Children’s Square USA

Case Study: Children’s Square USA (CSUSA) Partners with Strawhecker Nonprofit Services to Achieve Endowment Goal

Background

Children’s Square USA (CSUSA), a nonprofit organization, faced a significant challenge: raising a $500,000 matching gift for their endowment within a specific deadline. While the team had strong relationships with donors, they needed the expertise and strategic guidance to shift donor focus from restricted or operational funding to endowment contributions.

The Challenge

The most frustrating hurdle was moving donors away from their usual giving preferences to support the endowment. This required a delicate balance of education, persuasion, and credibility. CSUSA turned to Strawhecker Nonprofit Services (SNS) for help, trusting their long-standing partnership and deep understanding of the organization’s mission and goals.

The SNS Solution

SNS provided targeted support to address CSUSA’s challenges. This included preparing customized materials for the Board and delivering hands-on training to equip Board members with the skills and confidence to make direct asks. SNS’s involvement brought credibility to the campaign, reassuring both the Board and potential donors of the effort's importance and viability.

“SNS gave credibility to our effort by preparing materials and training the Board to make asks. Our goal was met, and it was a success for our Foundation and organization.”

The Outcome

With the leadership of the institutional Boards, the Executive Director, and SNS’s guidance, CSUSA successfully met their $500,000 matching goal, securing a significant win for their Foundation and organization. The matching gift donor expressed satisfaction with the campaign’s outcome, affirming its success.

Lessons Learned

With the endowment campaign success, CSUSA could focus on the challenges of maintaining momentum in operational fundraising the following year. This highlights the ongoing need for strategic donor cultivation and diversification of funding sources—areas where trusted partners like SNS continue to play a critical role.

This case study demonstrates how Strawhecker Nonprofit Services helped CSUSA overcome a complex fundraising challenge, underscoring the importance of expertise and strategic support in nonprofit success.