Who We Are

Gail Perry has always believed that fundraising is not about money; it's changing the world.

Together with a team of like-minded associates, Gail helps organizations connect with fundraising on a personal level, learning to inspire and engage their volunteers and donors - and, as a result, raise more money than in traditional ways.

With over twenty years and $100 million in nonprofit and institutional development success, Gail overlays her deep fundraising experience with innovative approaches and a sincere desire to help her clients achieve their goals.

We are different than most fundraising consulting firms. In addition to our mastery of fundraising skills, we take a holistic systems approach to each client organization and their unique opportunities and challenges.

Board development and coaching are essential components of each fundraising project. We offer you exceptional team building and facilitation skills to generate board buy-in and create charged up high performing volunteer teams.
Gail brings a wealth of techniques both the for-profit and nonprofit worlds to enhance traditional fundraising consulting, including branding and marketing, customer relationship management (CRM), organizational development, idea marketing and executive coaching.

Learn more about how we work.

Gail Perry
Associates

Gail Perry

Gail Perry is founder of Gail Perry Associates, a Raleigh-based consulting and training firm. Her Passion-Driven Fundraising™ approach, developed over the past 22 years as a nonprofit philanthropy expert, takes fundraising to a deeper level by engaging board members, staff and campaign volunteers’ personal passion for making a difference. This shift in perspective helps to re-energize board members, create very successful capital campaigns and, ultimately, raise much more money. Leveraging her Passion-Driven model, Gail has helped organizations raise over $100 million - and counting.

Gail is the author of the book, Fired Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action, published Spring 2007 by Wiley, a global leader in professional and educational materials. She is also a frequent contributor to a number of respected industry publications, including Fundraising Success Magazine, the Nonprofit Times, Board Member ( published by BoardSource) and the Development Director's Letter. A popular speaker, Gail presents frequently at national and international fundraising conferences - often to standing-room-only audiences.

Gail launched her fundraising career at Duke University and then directed the fundraising program at Kenan-Flagler School of Business, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds an MBA and a BA with honors in English from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She is an active volunteer for political, civic, and nonprofit causes in her state and community.

Associates

We don't think fundraising should be left only to the fundraisers. That's why we partner with other professionals with expertise in areas such as organizational development, public relations, design, marketing, branding and technology. Each has a unique perspective, but all are believers in the power of uncovering and harnessing passion for results.

Orchestrating this effort is Gail Perry, who has over two decades of success in professional fundraising for institutions and non-profit organizations.

Lisa Gadd Guillot, Consultant

Since 1986, Lisa Gadd Guillot has worked with for-profit and nonprofit organizations throughout the nation - presenting workshops and seminars, building fundraising capacity, and developing successful fundraising programs. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Lisa and her husband, Michael, owned and managed one of the largest consulting firms for non-profit organizations in Louisiana, Virtual Development Group. Prior to developing the consulting practice, Lisa served as Special Events Director for the American Cancer Society of Dayton, Ohio; State Executive Director for the National Kidney Foundation of Ohio; and Director of Marketing for Job Path in New York City. Her tenure in New York also involved fundraising for local and state political campaigns. A graduate of Wright State University in Ohio, Lisa holds a BA in Communications / Public Relations / Business Management and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of New Orleans.

Dr. Thomas Griggs, New Science Consulting Group, Inc., Leadership Development

The New Science Group designs and delivers on-site Leadership Development Programs for executive teams and non-profit boards, using the organization's current challenges as the text in a real-time learning laboratory. This unique approach develops advanced leadership and teamwork skills, new alignment and cohesiveness among board and staff, while achieving extraordinary results.

Diane Paces-Wiles, Alchemie Consulting, Marketing and Branding

With a dual background in marketing and copy writing, Diane possesses the uncommon ability to bridge the gap between strategic and creative thinking - and to translate that skill into successful communications for a range of clients. She has provided brand strategy, creative concept development, copy writing and communication planning to companies from start-up ventures to non-profit foundations to global corporations. Her branding and copy writing work has been recognized from the local to international level, including a 2006 Merit Award from ReBrand 100, the first and only global awards competition established to recognize the world's most effective rebranding.

Vincent Anderson, Internet Strategist

Vince Anderson is an Internet Strategist and Technical Consultant. He first came in to the arena of Internet Communications when he joined Lawrence Davis's 2002 campaign for US Congress as the Information Systems Manager. In each of the following election cycles, he has worked to manage the online campaign & internal computer systems of political candidates. Most notably, Vince managed Erskine Bowles campaign websites during his 2004 Senate campaign, where he helped to raise over $500,000 online in the few months leading up to the election. Following the 2002 election cycle, he began working as an independent consultant providing strategic insight, project management, web design and technical solutions for small business, non-profit and political clients.

Adrianne Wilson Jorgensen, Cherry Blossom Studio, Graphic Design

After a varied design career in agency, retail and corporate environments, Adrianne leveraged her creative expertise to launch Cherry Blossom Studio, a Raleigh, NC-based firm that helps define each business's unique energy through smart design, distinguishing from its competition and resonating with its customers. Adrianne's creative inspiration is broad, and includes color theory, psychology, fashion, architecture and world travel.

Kate Shepard, Project Manager

Kate brings a passion for nonprofits and a background in marketing, public relations and account management to special projects for Gail Perry Associates, including fundraising events, campaign coordination and client management. She is a graduate of University of Georgia, where she earned a BA in Sociology.