About Us
You have a vision.
We can help you bring that vision to life.
We are dedicated to working with people like you – people who are driven by purpose, invested in big ideas, and passionate about their work. By uncovering and sharing the stories that inspire support, we help build strong organizations that enrich individual lives and strengthen entire communities. In short, we help you make a difference.
Community colleges, land conservancies, foundations, and other non-profit entities have partnered with us to develop success strategies, reach fundraising goals, and enhance the breadth and depth of their services to communities. This is the work that inspires us.
Our story is the story of our clients’ success.
The Eaton Cummings Group was co-founded in 1997 by two certified fundraising executives, Dr. Kathleen E. Guy and Dr. William M. Craft. Since combining our efforts, we have elevated strategy and strengthened the fundraising approach for hundreds of community colleges and non-profits across the U.S. We have facilitated national and statewide training for community college presidents and chancellors, and created a fundraising academy, which has helped more than 200 campus CEOs to become better fundraisers.
Your vision is at the center of everything we do. You provide the inspiration; we provide the strategic and tactical advantage that helps you:
- Increase clarity and influence by uncovering and communicating your organization’s bigger and more heroic story
- Expand your organization’s capacity to deliver value to stakeholders and the community through tailored and appropriate strategy coupled with specific strategic and action plans
- Grow and improve your organization’s leadership and support teams through board and executive development, customized training, and consensus-building through group facilitation
- Find and strengthen your fundraising “muscle” through fundraising feasibility studies, fundraising campaign counsel and development audits
From creative thinking to logistical solutions, from a shoulder to cry on to the celebration of success, we ensure our clients have the resources to meet their immediate goals and to create a sustainable, no-nonsense plan for the future.
We’re in the trenches with you – making things happen and changing lives.
When taking on a critical and complex challenge you need each team member to be fully engaged and committed. With The Eaton Cummings Group, every aspect of research, strategy, and planning is handled directly by our principals, Bill Craft and Kathleen Guy. We invest not only our intellectual assets, but also our personal time and energy to learn your organization’s culture, story, and community context.
Our hands-on approach allows us to focus on a select portfolio of clients, and gives us the flexibility to work less like outside consultants and more like expert, in-house allies and mentors - there when you need us - providing guidance each step of the way.
Our extensive real world experience helps you to:
- Address bureaucratic lethargy
- Clarify and focus your institutional vision
- Overcome resource limitations
- Cope with relational and logistical frustrations
- Handle unexpected events with grace
Ultimately, our expertise will help you capture the hearts and minds of your opinion leaders, partners, donors, board members, staff and community, giving you the support you need to bring your vision to life.
