Fundraising consulting to help you realize your vision.
Every organization has countless moving parts, and you’re confident that many of your responsibilities overlap with your zones of genius.
But when it comes to fundraising, you might worry that:
● Your team isn’t up to date on fundraising best practices
● Your strategy is outdated or not especially effective
● Your people are already stretched too thin
● Your team’s plan won’t lead to your desired outcomes
Whether your organization is underfunded or simply needs strategy adjustments to increase funding—addressing these concerns will make a world of difference when it comes to fulfilling your mission.
I’ve been involved in fundraising throughout my professional career, and I’ve seen leaders come into organizations with a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to adapt. It usually doesn’t work.
Instead, let me use over thirty years of in-house fundraising expertise to tailor an approach that will help your organization reach its goals.
Implement a strategy that actually works.
I know how to set you up for success.
What distinguishes me from others in my field is that I’ve developed my own fundraising style that prioritizes industry best practices and relationships.
I treat leaders, teams, donors, and anyone else in the room with respect and authenticity as we collaborate to bring about positive change.
I’m also known for being able to pause, listen, and adjust—to make sure it’s all about the client, not me.
Let’s focus on the solution together.
“Jeff's biggest strength is his ability to take world-class best practices in fundraising and organizational development and apply them effectively to your organization. So many consultants offer “plug-and-play” solutions. Jeff is especially talented at partnering with you to achieve the best outcomes for your organization.”
-Rod Haywood, Jr., President, Rod Haywood Enterprises
Work with me, and you’ll get:
● A mindset shift: The money is out there!
● Best practices: Refined over three decades
● Fine-tuned strategy: Customized to your organization and its needs
● Connections: Unlock access to my extensive national network
● Thought partnership: Consider me a coach, guide, and teacher
● Deep expertise: Annual, major, and principal gifts; campaign operations; board and volunteer management; performance analytics; coaching; and training for staff and leaders
“Jeff was a highly collaborative fundraising partner on a project at UC Santa Cruz. In meetings with donors, he showed a high level of respect for them. He treats people like real people, listens deeply, and incorporates what he learns from all the different stakeholders in the discussion so he can turn that into effective strategy.”
-Jennifer Maytorena Taylor, Professor, Film and Digital Media and Faculty Director, Social Documentation Lab, University of California, Santa Cruz
Hi, I’m Jeff!
Philanthropy can be a key driver of societal change and progress, which is why this work is so enjoyable and meaningful to me.
I was introduced to fundraising during my childhood in Ohio when my mom served as a nonprofit executive. She went on to become a fundraising professional for organizations in healthcare, human services, and the arts.
She helped shape my mindset about fundraising by showing me that “people want to be helpful. But you have to let them know how they can help.”
Thanks to this early modeling of fundraising as a career, when an opportunity opened up in the development office of my alma mater, I went for it—and my fundraising career began.
Even back then, I had an intuitive sense about the wide range of organizations and sectors that would benefit from fundraising expertise.
That was the beginning of a career that brought me to the West Coast to work in fundraising leadership roles at prestigious organizations such as Stanford University, the University of California, and the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.
In 2024, after 30 years working “in-house,” I launched Shilling Consulting Group, offering a full suite of advancement and development solutions for universities, healthcare organizations, and other nonprofits. I’m thrilled to lend my support and engage my network to help organizations realize their potential through the benefit and privilege of philanthropic support.
Career highlights (full CV is on LinkedIn):
● As Senior VP of Individual Giving at the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, I was charged with aligning four teams that helped achieve the largest annual fundraising total in their history ($291M).
● At the University of California, Santa Cruz, I served as the chief development officer for over a decade. I oversaw UCSC’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, which concluded six months early and exceeded its $300M goal by 12%
● When I was chief development officer for Stanford Athletics, I helped reverse a ten-year trend of declining donor participation and helped develop priorities for Stanford’s $4.3B comprehensive campaign.
A few more things about me:
● I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my wife and kids (Pacific Time).
● I’m a decades-long member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
● My ethos is to under-promise and over-deliver.
● I enjoy tennis, golf, hiking, travel, and walks with my Labrador retriever, Louie.
● I have many years experience as a tennis and basketball coach..
● I support my alma mater as a former alumni board member and founding member of the Bay Area Alumni Chapter of Butler University.
● I’m a frequent speaker at industry conferences and consortiums.
