Collegium Acquires Leading Consulting Firm Alexander Haas, Inc.

One-stop Destination for Professional Services is Reshaping Nonprofit Management Industry

Collegium Partners, Inc. announced the acquisition of Alexander Haas, Inc., a renowned national fundraising consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA. This strategic move represents Collegium’s fifteenth transaction, fortifying the holding company’s status as the industry powerhouse in nonprofit management. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Alexander Haas has long been a trusted partner for organizations seeking to optimize their fundraising strategies. Along with its national reach, the firm brings nearly 40 years of exceptional work to further augment Collegium’s capabilities. Alexander Haas, like all Collegium partner companies, will retain its leadership and brand identity and continue to operate as a distinct entity.

David King, President and CEO of Alexander Haas, expressed his enthusiasm about the decision to join Collegium, saying, “We are always seeking ways to add value for our clients, and our partnership with Collegium will empower both our current and future clients to navigate the evolving landscape of modern philanthropy. This interdependent partnership is a win-win-win for Alexander Haas, Collegium, and, most importantly, our clients.”

Collegium has become a transformative force within the professional services landscape by leveraging the collective power of professional services to propel nonprofits toward unprecedented levels of success. Collegium’s harnessing of best-in-class firms is not merely transactional but a bold initiative to reshape the industry.

“We are thrilled to welcome Alexander Haas to Collegium,” said Craig Leach, Founder and Chair at Collegium. “This acquisition represents a synergistic alignment of values, expertise, and a shared commitment to making a positive impact on the nonprofit sector. This strategic move marks a new standard in nonprofit management. Consolidation of our industry serves as a tangible demonstration of Collegium’s commitment to pushing boundaries in a market ripe for innovation.”

Collegium is dedicated to its mission of elevating professional standards and productivity within the world’s leading mission-driven organizations.  Collegium provides a one-stop destination for fundraising; management & strategy; talent recruitment & development; branding & communications; and technology & data.  This partnership with Alexander Haas will redefine the standards of excellence in fundraising, offering modern nonprofits access to the kind of collaborative and innovative thinking that today’s realities demand.

About Alexander Haas

Alexander Haas is a highly regarded, thirty-six-year-old fundraising consulting firm with a rich history of providing expert guidance to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, museums and cultural organizations, and others engaged in philanthropic endeavors. With a commitment to excellence, Alexander Haas has helped clients navigate the complexities of fundraising and achieve impactful results. Learn more at http://alexanderhaas.com/.

 

Collegium Announces Merger of Two Association Management Firms

Strategic move part of ongoing plan to acquire AMCs, expand portfolio, and strengthen sector

Collegium is pleased to announce that SBI Association Management (SBI), headquartered in Seattle, has merged with LoBue & Majdalany Association Management (L&M), based in San Francisco. The combined entities will operate under the name SBI Association Management. SBI is a full-service association management company accredited by the AMC Institute and is owned by Collegium, the privately held parent company of professional services firms exclusively serving the nonprofit sector.

At launch, SBI President Alope Pardee said, “We are thrilled by this opportunity to expand our reach and welcome the L&M team and clients to SBI. The additional executive expertise and experience that this merger brings will only amplify our impact.” The merger adds a variety of national association clients in the technology and healthcare sectors to SBI’s current portfolio of regional, national, and international associations.

“This merger is part of our overall strategy to strengthen this important sector,” says Craig Leach, Founder and CEO of Collegium. “We continue to be interested in AMCs looking to join the ranks of Collegium to further deepen and broaden the services we offer.”

L&M President & CEO Michael LoBue, CAE, will transition to a new role with Collegium, while Michael Majdalany, CAE, Vice President & COO of L&M will become the Managing Director of the SBI San Francisco office. Majdalany said, “Joining SBI will enable us to expand both the depth and breadth of the services we bring to our clients, while delivering the same personalized attention and association expertise L&M is known for.”

SBI will continue to operate independently, with expanded resources available through Collegium. In the long term, Collegium will explore opportunities to integrate operations with a goal to enhance and expand services to the association community overall.

About SBI Association Management

SBI Association Management is known for providing innovative technology solutions, marketing, event management, financial, and executive services to manage and grow member-based professional societies and associations. For more than 40 years, SBI has provided strategic counsel and managed the day-to-day operations of its client organizations so their members can thrive.

For more information, visit www.sbims.com.

LoBue & Majdalany Association Management

LoBue & Majdalany (L&M) has assisted diverse group of industry trade associations and professional societies in reaching their full potential for 29 years. L&M has provided critical advice, counsel, and services to associations to serve their management and operational needs and has been a Charter Accredited AMC since 2004.

Nine quick tips for sharper messaging

You don’t need to wait for a pandemic to hit to sharpen your messaging. That said, difficult moments often reveal the cracks in the foundation of organizations, and it is up to you to stop these cracks from growing. These evergreen tips will not only help you today, but they’ll remain relevant long after things are back to “normal.”

  1. Make your messages easy to say and recall. Use common language and avoid jargon. If it’s easy to say, it’s easier to remember. (Jargon is not memorable.) If it’s easy to remember, it’s easier to repeat. And repetition is good. You’ll see this repeated below.
  2. Be clear and concise. Headlines (and Twitter) are popular because they demand brevity and directness. Can you make your point with fewer words? Try. Harder.
  3. Stick to the facts. Your messages should be supported by facts, but facts alone do not make a strong message. Don’t try to convey loads of complicated information – save that for a white paper or research report. Boring (or worse, confusing) people to tears with data is not what great messages do. Pick out one key captivating fact, and build from there. Keep it short and avoid jargon. Repetitive? Exactly.
  4. Show emotion. The human brain is literally hardwired to respond first to emotion, then to facts. Speaking of facts, it’s only human to react to emotion with emotion. That’s why rage giving is a thing. Your most emotional supporters will be your most ardent, so give them something to pour their emotions into.
  5. Inspire with big, bold, and aspirational ideas. On the topic of emotions, let’s be clear: while fear is an effective emotion, fearmongering is not productive nor is it advisable. Paint a picture of something that will quell – not stoke – fear and anxiety. Leave people with feelings of inspiration and hope. Give them a call to action they can feel good about.
  6. Have a clear call to action. Use active voice and strong verbs. Limit adverbs and be intentional with your adjectives. Make it clear what you want people to do and how they can do it. Test your process so you experience it as a user would. Is it easy to donate, download, or sign up? Is it free from unnecessary hurdles?  Can you do it with fewer clicks? Fewer questions?
  7. Repetition is good. We already covered this, but we’re making a point here. When you reach the stage of being sick of saying your message, you just may be starting to break through.
  8. Convey urgency, not hopelessness. When people feel that the problem is so big that nothing they do is going to help, they are likely to shut down instead of getting involved. After all, who wants to throw money on a sinking ship?
  9. Connect to organizational values and mission. Always, always bring it back to who your organization is and why it exists in the first place. If you don’t have a compelling and clearly articulated mission, make it your top priority to develop one.

 

This post was written and contributed by Graham-Pelton

Collegium Acquires SBI Association Management

Acquisition marks new era for association management innovation

Collegium Partners, Inc., the parent company to leading professional services firms exclusively serving nonprofits and associations, has acquired SBI Association Management, further strengthening its position within the association management space. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

SBI is an AMC Institute accredited association management company (AMC) that provides strategic guidance and manages the day-to-day operations of nonprofit professional and trade associations. Headquartered in Seattle, WA, they maintain a robust portfolio of regional, national, and international clients.

The 40-year-old company has been owned and operated by Marlis Korber for 14 years. Korber will continue in her leadership position and Alopé Pardee will become President. Pardee has been with SBI for more than 20 years, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer. The executive leadership team and staff will remain in place and, like all Collegium partner companies, SBI will continue to operate independently.

“Collaboration, innovation, and a growth mindset have long been a part of our approach to nonprofit management. The clear match in values and synergy created by joining Collegium will enable us to expand both the depth and breadth of the services we bring to our clients,” said Korber. “Like many sectors, associations continue to face rapid change and unprecedented challenges. Working together will help us make an even bigger impact and build a more sustainable future.”

“We see tremendous upside for AMCs like SBI who have embraced the dramatic changes of the present and see it as a growth opportunity going forward,” said Craig Leach, Collegium Founder and CEO. “Smart leaders like Marlis and her team are applying technology and innovation to redefine the client value proposition. Now with the diverse, best-in-class professional services offered by their Collegium partners, SBI is well positioned to meet the modern needs of today’s professional and trade associations. It’s all part of what we call BIG: bold, interdependent, and generative. That’s what Collegium is all about.”

About SBI Association Management

SBI Association Management is known for providing innovative technology solutions, marketing, event management, financial, and executive services to manage and grow member-based professional societies and associations. For more than 40 years, SBI has provided strategic counsel and managed the day-to-day operations of its client organizations so their members can thrive.

Learn more at www.sbims.com

 

 

Collegium Partner Company Launches New Service

Graham-Pelton launches Beyond Gratitude, a practical approach to grateful patient fundraising

New service line changes the dynamic between development and healthcare professionals

Graham-Pelton, the fundraising consulting firm chosen by leading nonprofits worldwide, has launched a new service line designed to improve how patients and their families are engaged to participate in philanthropy. The new service, named Beyond Gratitude™, addresses the analytical and relational domains of a robust grateful patient fundraising program to ensure a fully integrated approach and optimal outcomes. Modular and scalable in nature, it can be fully tailored to respond to any institution’s needs, regardless of size or sophistication.

Beyond Gratitude has been developed under the leadership of Senior Vice President Walt Edwards, a recognized national leader with more than three decades of experience in delivering advanced coaching and training for physicians, veterinarians, researchers, board members/volunteers, and leaders engaged in academic healthcare philanthropy. His work with more than 1,500 medical practitioners has informed the development of Graham-Pelton’s distinct Beyond Gratitude model. Edwards also serves as the Assistant Vice President for Talent Development at the University of Texas at Austin.

“While the service is new in name, it has been decades in the making. It’s a rare opportunity to launch something that is at once new and proven, but that’s exactly what Beyond Gratitude is. Walt’s unmatched experience and reputation in coaching combined with Graham-Pelton’s demonstrated expertise in data analysis makes this an exciting combination,” says Elizabeth Zeigler, Graham-Pelton President and CEO. She adds, “There’s simply nothing like it in the marketplace. I’m grateful – beyond grateful, as it were – that this service will enable healthcare organizations to elevate philanthropy.”

In the past, many healthcare professionals have been reluctant, if not downright unwilling, to play a role in fundraising. Beyond Gratitude creates an authentic bridge for development and healthcare professionals to form trusted relationships, united in their shared motivations of delivering life-saving patient care and conducting breakthrough medical research. “When approached with an understanding of what makes philanthropic giving meaningful from a donor’s perspective, physicians and development professionals become a harmonized team, helping patients and their families move through their healing or grieving process,” says Edwards. “It’s really quite powerful.”

To learn more, please visit Graham-Pelton