

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