Testimonials

A few members of our staff were initially skeptical about bringing in a consultant, but after Amy’s site visit all participants agreed that her guidance was incredibly worthwhile. Her insight on aspects of membership development, direct mail fundraising, and board development was a result of many years of experience of working in development herself. Amy does her homework and comes knowing your organization’s strengths and weaknesses. Amy’s greatest asset, though, is her ability to engage, mediate, and interact with all participants to ensure the consultation will directly address your organization’s most pressing needs. I highly recommend Amy to other groups; the benefits of her consulting to our organization went above and beyond our expectations.

/ Erin Noble, Outreach and Development Director, Missouri Coalition for the Environment /

We feel fortunate to have Amy O’Connor working with us because she has a rare combination of qualities that make her an ideal consultant. I can count on one hand the number of people I’ve encountered in my life who are as responsive as Amy O’Connor. If she says she’ll do something, she will and ALWAYS by or before the date she agrees to. She’s patient, she’s smart and my personal favorite – she’s got practical solutions. We continue to consult with her because we trust her instincts.

/ Mary Welsh, Development Director, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement /

Amy O’Connor has been a most valuable asset to the Predator Education Fund (now Western Wildlife Conservancy) at a critical juncture in our development. With a new board of directors in place, we needed help in understanding our respective duties, as well as what we must do to take our organization to the next level. With Amy’s support, I believe we have been able to do that. Amy has years of experience in the world of environmental activism and conservation, and she is able to share her knowledge with others in a way that is friendly, clear and engaging. I know I can speak for all the staff and board members of the Western Wildlife Conservancy in recommending Amy wholeheartedly.

/ Kirk Robinson, Executive Director, Western Wildlife Conservancy /

Amy O’Connor helped the Idaho Conservation League develop a comprehensive Development Plan which assisted us in systematizing our development program. Amy’s analytical skills were critical in helping us set realistic membership goals for our organization. Her experience and copy writing skills moved us to the next level of membership development.

/ Suki Molina, Associate Director, Idaho Conservation League /

Amy was very sensitive to our organization’s unique characteristics. It wasn’t as if she had a cookie cutter approach, but she adapted tools to fit our needs.

/ Leslie Ryan, Executive Director, Citizens for a Healthy Bay /

Amy’s thorough understanding of non-profit organizational development and membership recruitment and retention is an enormous asset to any conservation group that has the good fortune to work with her. With Amy’s thoughtful assistance and guidance, we’ve implemented a successful membership development program that has helped us grow and strengthen our organization. Her skills as strategic planner, editor, and writer, and her extensive knowledge of membership development techniques and systems make Amy a pleasure to work with.

/ Gilly Lyons, Grassroots Coordinator, Oregon Natural Desert Association /

Amy O’Connor was a delight to have as a consultant for The Lands Council membership development training. Amy’s in-depth knowledge of direct mail campaigns is unquestionably first-rate. She was very patient and positive, helping me through the direct mail process step-by-step. Her detailed perception of how to organize a membership drive was extremely valuable to our organization. Amy is a most desirable development consultant and we are fortunate to have her development expertise available to us.

/ Debbie Boswell, Associate Director, The Lands Council /

Almost three years ago, we had the good fortune of having Amy O’Connor referred to us as consultant. She met with our staff and examined in detail our membership recruitment and outreach strategies. She also met with our board to help us elevate the overall effectiveness of our organization. Amy’s work with us has been an important catalyst in success over the past three years in increasing our membership by 400% and more than tripling our budget.

/ Mayre Flowers, Executive Director, Citizens for a Better Flathead /

No one could have done more than Amy to help us improve our fundraising. She worked with our board and helped us design our membership development program. Our income had hovered around $170,000 for years, and in 1999 we raised $264,000. It was our best year ever.

/ Pam Allister, Executive Director, Snake River Alliance /

Amy O’Connor has been a Godsend. With Amy’s assistance we have revamped the content of membership letters, designed our first formal membership renewal calendars, compiled the first direct mail pieces, connected to a non-profit mail house, as well as compiled membership projections. Throughout all of this, Amy’s clear and strategic thinking guided us to a finished product that otherwise would not have been possible. Although known for her membership acumen, Amy also successfully facilitated a staff and board retreat focused on branding and marketing.

I could think of no other consultant I would rather have on the end of the phone when I have a burning question. She is quick to lend advice when asked but rooted in a working style that built our own internal knowledge and capacity. I would recommend Integrated Development Consulting to any non-profit organization, large or small.

/ Marise Robbins-Forbes, Director of Development, Illinois Environmental council /

Client Comments about Facilitation Effectiveness

(from fundraising, board development, strategic planning and
development planning retreats)

“Amy has restored my faith in consultants!”

“Amy’s session captivated the group & maintained their attention for 4 hours – remarkable.”

“Knows her stuff; keeps it moving along; obviously a caring individual who has a pleasant personality. Has a great way of bringing new ideas and campaign strategies to the group.”

“She kept things on track and was very positive and supportive and responsive.”

“Anyone who can facilitate and train/guide this group is effective.”

“Maintained discipline so that all participants had access to the info given. Also, material was presented in a clear manner.”

“Kept us on track, yet allowed adjustments during the process.”

“Amy did an excellent job of facilitating, keeping us on track and resolving minor conflicts.”

“Responsive to dynamics of the group.”

“Positive, upbeat, well informed.”

“Amy was very motivated and confident in the material she was presenting. I like it when someone is very sure of what they know and how to present it.”

“Amy is open, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.”

“Very thorough, good at explaining and presenting in a ‘linear’ way.”

“Her organization is greatly appreciated. We focused, via a lot of planning, and I believe it was very helpful to the overall goals of the organization.”

“Amy helped get us all on the same page/vision; the time was superbly allocated and used; the workshop empowered the organization to go to the next level.”

“Thanks for being patient and reminding us to stay focused.”

“The most useful thing about this retreat was the sense of focus blended with flexibility that came from Amy’s facilitation.”

“Amy has tremendous grace under pressure.”

“Amy knows her stuff.”