Stefan Fuegi
Development Consultant
Success Stories
Over the last 10 years I have worked with a wide variety of organizations. I have served as Development Consultant, staff Director of Development, and Board Member.
These are some of the organizations I have helped:
More than Money (MtM), Cambridge, MA is an international network of wealthy people seeking to use their wealth to better the world. In 1998, before I started, MtM raised $282,000. I was hired in June of 1999 and we raised $624,000 that year, an increase of 120%. In 2000, we continued to grow, raising over 1.2 million dollars, an increase of over 325% in 2 years.
Shadhiliyya Sufi Center, Angwin, CA is a Sufi organization which works to spread peace, love and justice in the world. In 2001 they raised $182,000. In 2002 they hired me and we brought in $479,000, an increase of over 160% in the first year. In 2003, I am continuing to consult with them and we are on track for a significant increase over 2002.
Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) is a regional environmental group that Outside magazine called the most effective in the nation. In 1996, CBD raised $64,000 in gifts from individuals. Over 90% were from direct mail and a canvass. In 1997 they hired me to develop a major gift program. In this first year alone we raised over $300,000, including 2 gifts of over $50,000 and more than 30 gifts over $1,000, altogether an increase in donations of over 375% in one year.
Option Institute (OI) Sheffield, MA is a leading provider of services for special needs children, especially those with autism. In 1994, before I was hired, OI raised $158,000. In 1995 we raised $233,000, in 1996, $381,000, and in 1997, $798,000, an increase of over 400% in 3 years.
Habitat for Humanity, Gila Region, Southwest New Mexico. As a board member, I led my local Habitat for Humanity chapter to be the first chapter in the world to build a super efficient straw bale home for a needy family. This was the first of many straw bale homes that Habitat chapters have built around the world. To do it, we had to get New Mexico to change its building codes, which has made the state a leader in the area of energy efficient and ecological housing.
The Shadduli Center in Santa Fe, NM works for peace in the Middle East through efforts to alleviate poverty. In 1997 I began an annual fundraiser for them which I have done every year since and which provides $200,000 a year from approximately 100 U.S. supporters. The money is used to care for orphans, the elderly, and others who have suffered from regional violence. This is a project I do from home, with the help of my family. It is a way for our children to learn that they can make a real difference in the world.
Guadalupe Montessori School, (GMS) Silver City, NM. The school was threatened with the sale of its rented building. They spent $12,000 to do a feasibility study for a capital campaign to buy the building only to be told they would fail because the community did not have the resources to give. A teacher approached me for help. Since the school has the lowest tuition of any Montessori school in the US and serves a higher percentage of minority and poor students, I felt it would be easy to achieve success. I suggested making a videotape featuring students requesting that the absentee owners of the property cancel the sale and allow the school to stay on favorable terms. The students made the tape in just 2 days. The owners were deeply moved and gave the school rent- free tenure for 10 years.
These are examples of some of my work. The last story is one of my favorites, because it illustrates the fact that problems can be turned into opportunities just by looking at them differently. My passion is helping non-profit organizations and their donors to see these opportunities and to move forward in bold new ways.