Need: Objective perspectives in planning and implementing a campaign
Service: Pre-campaign planning followed by campaign counsel
Having worked with Smith Beers Yunker and Company in the past, St. Joseph Orphanage Executive Director Bob Wehr did not hesitate to recommend the firm to his board for counsel on a capital campaign. And now that the campaign has been successfully concluded, he would recommend Smith Beers Yunker to other organizations “without reservation.”
“Becky Sittason and Jim Yunker not only gave us good guidance and helped us rise to a higher level of performance than we might otherwise have achieved,” he says, “but they also provided much-needed moral support to help us keep our confidence up during those ‘darker moments’ that every campaign experiences. The enthusiasm and sense of responsibility they were able to create on the part of our board was well worth the investment and was, in my mind, an immediate payoff for having hired outside counsel.”
Bob Smith, Director of Development for St. Joseph Orphanage, offers high praise for the Smith Beers Yunker team. “I believe a critical factor in our success was the relationship we had with Becky Sittason,” he says. “She is a stickler for detail and was very persistent in keeping us on task. Becky was always available and willing to do whatever was necessary to help us get the job done. Even when she was offering constructive criticism she was pleasant and easy to work with.”
Both gentlemen concur that the contractual services of Smith Beers Yunker were a very good value. “This was the most productive contractual funding I’ve ever spent in terms of benefiting the organization,” says Bob Wehr. “I appreciated the honesty and accuracy of the pre-campaign planning study. I appreciated the superb job Judy Smyth did in researching and writing our case for support. The final document was truly remarkable. And Jim Yunker has a real knack for drawing valuable insight from key donors, bringing community leaders together, and getting endorsements from unexpected places.”
Bob Smith adds that another advantage of having a reputable firm working on your behalf is the accountability and validity it brings to the process. “Our funders want to know that we adhere to the highest ethical standards in our fundraising and operations and I believe our relationship with Smith Beers Yunker helped in that regard.”