“Outrageously helpful”, that’s the phrase that comes to mind when describing Ken. I have known Ken for almost 5 years and am still blown away by his ability to identify needs and offer realistic solutions for our nonprofit, FIRST Chesapeake. Working first as a consultant, and later as a mentor, Ken’s thoughtful suggestions and strategic recommendations have helped increase our organization’s funding capacity by almost 50% in the last 4 years. Ken’s guidance has also helped me grow professionally as a fundraiser and an executive director.

Ken’s decades of experience and vast personal and professional connections are a tremendous asset to FIRST Chesapeake, but what I like most about Ken is his willingness to listen.  He knows the right questions to ask, and his friendliness and good humor make meetings a pleasure.

The resources and recommendations that Ken have provided over the years have been appropriate and practical – and that’s not something that you can say about all consultants.

Here are some examples:

·  Three years ago, Ken helped structure our first stock gift from a donor. Since then, we have received over $240K in stocks as part of our annual fund campaign.

·  Ken identified the need for a “plug and play” corporate pitch and negotiated a $20K pro-bono project that resulted in professionally produced videos and a narrative that is now used by our board and staff.

· Based upon his recommendations and guidance in 2014-2016, the FIRST Chesapeake Executive Board has become much stronger and more engaged.

Any nonprofit would be lucky to have Ken as a resource. I look forward to working with him this year to streamline our HR process while continuing to improve our organizational capacity. ”

“Ken Blaisdell was involved with my team at UVa, Curry School of Education, from the earliest stage beginning with the creation of a development team strategic plan designed to build capacity, and then helped convert that into a Capital Campaign plan. Once the campaign got underway, Ken was invited to join the Advisory Board, met with School and University leaders, provided donor and stewardship insights, and was always willing to add his years of experience to a very dynamic engagement process. He is deep on fundraising experience, a thoughtful and strategic counselor, and a terrific and trusted colleague.”

“Ken Blaisdell has been a trusted partner and advisor to senior leaderships at nonprofits, educational institutions and civic organizations. His own experience working at leading universities, mission-driven organizations, and serving on boards, informs his understanding and approach to solving the problems that nonprofits face. As customer perceptions (mostly informed by technology) have evolved, Ken has tailored his approach (while also sticking with core principles) in order to meet changing business needs. He is well-versed in assessing organizational strengths and weaknesses, designing strategies to meet challenges, assisting in hiring and retaining talent, and helping influence stakeholders throughout the organizations. If senior leaders care about results and retention, Ken Blaisdell is an invaluable resource for both”

“Ken has been a terrific partner in our college foundation’s efforts to create a strategy and framework for project-based fundraising.  His customized approach ensured we were able to effectively take action and accomplish our goals. ”

“Ken Blaisdell is the consummate professional who combines a vast knowledge of the advancement field with a can-do, practical approach to problem solving. He takes the time to understand the organization and its culture before crafting solutions…a rare trait in the consulting field.”

“I have known Ken Blaisdell for nearly ten years. First in his capacity as Associate Dean and Executive Director of the VCU School of Business Foundation and now as a consultant. I have great respect for Ken and his firm’s work in the fields of organizational assessment, operational evaluation, and strategic planning. He brings to his clients great wisdom, judgment, and experience.”