Client Spotlight: Living Coast Discovery Center
The Challenge: Due to budget costs created by the downturn in the economy, the City of Chula Vista eliminated the entire annual budget ($1.4 million) they provided to the Chula Vista Nature Center.
Fitz’s Solution: Through our fundraising management services, we conducted a development audit to determine if the Center could raise the money through philanthropic efforts. The audit successfully identified new donors and fundraising strategies. To aid in the new fundraising efforts, we conducted an executive search process to hire a Director of Development and an Executive Director. Also, we identified and recruited and installed a newly formed Board of Directors to govern the organization and assist with fundraising.
Through our one-on-one coaching and training of the new staff and board members, we successfully raised a million dollars from key donors including the International Community Foundation, the Walton Foundation and Sempra Energy Foundation. Additionally, Sempra Energy Foundation made another significant donation of $2 million to create an endowment to ensure that the Center will be financially supported in perpetuity.
The Outcome: Since 2009, Living Coast Discovery Center (formally the Chula Vista Nature Center) has become a fully sustainable and successfully operating nonprofit organization overseen by a talented staff and serving over 25,000 students annually via field trips and summer camps.
“Fitz Nonprofit Consulting’s up front efforts are focused on understanding what an organization truly needs, not just what it thinks it needs.”
-- Brian E. Joseph, DVM, Executive Director, Living Coast Discovery Center