Western Michigan University

Senior Director, Partner Engagement at Redeemer City to City

Greater New York City Area

Redeemer City to City

Senior Director, Partner Engagement

Vice President For Advancement

Provide executive leadership for Prison Fellowship Ministries Strategic Gifts team, including major gift partners, and grant writing/foundation relationships. Develop strategic direction to maximize growth potential for this important segment of Prison Fellowship Ministries givers. Implement, monitor, and adjust plans to ensure that relationships are identified, cultivated, and stewarded to enhance relationships with the ministry and maximize gift income capacity to meet revenue goals. Plus everything listed under the Colson Center and Justice Fellowship description.  Yes, I know it sounds crazy.

Prison Fellowship Ministries

Executive Director Advancement

Doug, successfully built an integrated major gifts strategy, with a detailed written plan and metrics that was fully implemented on July 1, 2014. Results to date show revenue exceeding forecast by 13.8% and above prior year by 4.3%. Doug was promoted to VP, Partner Relations six months after being promoted to Executive Director Advancement, PFM. Since taking this position Doug has assessed the major gift and foundation strategy and team members. With that assessment finished Doug developed a new major gifts strategy, which includes seven key goals and positions PFM for revenue growth. Those seven strategic goals include the following areas:•	Portfolio Optimization•	CEO Engagement•	Foundations•	Local Events•	Gift Planning•	Infrastructure•	Stewardship - Metrics, Dashboards and ReportingThe strategy was rolled-out at two different team conferences and was fully implemented on 7/1/2014.The additional responsibilities for managing the mid-major program were also repositioned under Doug’s leadership for assessment and improvement in May 2014. Detailed recommendations were made in August 2014 to develop a hybrid mid-major program.

VP, Partner Relations

Lead and facilitate development activities undertaken by the Colson Center to develop understanding, good will and support from all its constituencies, in order to achieve their revenue goals and mission through prayer, volunteering of time and financial support. Undertaken from a biblical stewardship transformational philosophy, these advancement functions include: development leadership, fund raising and marketing/communications.As the point person for these advancement efforts, I provide an annual plan of goals and objectives that is approved by the president of the Colson Center and the Sr. V P of Advancement within the framework of the PFM strategic plan. Lead, report, assess and improve the plan throughout the year to fully fund both entities with their own constituencies through support from foundations, direct marketing, major gifts and planned gifts etc.

The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview

Lead and facilitate development activities undertaken by Justice Fellowship to develop understanding, good will and support from all its constituencies, in order to achieve their revenue goals and mission through prayer, volunteering of time and financial support. Undertaken from a biblical stewardship transformational philosophy, these advancement functions include: development leadership, fund raising and marketing/communications.As the point person for these advancement efforts, I provide an annual plan of goals and objectives that is approved by the president of Justice Fellowship and the Sr. V P of Advancement within the framework of the PFM strategic plan. Lead, report, assess and improve the plan throughout the year to fully fund both entities with their own constituencies through support from foundations, direct marketing, major gifts and planned gifts etc.

Justice Fellowship

Doug successfully identified, introduced and began cultivation of over 100 new major donor relationships within the first 10 months of employment at Care Net providing a potential base of $1,000,000 in new funding.New relationships were established in Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, NYC, Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Grand Rapids and Holland, MI. Doug initiated a simple donor cultivation strategy to increase touches for existing major donors and expanded those who were receiving those touches.

Care-Net

Vice President of Strategic Partnerships

Successfully built and expanded relationships and partnerships with high-capacity and major donor prospects which will provide future sustainability.  Like many young and smaller non-profits LIFE International’s donor pyramid reflects the generosity of a few high-capacity donors who are giving a majority of the income to the organization and thereby concentrating the risk of future financial challenges in the hands of those few friends.  To address this concern Doug developed and executed a plan of action to spread the financial risk to a broader pool of potential high-capacity and major donor friends and partners.  After some initial international travel with the president and acclimation to the mission and ministry of LIFE Doug began implementation of his approved plan.  Within 12 months of the launch of the plan Doug had connected with over 221 individuals and introduced the mission and ministry to 178 new High-Capacity and Major Donor prospects with whom he was cultivating relationships and from whom LIFE was beginning to see fruit.Doug successfully worked with key staff to identify the DNA of the ministry and defined the key message and audience resulting in a new promotional video and ministry brochure.  Doug had also proposed a comprehensive plan for a web redesign and a proposed content management and social media strategy solution addressing multiple messaging channels to reach a broader donor base.  Doug was also successful in connecting with the key leadership of Desiring God and Ligonier Ministries and envisioning them for future partnership with LIFE International.

LIFE International

VP of Advancement

Doug brought in new business and grew existing business by utilizing over a decade of federal and military account knowledge and sales experience.  Account penetration included secure military bases, around the Capital Beltway, and federal customers like the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. Capitol.  Doug also utilized his marketing and communications skills to develop a new company marketing piece targeted to federal and military customers and followed by  a targeted marketing initiative to SBA offices nationwide.

Capital Logistics

Director National Accounts

Re-captured lost customers in the military, hospital and local and county governments segments.  Assigned a territory where the company had lost business, Doug was able to regain the trust of key customers and provide valuable attention the the customers need for customized business solutions.  At the same time he implemented a business strategy to build a new customer base within different market segments where the company had been inactive in the past. The combined business strategies resulted in $240K in new annualized business within 6 months of his hire.

Total Filtration Services

Sales Account Manager

Successfully launched new business division and expanded into new markets for this existing $100 million privately held company.  Hired by the Smith family to create a MRO business division for the 35 year old company, Doug utilized his knowledge of the marketplace and business skills to develop the business, sales and marketing plans, as well as the supply chain and budgets for this division.  He also successfully managed the development of an eCommerce sales channel giving the division global reach.  Doug also successfully managed the process of obtaining a GSA Schedule for over 14,000 products targeted to meet the needs of federal and military markets.Doug provided leadership and management for the sales team by developing the sales strategies, sales targets, and by coaching the sales team.  Within the first 6 months of the business launch this industrial division had penetrated over 300 accounts in local, state, federal, military and commercial markets.  Sales of over $1.5 million were achieved in the first two years of its launch.

Smitty's Industrial Supply

General Manager

Set a record year in sales growth, 38%, within the leading government sales team at Grainger.  Doug’s work with several military, intelligence  and federal agencies led to having a record year in sales in 2004 with sales finishing at $1.8 Million vs. 2003 sales of $1.3 Million for a gain of 38% over prior year sales.The key to his sales success includes utilizing a strategic sales planning model and execution of sales plans.  Those plans were overlaid within three government market segments (military, federal civilian and postal) with an increasing account penetration  plan.  Success was further driven by an increased understanding of the needs of customer needs utilizing a consultative selling strategy and developing strong relationships within customer accounts through an ethical and relational approach to business and by delivering what is promised.  Customized solutions that addressed the business goals and objectives of the customer were addressed through a total cost solutions selling model.

W. W. Grainger

Government Account Manager

Successfully developed a major donor training program, training materials and training seminars targeted at small non-profits.  Once developed and launched I targeted Board Members and Executive Directors of small non-profit organizations with the goal of equipping them for successful strategic planning and major donor fundraising.Doug’s consulting services and fundraising expertise were marketed for clients in the U.S. and abroad and included: mission clarification, strategic planning, board engagement, developing funding proposals, marketing materials and engaging in direct solicitation resulting in financial support for clients.

Alternatives Group

Senior Partner

Successfully facilitated and drove the development of a 5-year strategic plan for the organization by engaging all stakeholders including board members, President and senior staff members.  This included redefining the vision and mission statement of the organization for approval by the board of directors.  As this process was occurring Doug launched a major donor initiative which included identifying, researching and meeting new donor prospects for the organization.  Doug was also responsible for all development programs and was able to reduce costs by $100,000 through technology upgrades and the reduction of reliance on outside consultants as a result of the upgrades.

Doug Thorson

Doug Thorson