Guide Dogs for
the Blind

Challenge

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has created partnerships between people, dogs, and communities for over 75 years. As the largest guide dog school in the United States and Canada, GDB has dedicated itself to providing these life-changing services completely free of charge. Despite the organization’s strong track record, they faced a significant challenge: the need to substantially expand their fundraising efforts. To continue delivering vital services, they required a strategic overhaul to secure the necessary financial resources for their mission—a daunting task of achieving a 400% increase in fundraising within a ten-year timeframe, while also broadening their donor base and improving their fundraising operations.

Collaborating closely with Orr Group, GDB embarked on a transformative journey to address these challenges and ensure the sustainability of their mission.

Solution

In a visionary move, GDB partnered with Orr Group to design a fundraising strategy that would not only multiply its annual fundraising achievements but also broaden its donor base while elevating cultivation and stewardship practices. Our initial engagement culminated in a comprehensive final report that emphasized four critical areas of focus:

• Implementing a process to create and maintain relationships with over 100,000 annual supporters.
• Bolstering personnel and knowledge resources to equip the organization for its ambitious goals.
• Developing a vision that resonated with transformational donors, inspiring larger and more frequent contributions.
• Fostering a collaborative approach between marketing and fundraising for maximum outreach.

Additionally, Orr Group conducted a thorough evaluation of GDB’s compensation and benefits practices, ensuring alignment with the labor market while honoring the organization’s mission.

Impact

To help expedite our recommendations, Orr Group stepped in, providing valuable expertise and leadership as Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer. As a result of our partnership, year-over-year revenue increased by 153%, contributed revenue saw a substantial 33% boost from FY21 to FY22, and GDB experienced a 35% increase from FY20 to FY21 in contributed revenue.