Relationship-Focused Fundraising: Building Authentic Donor Connections
Fundraising jargon has to be translated before you can use it with a real person. That is the tell. Five concrete actions for building relationships that lead to giving.
Connecticut River Valley — New Hampshire & Vermont
Your mission,
our passion.
Guiding Good partners with nonprofit organizations on marketing, grants, events, leadership training and fundraising — the work that turns a good organization into a great one.
The first meeting, the needs evaluation and the project proposal are all gratis.
60+ years of combined nonprofit experience
12,956 registered charitable nonprofits across New Hampshire and Vermont
One focus diverse missions, all of them trying to make our lives better
Local based in Claremont, NH and working across the Connecticut River Valley
What we do
Five ways we help you go from good to great
Take one, take all five. Every engagement starts with the same free evaluation and a written proposal before any money changes hands.
Marketing & Communications
Strategic storytelling, plain-language messaging, social media and PSAs that bring new supporters into your world — not just the ones already in it.
Learn moreGrants & Grant Writing
Opportunity research, proposal writing, budget narratives, compliance and reporting — so a win stays a win through the whole grant cycle.
Learn moreEvents & Community Programs
Fundraisers, volunteer fairs, trainings and recognition events — planned backward from the outcome you actually need, with the follow-up built in.
Learn moreLeadership & Staff Training
Board development, onboarding, soft skills, technology and program evaluation. Customized to your organization and built to evolve as it grows.
Learn moreFundraising & Development
Annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, donor stewardship, diversified revenue and the data behind all of it — without jeopardising your tax-exempt status.
Learn moreNot sure which one you need?
Most organizations come to us with a symptom rather than a diagnosis. That is a fine place to start — tell us what is not working.
Tell us what is going on
Who we are
Built by people who have sat in your chair
Guiding Good is committed to guiding nonprofit organizations in the Connecticut River Valley region to achieve greater success. Between us we have run the development operation, chaired the board, recruited the volunteers, written the grant and stayed late to fix the database.
That might mean increasing revenue through fundraising and grant writing; it might mean staff and volunteer development; it might mean leveraging your data for more efficient services, or identifying the gaps between organizations, donors and the public.
Our goal is to develop sustainable solutions that build a stronger, more resilient community.
How it works
You know the cost before you commit
- 01
We meet and listen
We sit down with your organization, learn how you work and where it hurts, and explain our process. No charge.
- 02
We write the proposal
We evaluate your needs and put a project proposal in writing — including reasonable revisions to the scope right up until launch. Still no charge.
- 03
We get to work
Project resources are assigned per retainer. Anything newly discovered can be added, or named as a phase two so your first project still lands on time.
Our team
Two founding partners and a strategic advisor
Alex Herzog
Founding Partner
Thirty years of nonprofit leadership — as a volunteer, a board member and paid staff — plus a career in higher education administration.
Jennifer Nelson
Founding Partner
Thirty years in nonprofit development — twenty of them building the systems, data and training behind frontline fundraisers at Dartmouth.
Darin Hollingsworth
Strategic Advisor & Client Coach
A fundraiser, executive coach and facilitator who helps organizations move from surviving to thriving to flourishing.
From the blog
Articles for nonprofit leaders
A Lesson in Trust: When Public Confidence Falters
A school board meeting in Claremont, New Hampshire became an unexpected lesson in what happens when an organization goes quiet — and what happens when the community answers anyway.
The Unspoken Power: How a Nonprofit's Words Shape Its World
Jargon doesn't only confuse people — it makes them suspicious. How the words a nonprofit chooses shape its donors, the people it serves and the public conversation.
How it works
The first conversation is on us.
We meet with your organization, walk you through our process, evaluate what you need and write a project proposal — including reasonable revisions to the scope right up until launch. No charge, no obligation.