Wilson Sims

Sims & Steele Consulting
PO Box 8305
Asheville NC 28814
Website: http://www.simsandsteele.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 828-301-5004
Alt. Phone:
Paid Non-Profit Work (years):
30
Unpaid Non-Profit Work (years):
30
Consulting Experience (years):
30
Summary of your consulting practice and relevant experience:

Since 1994 Sims & Steele Consulting has helped non-profit organizations by offering counsel in the areas of strategic planning and organizational development.  Our focus areas include:

Capital Campaign design and management
Feasibility Studies
Grant research and proposal writing
Year-round Development and Annual Fund plans and counsel
Planned Giving
Fundraising Case Statement creation
Strategic Planning documentation and implementation
Organizational Audits
Economic Impact studies
Organizational Development

Our service begins with the relationships we develop with our clients, and our success is measured by their success. The firm is an established leader serving the non-profit sector in western North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Over the years, we have worked with a large number of repeat clients, and we attribute their loyalty to our emphasis on building strong relationships, our attempts to provide exemplary service and ensuring that their project is successful.

Philosophy of the Firm

Our Mission Statement is as follows: “At Sims & Steele Consulting we are committed to providing advice and guidance in fundraising, strategic planning and organizational development while serving non-profits through a client-centered process that maximizes the involvement of both staff and volunteers leadership.”

Our fundraising philosophy is client centered, and exhibited in the following ways:

We value the role of planning and generally begin a campaign with a strong coordinated pre-campaign planning process. Our campaigns tend to be successful because this process allows for advance buy-in from volunteers, staff and many stakeholders and donors. We facilitate the discussion of key questions, and the development of the appropriate strategy to overcome deficiencies that are detected early on in the process. We believe that most campaigns are won before they officially begin, and that planning and sound process are instrumental to campaign success.
One of our senior consultants takes the lead with each of our clients. While this factor limits the number of clients we are able to accommodate, we believe our client history demonstrates that this disciplined approach provides for the best service.
At Sims & Steele we are both teachers and practitioners.  Our firm draws upon its collective fundraising knowledge and experience to give advice, but you will find we are always willing to help in implementing the actual work, by writing, participating in extra meetings, going on a prospect call or simply “doing what needs to be done” in order to complete any task or meet a deadline.
While we work from established principles, we do not have a standard plan for fundraising campaigns. We approach potential campaigns with an open mind as to the possibilities.  Based upon our knowledge and experience we know how to fundraise and we are able to formulate the campaign plan based upon the given situation in order to maximize opportunity.
Our mission statement speaks to utilizing “the involvement of staff and volunteer leaders”.  We listen and look for ways to involve the key leadership in opportunities that are most effective. Throughout the fundraising process, the client will want to discover the talents of those on their team and deploy them productively.  We constantly seek to help bring out the best in all involved.

References

Organizational Development/Change

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP)

Business Planning, Managing Change and Growth, Mission Review and Development, New Org. Formation & Incorporation, Organizational Assessment, Organizational Restructuring, Strategic Planning, Transition Planning

Charlie Jackson
Executive Director
828-236-1282

2009 - Present – Business Planning; Collaboration and Mergers; Managing Change and Growth; Mission Review and Development; Organizational Assessment; Strategic Planning

Organizational Development/Change

Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, Bristol, TN

Business Planning, Managing Change and Growth, Mission Review and Development, New Org. Formation & Incorporation, Organizational Assessment, Organizational Restructuring, Strategic Planning, Transition Planning

Edd Hill
Board Chair
423-361-0110
[email protected]

2007 - 2009 - Organizational Restructuring; Campaign Planning

Organizational Development/Change

Hendersonville Little Theatre

Business Planning, Managing Change and Growth, Mission Review and Development, New Org. Formation & Incorporation, Organizational Assessment, Organizational Restructuring, Strategic Planning, Transition Planning

Ed Roberts
Board Treasurer
828-606-6526
[email protected]

2008 - Present - Establishing Organization Values and Vision; Review of Mission; Organizational Assessment; Strategic Planning

Organizational Management

Our VOICE

Executive Management & Coaching, Executive Search, Interim Search, Leadership Training, Staffing Patterns and Structure

Barbara Anderson
Executive Director
828-252-0562

2007 - 2008 - Strategic Planning; Board Development

Organizational Management

Next Step Recovery, Inc.

Executive Management & Coaching, Executive Search, Interim Search, Leadership Training, Staffing Patterns and Structure

Susan Stader, MS, LPC, LCAS
Executive Director
828-350-9960

2009 - Present - Strategic Planning, Annual Funds

Organizational Management

MANNA Food Bank

Executive Management & Coaching, Executive Search, Interim Search, Leadership Training, Staffing Patterns and Structure

Kitty Schaller
Executive Director
828-299-3663

2004 – Executive Search

Organizational Management

Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, Bristol, TN

Executive Management & Coaching, Executive Search, Interim Search, Leadership Training, Staffing Patterns and Structure

Edd Hill
Board of Directors
432-361-0110

2007 - 2009 - Leadership Training; Board Development

Fundraising/Development

Presbyterian Home for Children

Annual Funds, Capital Campaigns, Case for Support, Fundraising Events, Grant Proposal Development, Individual Donor Appeals, Memberships, Planned Giving

Tom Campbell
President
828-686-8115

2005-2008 - Campaign Planning, Feasibility Study, Grant Proposal Development, and Campaign Management

Board Governance/Development

The Family Place of Transylvania County

Board Assessment, Board Recruitment, Board Staff Relations, Board Training/Development, Governance and Committee Structure

Susan Grider
Executive Director
828-883-4857

2009 - Strategic Planning; Board Roles and Responsibilities; Committee Structures

Board Governance/Development

Hendersonville Little Theatre

Board Assessment, Board Recruitment, Board Staff Relations, Board Training/Development, Governance and Committee Structure

Ed Roberts
Board Treasurer
828-606-6526

2009 - Strategic Planning; Board Roles and Responsibilities; Establishing Organization Values, Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives; Committee Structure

Fundraising/Development

Energy Xchange

Annual Funds, Capital Campaigns, Case for Support, Fundraising Events, Grant Proposal Development, Individual Donor Appeals, Memberships, Planned Giving

Heather Dawes
Executive Director
828-675-5541
[email protected]

2009 – Grant Proposal Development

Fundraising/Development

Pack Square Conservancy

Annual Funds, Capital Campaigns, Case for Support, Fundraising Events, Grant Proposal Development, Individual Donor Appeals, Memberships, Planned Giving

Gary Giniat
Executive Director
828-252-2300

2005-Present - Campaign Planning, Feasibility Study and Campaign Management

Fundraising/Development

Mountain Area Child and Family Center

Annual Funds, Capital Campaigns, Case for Support, Fundraising Events, Grant Proposal Development, Individual Donor Appeals, Memberships, Planned Giving

Kelly Brandon
Director of Development
800-298-0808
[email protected]

2009-Present - Grant Proposal Development

CONTACT

Western North Carolina Nonprofit Pathways
P.O. Box 7667
Asheville, NC 28802

Phone: 828-242-9028

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