What Virginia Fundraising Consultants does

Virginia Fundraising Consultants (VFC) is a privately held professional services firm headquartered at 208 E. Plume Street, Suite 206, Norfolk, Virginia, founded in 1984 by Virginia Thumm. The firm provides strategic philanthropy and nonprofit leadership advisory services to nonprofit organizations across the Hampton Roads region and beyond, delivering six integrated service lines: capital campaign counsel and management, annual fund campaign strategy, board development and governance training, planning studies and feasibility assessments, staff/executive search, and coaching and training.

VFC does not develop or sell proprietary technology products. Its deliverables are relationship-driven consulting engagements delivered by a small team of approximately six professionals, including the founder, three executive consultants (Dionne Scott, Barbara Hamm Lee, Cassandra Howard), a Director of Operations (Kristin Turner), and a Certified Grants Specialist (Beck Brodka). The firm's underlying capability rests on the cumulative 40+ years of regional nonprofit sector experience held by Virginia Thumm, supported by board positions at the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Norfolk Arts Commission and professional affiliations with BoardSource, Center for Nonprofit Excellence, CIVIC Leadership Institute, and other regional bodies.

Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements and ongoing advisory retainers, with fees customized to each nonprofit client's scope, duration, and organizational needs. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and referral-driven, relying on direct outreach, professional network referrals, and earned media coverage of client successes. VFC has documented client outcomes including Elizabeth River Project raising over $15 million from a $7 million goal, ACCESS College Foundation exceeding a $12.5 million campaign goal, and team-credited grants secured exceeding $421 million. The firm is entirely founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external funding.

Name

Virginia Fundraising Consultants

Legal name

Virginia Fundraising Consultants

Website

https://vafundraising.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Virginia Fundraising Consultants is a Norfolk, Virginia-based nonprofit advisory firm founded in 1984 that provides capital campaign, annual fund, board development, planning study, executive search, and coaching services to nonprofit organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Fundraising Consulting Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising consulting
• Capital campaign counsel
• Annual fund campaigns
• Board development services
• Strategic philanthropy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Norfolk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Strategic Philanthropy Advisory Services: Virginia Fundraising Consultants generates revenue through professional consulting fees for services including capital campaign counsel, annual fund campaigns, board development, planning studies, staff/executive search, and coaching and training. Services are tailored to each nonprofit organization's needs and delivered through project-based contracts, ongoing consultation arrangements, or complete campaign design and execution engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Virginia Fundraising Consultants is a strategic philanthropy and nonprofit leadership advisory firm that provides tailored consulting services to nonprofit organizations. Core offerings include capital campaign counsel and management, annual fund campaign strategy, board development, feasibility planning studies, fundraising staff/executive search, and coaching and training programs designed to build sustainable fundraising capacity.

Product overview

Virginia Fundraising Consultants offers a suite of consulting and advisory services for nonprofit organizations. The company provides six integrated service offerings: Capital Campaigns (full-service campaign management), Annual Fund Campaigns (strategic annual giving programs), Board Development (governance assessment and training), Planning Studies (feasibility assessments), Staff/Executive Search (recruitment services), and Coaching & Training (professional development). These services are delivered through personalized, customized strategies rather than a software platform, with all offerings designed to work together to build organizational fundraising capacity and achieve measurable results.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capital Campaigns Strategic counsel and full-service management for nonprofit capital campaigns, including campaign planning, execution, budgeting, leadership recruitment, and timeline management. Designed for small-to-mid-size nonprofit organizations seeking transformational growth.
• Annual Fund Campaigns Comprehensive annual giving programs designed to increase revenue by at least 10%, expand donor bases, and improve return on investment through strategic and holistic approaches. Targeted at nonprofit organizations seeking to strengthen ongoing fundraising.
• Board Development Assessment and strategies to build or reengage nonprofit boards, including recruitment, orientation, governance training, and preparing board members for fundraising responsibilities. Designed for nonprofit organizations seeking to strengthen governance.
• Planning Studies Feasibility studies involving stakeholder interviews and case development to evaluate campaign readiness and create strong campaign structures. Targeted at nonprofit organizations preparing for major fundraising initiatives.
• Staff/Executive Search Recruitment, screening, and assessment services to help nonprofit organizations identify and hire ideal fundraising staff and executive candidates. Designed for nonprofits seeking fundraising leadership talent.
• Coaching & Training Professional development programs including board development training, capital campaign preparation, fundraising training, leadership presence coaching, and team building workshops. Targeted at nonprofit boards, staff, and leadership teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased annual fund revenue by at least 10% with every organization worked with
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered moderate and minor.

• Association of Fundraising ProfessionalsmoderateOthersProfessional membership organization for fundraising professionals. Virginia Thumm serves on the Board and as chair of the Ethics committee. Firm actively participates in AFP programming and maintains membership in both global AFP and AFP Hampton Roads Chapter.
• BoardSourcemoderateOthersOrganization focused on nonprofit board leadership. Virginia Thumm maintains membership and the firm aligns its board development services with BoardSource best practices.
• Center for Nonprofit ExcellenceminorOthersRegional resource center for nonprofit organizations providing education and support for nonprofit effectiveness.
• CIVIC Leadership InstituteminorOthersRegional leadership development organization. Virginia Thumm is an alumna of the program.
• National Association of Women Business OwnersminorOthersNational organization supporting women entrepreneurs and business owners. Virginia Thumm maintains membership.
• Virginians for the ArtsminorOthersStatewide arts advocacy organization supporting arts organizations and cultural initiatives in Virginia.
• Volunteer Hampton RoadsminorOthersRegional volunteer organization connecting volunteers with nonprofit opportunities in the Hampton Roads area.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alford Group: Nonprofit consulting firm providing fundraising counsel, executive search, and board development services to community-based nonprofits across the U.S. — direct peer to VFC's service mix.
• Bentz Whaley Flessner: National consulting firm specializing in fundraising, campaign planning studies, and advancement services for higher education and nonprofit clients; same core offering as VFC across capital campaigns and feasibility studies.
• Graham-Pelton Consulting: Global fundraising and executive search consulting firm offering capital campaign counsel, feasibility studies, and major gift strategy; comparable professional services offering to VFC.
• Campbell & Company: National fundraising and executive search consulting firm serving nonprofits with capital campaigns, annual funds, and development planning — directly comparable service mix to VFC but at national scale.
• The Curtis Group: Capital campaign, development planning, and feasibility study consulting firm serving small to mid-sized nonprofits; closest peer to VFC in scale and segment focus.
• Alexander Haas Martin & Partners: Fundraising and campaign consulting firm serving faith-based and nonprofit organizations with capital campaigns, planning studies, and development counsel — directly comparable to VFC's core services.
• Carlson Fund Raising Services: Independent fundraising consultancy providing capital campaigns, annual fund counsel, and board development for nonprofits — direct peer in service offering and firm size.

Others

• BoardSource: Nonprofit organization focused on strengthening nonprofit board leadership and governance — comparable because VFC partners with BoardSource and aligns its board development service offering to their best practices.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): Global professional society for fundraising professionals; VFC's founder serves on AFP's board and chairs its ethics committee, making AFP a peer of the ecosystem in which VFC operates.

Emerging players

• Pursuit Consulting: Smaller, growing fundraising consultancy serving mission-driven nonprofits with campaign strategy and development support; emerging peer with overlapping offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/virginiafundraisingconsultants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Virginia Fundraising Consultants