Helping Partnership Schools exceed $20M in fundraising goals

From stagnant year-end campaigns to highest board fundraising in the organization’s history and $20M+ fundraising momentum

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How MAP helped

During her tenure at Partnership Schools, Michelle Akapnitis played a pivotal role in transforming the organization’s advancement strategy. As a senior development leader, she elevated board engagement, strengthened donor cultivation practices, and implemented systems that empowered both staff and trustees to exceed ambitious revenue goals.

$5M+ from board giving

Highest board fundraising in the organization’s history.

$500K increase in year-end gifts

Revitalized appeals and campaigns to drive donor participation.

$20M+ fundraising momentum

Set the organization on track for record-breaking revenue growth in FY23.

BASED IN
New York City, NY & Cleveland, OH
SECTOR
Background

Partnership Schools is a network of 11 urban Catholic schools serving more than 3,300 students in New York City and Cleveland. The mission is to provide high-quality, values-based education to students from underserved communities.

By 2021, the network was poised for growth, but achieving $15M–$20M in annual fundraising required sharper strategy, deeper board engagement, and stronger systems. Michelle was brought in to strengthen infrastructure and work closely with trustees and leadership to achieve transformational results.

The Challenge
  • Ambitious $16M+ annual fundraising goal requiring unprecedented board engagement.
  • No clear systems to leverage trustee networks for fundraising.
  • Eager but untrained board members, unsure how to fundraise effectively.
  • EStagnant year-end campaigns that needed revitalization to increase participation.
How We Embedded
  • Strategic Planning & Fundraising Assessment
  • Messaging & Case Development
  • Board Engagement Strategy & Training
  • Salesforce CRM & Moves Management Integration
  • Donor Pipeline Dashboard & Tracking Tools
  • Year-End Appeals & Donor Campaigns
  • Fundraising Capacity Support
  • Coaching & Training for trustees and staff
The Solution

Discovery & Strategy

Outlined a board engagement plan with clear expectations and personalized outreach strategies.

Pipeline & Prospecting

Integrated Moves Management into Salesforce, tracking trustee connections, donor prospects, and solicitation progress.

Donor Engagement Systems

Established a stewardship framework, created dashboards for board/staff, and ensured accountability in follow-up.

Case & Collateral

Refined appeals, designed board-facing tools, and developed messaging to inspire giving and energize trustee outreach.

Capacity Building

Coached a five-person advancement team, trained trustees in solicitation and stewardship, and built infrastructure to sustain results year over year.

We're Your Navigation Team
We're strategists, operators, and fundraising experts who've helped visionaries like you raise $100M+ (and counting). Think of us as your embedded fundraising team - we chart the course and navigate the path while you focus on what matters most: leading your mission.
Founder. Builder. Fundraiser.
I spent a decade leading nonprofit fundraising, building systems from scratch and closing multi-million dollar gifts. What I needed more than strategy docs and donor intros was a team to build systems, find donors who cared about my mission, and keep the momentum going.

That's the insight behind MAP: we don't just advise - we embed as your fundraising team and handle everything from research to donor meetings to follow-up.

‍Because fundraising isn't about fancy plans. It's about having the right team and systems that do the work while you lead the mission.

‍– Michelle Akapnitis
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