December 2009–Schultz & Williams (S&W) development client, Lower Merion Library Foundation, receives a one million dollar pledge.

The Lower Merion Library System in the suburbs of Philadelphia is among the top 1-2% of libraries in the country in terms of circulation per capita. The libraries also serve as vital gathering places and provide educational programs for residents of many communities in surrounding counties. In fall 2008, the Lower Merion Library Foundation began efforts to raise $5-7 million as part of a public-private effort to complete renovations to the System’s six libraries to make them more user-friendly, particularly in this new digital age. The Building for the Future Campaign continues a rich tradition of community support for the Lower Merion Libraries.

S&W conducted a campaign planning study for the Foundation in 2007 and provided recommendations on organizing a campaign committee. S&W is currently providing interim staff to direct the campaign. The team has worked with the Foundation’s volunteers to: develop a case for support and other campaign materials; organize leadership for sub-campaigns at each library; plan and execute cultivation events; and manage all campaign recordkeeping.

Most importantly, Schultz & Williams (S&W) staff has provided the volunteer leadership of the Building for the Future Campaign with the training and support needed to cultivate and solicit major donors. The quest for funding started with a training session led by S&W staff which walked volunteers through “making the ask” and helped ease any trepidation. With a library of materials in hand and their newfound confidence, the committee’s effort to garner gifts and pledges began.

Throughout the Campaign, volunteers have continued to use S&W staff as a support system and a resource to efficiently secure gifts, yet they now feel more comfortable in their roles as solicitors. Recently, through both the dedication of the System’s volunteers and the tools that S&W staff has provided, a donor made a one million dollar pledge to help the campaign reach its goal.

Founded in 1987, Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today S&W works with nonprofits throughout the United States and continues to exemplify its legacy as one of the first firms in the country to combine the principles of development, management and marketing into our consulting services—an approach that proves successful for nearly every client challenge.