What We Do

The Solstice Group provides consulting services in the arenas of development, board development, and planning to a wide array of not-for-profit organizations. Our clients include institutions of higher education, symphony orchestras, museums, research institutes, and organizations serving specialized populations regionally and internationally.

The services we provide are tailored to each client’s unique requirements, and are often adapted to meet each client’s evolving situation. Among the services we provide are campaign feasibility studies, campaign counsel (planning and implementation), internal operational assessments for development programs, counsel for development programs, board evaluation and development, 360° evaluations for organizational leaders, counsel through leadership transitions, staff and volunteer training, and the design and facilitation of planning retreats for boards, volunteers, and staff groups.

Mission

The Solstice Group strives to strengthen communities by fostering sustainability and facilitating positive change and, when appropriate, growth, for non-profit organizations serving those communities. We create collaborations and client relationships that will help us continually enhance our product, promote learning for all parties, and maximize the joy of our daily work while generating a living for group members.

Philosophy

The following beliefs and assumptions provide a foundation for the firm’s approach to campaign and fund-raising counsel:

We believe in people – volunteers, staff and donors – and we believe that if provided the encouragement and tools, people can accomplish almost anything.  People give to people more often than to ideas.  That is why volunteers are critical to success.

Good philanthropy is relational rather than transactional.  When fundraising is done well, the philanthropic act is as meaningful to the donor as it is to the recipient of the gift.  When this happens, lives are enhanced and the philanthropy continues over the long term. 

Fund-raising campaigns often are catalysts for change and growth in all areas of the organization.  In particular, they usually require or result in a strengthening of the governing board.

A campaign consultant is a partner, planner, facilitator, collaborator, mentor, cheerleader, and trainer.  He/she is not a fundraiser.  If donor relationships are to be sustained, the fundraising must be a function of relationship-building between donors and the people of the organization, such as board members and staff.

A campaign should be fun and culminate in a sense of real accomplishment for volunteers, staff, and donors.

Statement of Intention

The intentions outlined below reflect the perspective and values that guide our daily decisions and against which, along with profitability, we measure our success:

We aspire to:

  • respect, enjoy, and grow from each relationship we create;
  • be authentic and honest in all our interactions;
  • make a difference in the lives of the individuals with whom we work;
  • use our skills and talents to bring added value to the organizations we serve;
  • enhance ours and our clients’ quality of life;
  • experience daily joy in our work and find satisfaction in the impact of our efforts;
  • live from a sense of gratitude and compassion.