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.

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

Collegium Holdings Acquires Stake in ‘Purpose-Driven Growth’ Firm, Lowand B. Hold, LLC

Collegium Holdings, Inc. has acquired a minority stake in Lowand B. Hold, LLC, an international business consultancy specializing in purpose-driven growth. Lowand B. Hold (LbH) provides services that complement those offered within Collegium, a global holding company and broad system of best-in-class professional services firms exclusively serving nonprofits. The deal was announced today by Craig J. Leach, Founder and CEO of Collegium Holdings, Inc.

Under terms of the agreement, LbH will offer strategic growth and brand reputation counsel to the Collegium portfolio of companies as well as serve as a specialty resource to Collegium clients.  LbH was founded by Jon Higgins, former Senior Partner/CEO International at the global public relations firm Ketchum.

Lowand B. Hold’s own purpose, ‘Helping businesses grow for good’, conveys a dual meaning. “It speaks proudly to our role in partnering with clients as agents for enduring societal good,” said Higgins. “A workforce deeply committed to its purpose is the key to sustainable growth. We see great synergies with our philosophy and Collegium’s commitment to serving nonprofits with the highest degree of professionalism.”

“I’ve followed Jon Higgins’ stellar career for many years,” Leach said. “From communications and public relations to international business development to mergers and acquisitions, Jon has been a world-class practitioner, executive, and advisor to business leaders around the globe. His deep expertise in strategic growth is an exciting and welcome addition to the Collegium family.”

Collegium Holdings, Inc. is a broad system of best-in-class professional services firms exclusively serving nonprofits. As a privately held parent company, Collegium operates an organization of people, firms, and resources that deliver professional services to meet the diverse needs of nonprofits. All companies within Collegium maintain their distinct brand identity and are recognized leaders in their respective fields.

“Collegium is designed to bring strong business acumen and professionalism to nonprofits,” said Leach. “LbH’s analytical approach to organizational growth through purposeful engagement will enhance our commitment to building this system of go-to services for a traditionally underserved industry.”

About Lowand B. Hold, LLC

Lowand B. Hold is an international full-service brand reputation consulting firm specializing in strategic growth through applied analytics and the purposeful engagement of stakeholders. The LbH team has decades of combined experience serving both agencies and clients in a wide range of business sectors across all worldwide geographies.

For more information, visit www.lowandbhold.com.

Collegium Acquires Averill Fundraising Solutions

Collegium Holdings, Inc., the parent company to leading professional services firms serving the nonprofit and social impact space, has acquired Averill Fundraising Solutions, LLC, adding to its portfolio of companies dedicated to serving the expansive nonprofit sector.

Averill Fundraising Solutions is a full-service fundraising consulting firm founded by company president, Robert C. Happy, Jr., who along with his team has partnered with clients in raising more than $3.25 billion across all sectors. Averill provides strategic fundraising counsel as well as embedded, onsite management staffing as part of its comprehensive offerings, which also include: campaign planning and direction; leadership learning; and executive search.

Happy, a recognized leader in the nonprofit management consulting industry for decades, has counseled countless nonprofit CEOs and trustees through transformational capital and endowment campaigns over the span of his career.

Craig Leach, Collegium’s Founder and CEO, is energized by the acquisition. “Averill brings to Collegium a superb record of client results and an approach to service delivery that adds tremendous firepower to our stellar group of portfolio firms,” Leach said. “Bob Happy’s body of work in our industry is nothing short of legendary,” Leach continued. “For more than 30 years, Bob has been among just a handful of professionals who have helped define the industry as we know it today. Bob is an entrepreneur and we know the Averill team will help create shareholder value for the entire Collegium partnership.”

“We are delighted to become part of the Collegium family,” Happy said. “Craig Leach has a vision that we believe is already transforming the marketplace. Collegium and its portfolio companies will provide nonprofit organizations with a significant competitive advantage.”

About Averill Fundraising Solutions

Averill Fundraising Solutions is a full-service fundraising consulting firm. The Averill team has decades of combined experience serving secondary and higher education, hospitals and medical centers, academic medicine, faith-based organizations, global health organizations, human service organizations, professional and membership societies, arts and cultural organizations, and civic and social groups.

For more information, visit www.averillsolutions.com.

Collegium Holdings Acquires Fundraising and Philanthropic Management Firm, Ruotolo Associates Inc.

Collegium Holdings, Inc. has acquired the fundraising consulting firm Ruotolo Associates, Inc. Ruotolo provides services which complement those offered within Collegium, a rapidly growing global holding company of professional services firms that are dedicated to advancing the nonprofit and the social-impact sectors.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ruotolo Associates, a recognized leader in the fundraising field for nearly 40 years, was founded in 1979 by George C. Ruotolo. Ruotolo will remain as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the company. “The decision to join Collegium signifies the next chapter of our growth. This partnership will enable us to expand both the depth and breadth of the services we bring to our clients,” said Ruotolo. “Like all professions, fundraising continues to face rapid change and unprecedented challenges. Collegium is an innovative enterprise that will provide unparalleled support to nonprofits, which are themselves facing extraordinary times.”

Collegium is the first holding company of its kind focused on the nonprofit services sector. Each company within Collegium operates independently from one another, and collectively they provide a wide range of complementary and integrated services.  Key focus areas include: management, fundraising, digital & tech, communications, branding & marketing, social media, research & data analytics, corporate social responsibility, and talent management expertise – all delivered across the entire nonprofit landscape.  They serve all sector verticals, including healthcare, education, professional and trade associations, faith-based institutions, the arts,  environmental groups, as well as corporate social responsibility clients.

“Ruotolo brings a stellar reputation to Collegium, and everyone stands to benefit from this acquisition,” said Rob Scalea, who leads Collegium’s innovation and integration efforts. “Like all Collegium companies, Ruotolo will retain its own brand and culture, but now has the ability to tap into other best-in-class professional services firms that will allow it to stretch and expand into new sectors. It’s a win-win-win: for Ruotolo, for Collegium, and for the nonprofit organizations that stand to benefit from Ruotolo’s services. That’s what Collegium is all about.”

About Ruotolo Associates, Inc.

Since 1979, Ruotolo Associates has provided professional fundraising and public relations counsel to 1,000 nonprofit institutions and organizations throughout the United States and abroad. With headquarters in the greater New York area, Ruotolo Associates serves a wide range of clients in the fields of education, religion, healthcare, social services, the arts, and politics.

For more information, visit http://www.ruotoloassociates.com/.

New Owners for an Agency That Markets for a Cause

David Fenton, second from left, is selling Fenton to new owners, Craig Leach, left, and James Marcus, right. Mr. Fenton will become chairman as Bill Werde, third from left, becomes chief.

One of the first agencies devoted to handling communications efforts for causes, nonprofit organizations, charities, foundations and activists seeking social change — a specialty that is now thriving — is being sold by its founder and longtime leader, David Fenton, to investors who are forming a holding group for agencies of that kind.

The agency, named Fenton, is getting new leadership along with its new ownership; the changes are to be announced on Wednesday. Mr. Fenton, who was chief executive, is taking a different role, as chairman, and he plans to devote more time to working on efforts to counter global climate change. To succeed Mr. Fenton as chief executive, the agency is hiring Bill Werde, who was most recently editorial director of the music trade publication Billboard.

The new owners of Fenton are Craig J. Leach and James Marcus, who are the principals of Collegium, a holding group specializing in agencies in the category known by terms like cause marketing, cause-related marketing, prosocial marketing and purpose marketing. Such agencies provide services like advertising, public relations, fund-raising, digital media, event marketing, mobile ads and social media.

When Mr. Fenton opened the agency in 1982, as Fenton Communications, “everyone said I was nuts, and I was,” Mr. Fenton, 62, said during a recent interview.

“At that time, environmental organizations, human rights organizations, health groups didn’t even have press secretaries,” Mr. Fenton recalled. “The biggest change to me over the years is that there is now a market for what we do, a whole big industry in this. And it’s only going to continue to grow.”

Fenton has 60 employees who work at a headquarters in New York and offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington. Current and recent clients include the Corporation for Battery Recycling, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Ford Foundation, the Harlem Children’s Zone, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Save the Children, the Sierra Club and the Wikimedia Foundation.

Around 20 percent of the agency’s work, by Mr. Fenton’s estimate, is for clients that are for-profit marketers, helping them in realms like corporate social responsibility and sustainability; examples of those clients are Johnson & Johnson and Unilever.

Mr. Marcus, 48, whose title at Collegium is partner, has served as an adviser to Fenton for more than a decade and led a Fenton division, Fenton Studios, that produces video content for clients. Mr. Leach, 55, whose titles at Collegium are partner and chief executive, is also chief executive of a unit of Collegium, Graham-Pelton Consulting, which helps universities, hospitals, social service agencies and environmental organizations with fund-raising and management tasks.

Financial terms of the deal by which Collegium is acquiring Fenton are not being disclosed. The purchase price in many such transactions is the equivalent of a year’s revenue; Fenton has revenue of about $11 million. Mr. Fenton has agreed to remain at Fenton for five years.

It was Mr. Marcus who brought Mr. Leach and Mr. Fenton together. “We at Fenton wanted someone who had an appreciation for the company, a little company but a company that’s had an impact,” Mr. Marcus said.

“Fenton is well known, but there are still a lot of people who don’t know about it,” he added. “We’re going to take what’s right about Fenton and join more battles on the good side.”

Mr. Werde, 41, said he initially met with Mr. Fenton “because I wanted to build a platform that could make sustainability a little more accessible to the consumer.” The music industry’s environmental policies was a subject he followed while directing editorial coverage at Billboard. Asked how that turned into Mr. Werde joining Fenton, he replied, “I went to David and gave him my pitch, and he said: ‘I love it. Now can I tell you what I need?’ ”

“I’m hoping my music background may have particular relevance to the cause space,” Mr. Werde said. “Outside of a few stalwarts like Bruce Springsteen, and some younger artists such as John Legend and J. Cole, music has somewhat abdicated the throne of political relevancy. It’s really time for that to evolve again.”

It is also “crucial that underfunded cause organizations and activists have access to the same sophisticated communications and media approaches as well-funded opposing forces,” Mr. Werde said. That echoed an earlier remark of his about how, in his first meeting with Mr. Fenton, “David told me he had started the firm because the bad guys always had publicists and the good guys never did.”