I am a successful fundraiser with more than 30 years of experience as a chief development officer and specialist in foundation and corporate giving. I am now offering my services on a free-lance basis as both consultant and coach.

For many years, I held the top development position at Learning Leaders (formerly the New York City School Volunteer Program), where I trained all junior development staff members, some of whom went on to significant careers in the field.

Learning Leaders is a 50-year-old not-for-profit organization that provides 10,000 volunteer tutors to students in over 800 NYC public schools. With a budget of $3.6 million, the program also equips parents to foster their own children’s educational growth. During my tenure, I increased the number of foundation and corporate donors from 16 to 175 making gifts within a single year.

I am highly regarded for my creative, analytical and strategic thinking and exceptional verbal and written communication/editorial skills. I am a good listener/interviewer, who can select from and synthesize quantities of information and shape a persuasive appeal for support or a compelling program report to funders. I am also an experienced researcher who can tell grant-seekers which foundations to go to, how much to ask for, and how to easily adapt approaches for each.

In addition, I work comfortably, thoughtfully and effectively with staff members, trustees, funding sources and program participants from a broad range of backgrounds and diverse fields including education, health, social services and the arts. Groups and individuals have greatly appreciated my ability to make them more savvy grant-seekers, who are much better equipped to fundraise on their own.

I would be pleased to discuss how I might be helpful to you and your organization as a consultant or coach, short-term or long-term, now or at a future date.

You can contact me at toni[at]tonilevi.com.

photo by Rebecca Levi