About our founder & Principal consultant
Leigh Ann Jacobson, CFRE
Leigh Ann Jacobson is a nonprofit industry expert with a fundamental understanding of the intersection of fundraising, engagement, marketing, and communications. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) with over 20 years of progressively responsible fund development experience and is recognized for moving organizations forward with proven management, values, and decisive leadership.
As a practitioner, Leigh Ann is an accomplished fundraising executive with a track record of securing seven-figure principal gifts. As a national speaker and consultant, Leigh Ann is a passionate and articulate communicator with extensive experience providing clients with capacity-building training and education. Her workshops and keynote presentations have been featured at the national and regional meetings of a variety of foundations and organizations across the country.
A graduate of King’s College and Arcadia University, Leigh Ann also holds a Certificate in Executive Management and an Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI) Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt from the University of Notre Dame.
Today, Leigh Ann manages the direction and growth of her firm. She has a true love of philanthropy and a belief that philanthropy and nonprofits can truly change the world for the better. This is reflected in how she conducts her work and lives her life.
01. Strategy
Our consultants are known to be strategic visionaries who identify emerging philanthropy trends and build approaches to grow internal capacity, revenue, and participation. A well-developed strategic plan can be the difference between moderate performance and exceptional accomplishments.
Our firm’s specific areas of strength include comprehensive campaign strategy and operations, strategic marketing for donor acquisition and upgrade, major and principal gifts solicitation, donor engagement, managing signature fundraising events, and leading a high-performing team.
02. IMPLEMENTATION
Jacobson Group Consulting is a true partner with our clients every step of the way. We know that clients often need more than advice; you need a partner in getting the job done. We take on our client’s challenges and make them our own. Our consultants ensure the successful implementation of projects and operations. We are skilled project managers who change roles as and when required by an organization’s specific goals and objectives. We provide operational guidance and counsel on fund development and nonprofit management issues. With a significant understanding of business strategy, operations, and management, our consultants have practical experience in project strategy and budget planning.
03. SUPPORT
Our consultants work exclusively with nonprofits across all sectors, offering a variety of support services such as:
- Prospect research
- Grant writing
- CRM strategy and design
- CRM implementation
- Online fundraising strategy
- Website design and maintenance
Our support services help to develop effective strategies in data management, communications, fundraising, and other vital areas within your organization.
Proven Success
The Numbers Don’t Lie
It takes more than a gut feeling or a collection of anecdotes to produce enough information to evaluate how satisfied the client is with the service provided. A “delighted client” will continue working with a consultant and refer the consultant to others. Repeat business with Jacobson Group Consulting is a sure sign the client is satisfied, which is the best evaluation metric of all.
%
CLIENT SATISFACTION
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
clients
Previous & Current Engagements
INARF, INC.
Presenter, INARF Leadership Academy
“Stakeholder Engagement for Today’s Leaders: Engagement Strategies for Financial Sustainability”
(Noblesville, IL)
brown university
Plenary Speaker, Parents Fundraising Conference
“Beyond Basic Training, Leveling Up: Effective Strategies for Raising the Bar on Fundraising” and “Strategic Stewardship in Fundraising”
(Providence, RI)
Community Foundation of Elkhart County
Full-Day Workshop Facilitator
“Fundraising 101: How Small or New Nonprofits Raise Money”
(Elkhart, IN)
National Peace Corps Association (NPCA)
Campaign Consultant
Contracted to perform outreach to major gift prospects and to provide ongoing training and counsel to CEO and development team
(National)
AFP chicago
Speaker, Midwest Conference
“Meaningful and Measured: A Balancing Act Between Qualitative and Quantitative Outcome Performance in Fundraising”
(Chicago, IL)
INdiana university
Instructor
Instructor of professional development courses including “Fundraising 101” and “How to Make Your Year-End Appeal More Appealing”
(South Bend, IN)
