Ten Years of Thread Strategies: What a Decade of Supporting Nonprofits In Building Their Fundraising Capacity Has Taught Us
CEO and Founder Loree Lipstein reflects on what we’ve learned along the way
In 2015, Thread Strategies began with a simple but deeply held belief: small and mid-sized nonprofits are just as capable of fundraising using best practices as larger nonprofits with resources to build bigger fundraising teams. We know that all nonprofits, regardless of size, can achieve great impact when they have fundraising strategies that are thoughtful, practical, and built for their individual realities so they are achievable. Ten years later, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside hundreds of nonprofit leaders and fundraisers who are doing critical work with limited time, resources, and capacity. We never cease to be inspired by how these people show up every day with clarity, care, and commitment.
The Thread Strategies team celebrates our 10th anniversary.
As we celebrate Thread’s 10-year anniversary, I’ve been reflecting not just on what we’ve built together, but on what we’ve learned along the way. The lessons below are drawn from a decade of conducting development assessments to write development plans, providing fundraising coaching sessions to communities of foundation grantees, and supporting our nonprofit partners through various fundraising campaigns and hard-earned wins. We offer these learnings to you in the spirit of supporting the next phase of your work, wherever you are in it.
1. Fundraising works best when it’s treated as a system, not a series of disjointed tactics
One of the most common challenges we see is organizations with fundraising strategies (another event, a different appeal, etc.) that are implemented without a clear framework tying those efforts together. Over time, we’ve learned that the strongest fundraising programs are grounded in a manageable number of well-chosen strategies that reinforce one another.
A clear annual development plan, even a simple one, creates alignment. It helps teams prioritize, say no when needed, and evaluate what’s actually working. The nonprofits that grow sustainably aren’t doing everything. Rather, they’re doing the right things for their organization at this moment, and they are doing them consistently.
2. Capacity-building isn’t a luxury, it’s a prerequisite
Nonprofits are often expected to grow impact without growing infrastructure. But fundraising is no different from programs: it requires investment. Over the last decade, we’ve seen again and again that organizations willing to invest in systems, staffing, and strategy—before a crisis point—are the ones best positioned to weather change and seize opportunity.
Whether that investment is a CRM implemented well, a first development hire, or outside expertise brought in at the right moment, capacity-building is what turns good intentions into durable results.
3. Data should inform decisions, not overwhelm them
Every day fundraising technology is becoming more powerful…and more complex. We believe deeply in the power of data at Thread, and we spend a great deal of time working with our partners on getting their data clean and organized so that it can be useful. However, we also see that systems that are too complex for small teams to regularly and consistently use become a drawback rather than an asset. We’ve learned that data is most useful when it’s used regularly and simply. A handful of core metrics, reviewed consistently, can guide better decisions than a system no one will log into.
There is no single “best” technology platform out there for every nonprofit to use to organize its data. What is most important is that you have a platform and data that is usable and shared clarity within the team about what you’re measuring, how, and why.
4. Major gifts are not a shortcut, they’re an outcome
Many organizations come to us eager to “start a major gift strategy.” What we’ve learned is that major gift fundraising works best when it grows out of a strong individual giving ecosystem. Donors move toward deeper investment when they feel connected, informed, and valued over time.
The most successful major gift programs we’ve seen are built on engaging and valuing individual donors of ALL sizes, strong storytelling, consistent stewardship, and clear organizational vision. When you build your individual giving strategy overall, the major gifts will come too.
5. Relationships are the throughline
Across every partnership and consulting engagement, one truth has remained constant: fundraising is about relationships. Between donors and organizations, boards and staff, consultants and partners. The strongest results come from trust, clarity, and mutual respect.
At Thread, our greatest pride isn’t just the dollars we’ve helped our partners to raise or the number of development plans we’ve written or the hundreds of thousands of lines of data we’ve migrated to new CRMs. In ten years our greatest accomplishment is the long-term partnerships we’ve built and the leaders we’ve seen grow into their roles with confidence.
Looking To The Next 10
Thread Strategies exists because nonprofit leaders keep showing us what’s possible when the right support meets real commitment. As we enter our second decade, our focus remains the same: helping organizations build fundraising programs that are strategic, structured, and sustainable.
If you’re reflecting on your own next chapter - whether it’s refining your strategy, investing in capacity, or simply getting unstuck - we hope these lessons resonate. To the community that has trusted us, challenged us, and built this work alongside us over the past ten years – our deepest gratitude for your partnership. We would not have achieved this milestone without you!
Here’s to what we’ve built, and to what’s next!