Case Studies
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Claude McNeil Productions
Tina was highly recommended by a local foundation as a consultant to head up a feasibility study for our non-profit arts organization. After working with Tina extensively on this project, I can truly say that Tina is not only an excellent strategic planner, but she is also very creative, talented, dedicated and thoughtful. She was very effective at getting to the heart of what our programs were all about. She brought an ingenuity to the process that was most appreciated. Her work with board, staff, and constituents was both efficient and extremely productive. She has helped our organization greatly with developing strategies for networking, expanding our reach into the community, and finding alternative funding opportunities. I would enthusiastically recommend Tina for any non-profit consulting jobs!
Christamore House
When Tina Sullivan of Sullivan Consulting was asked to be an interim director at the Christamore House for six weeks, neither Tina nor the board of directors knew they were flat broke. The bookkeeper told her she had three days to find $50,000 or they could not make payroll. What’s more, she needed to raise $250,000 to make it through the next few months. Sullivan Consulting had to quickly develop a plan that earned the confidence of foundations, individual donors, the United Way, the Guild, the Christamore House board, and the neighborhood. We rose to the challenge. We developed a strategic plan, executed it, and nine months later, the newly-stable organization hired a permanent executive director.
Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
When called upon to rebuild the fundraising and reinvigorate the marketing of The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Sullivan Consulting rose to the challenge. Private donations had declined. There was no established brand, and the marketing efforts were inefficient. Sullivan Consulting rebuilt the departments, raised operating revenues by 50% in the first year and raised over $17 million for a capital campaign. The citizens of Indiana will reap the benefits from new exhibits at the museum in Indianapolis and improvements at all the state historic sites – most notably, the new interpretive center constructed at the Levi Coffin State Historic Site – for years to come. Following the changes lead by Sullivan Consulting, museum and historic site awareness and attendance are on the rise.
Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and CLASS
The Indy Chamber and CLASS (Community Leaders Aligned for Superior Schools) were committed to improving student achievement and helping kids meet Indiana’s academic standards. Sullivan Consulting envisioned and implemented a wide-ranging information initiative designed to ensure public understanding of and participation in the plan. The Wise Up initiative earned the endorsements of government, education, business, and community organizations, and research showed it reached more than 98 percent of the public. As a result of this initiative, CLASS received more than $900,000 in in-kind contributions.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education wanted to convince the state legislature to enact laws that prohibited youth from dropping out of high school without parent approval, as well as adding additional limitations to help prevent youth dropout. Sullivan Consulting was asked to conduct focus groups of dropouts to find out what they would do if they could make the choice to leave school again. Recruiting dropouts did not prove easy. Sullivan even went to the streets, using creative sourcing and strategy to reach the group being targeting. Once found, their feedback was unanimous – given the opportunity, they would not drop out again. Based on these focus groups, Sullivan Consulting developed an effective, moving presentation, including audio clips from the focus groups. The legislation was passed. “Stay home with Mommy and Daddy,” they said. “The real world will kick you in your a**.”