SERVICES

Melissa Sandor Inc. offers strategy, implementation, and writing services across the fundraising spectrum for nonprofit visual and performing arts organizations, including:

  • Interim director of development services
  • Strategic and feasibility planning
  • Board development
  • Proposal/grant development
  • Prospect research
  • Major donor strategy and implementation
  • Capital campaign counsel
  • Communications tools

SAMPLE PROJECTS

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Currently serving as fundraising consultant for The Studio Museum in Harlem’s $175 million capital campaign (2015 – Present), focusing on seven- and six-figure foundation gifts and public funding, representing $5 million+ in secured funding to date. Recent success includes visionary funding from the Ford Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, Keith Haring Foundation and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, among others.

Served as Interim Director of Development and Development Consultant at Ballet Hispanico (2011 – 2015), providing oversight of a four-person development team raising nearly $3 million annually. Managed organization’s 2013 Gala, resulting in $2.2 million of revenue—the highest gala revenue raised to date and a 100% increase over previous years. Established a sustained funding base for choreographic institute for emerging Latino artists.

Developed a solid institutional funding framework, including guidance on programmatic identity and approach, for LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, resulting in a six-figure revenue stream for the organization’s dance and theater programming and general operations. Recent success includes: $265,000 grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for the organization’s Beyond Sacred program focusing on Post 9/11 Muslim identity in New York City with an invitation for second round funding, and five years of successive 5-figure dance program funding from the Mertz-Gilmore Foundation.

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Provided the Queens Council on the Arts (QCA), the Northern Manhattan Arts Council (NoMAA), and otherNYC arts councils with development strategy, board training, and an array of constituent-based services, including grantwriting workshops for arts organizations and individual artists from throughout the borough.