Fund Raising Endorsements

Fund Raising Endorsements

Sandra Bowden, CIVA President, Wenham, Massachusetts

Laura Cootsona has been an invaluable source of help guiding CIVA in its first major fund drive, CIVABUILDS. Her skill working with the board to enlighten our understanding of what is involved in fundraising helped to prepare us for going to donors and her guidance has been insightful and wise all through the process. We are grateful to her leadership on the CIVA Board Fundraising committee.

Sheila Denton, Westminster Woods 

“Laura offers the right blend of education, encouragement, and accountability to keep our organization moving forward with our fund raising goals. She works with me to apply fund raising strategies to our particular set of circumstances, so that together we set goals that are attainable and yet stretch us into new directions.” 

Sister Barbara Larner, Former Development Director, St. Elizabeth High School, Oakland, CA

"It has been my privilege to have worked with Laura Cootsona over a number of years on many different aspects of fundraising. Her ability to work alongside colleagues who were less than comfortable in the fundraising arena and to watch how she encouraged, equipped and trained them to the point where they were excited about the task was one of many outstanding attributes Laura brought to the table. Our work and ministry is by far the better for the work that she did on our behalf, I commend her work wholeheartedly."

Nancy Pedulla, Director of Graduate & Faculty Ministries New York/ New Jersey Area, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

Laura is a gifted consultant and an excellent trainer. Her professional savvy and confident leadership enabled us to enter our first capital campaign process capably.  She has strong organizational and interpersonal insights and applies them well in her consulting.  She does excellent follow through and is able to help others in leadership to perform well.  I would recommend her highly as a gifted organizational and development consultant.

Greg Wolfe, Editor, ImageJournal, Seattle, WA

" Laura Cootsona is knowledgeable, focused, and creative. She's also an excellent communicator. Her counsel has been invaluable for our organization."

Kristin Myers, trained to go out with Avant Ministries to Malaga Spain

“Laura has been an invaluable resource to me as I followed a two year call into missions. She started with a biblical background in fundraising that gave me confidence through, what can be, a very scary process. She patiently guided me through mounds of information from my sending organization, and helped me organize it into understandable tools for sharing with people one on one and/or in larger groups. She has been one of my biggest cheerleaders, always full of advice and available to give it.”

Teri Briggs and Peggy Drobny, Innovative PreSchool  

"As a non-profit organization attempting to establish long-term fundraising strategies, Laura has provided us with the guidance, expertise, and inspiration to create a tool that will be used as the foundation for our fundraising efforts. Her enthusiasm, professionalism, and perseverance were key components that enabled our team to successfully complete and launch our fundraising program. Our organization owes a debt of gratitude to Laura and her efforts!"

Jeff Gephart, Bidwell Presbyterian Church, Pastor for University and Mission

Laura Cootsona's training in support raising for mission has helped us connect the dots with our teams in two very important ways:  Her work has given us a way to speak practically about what will work to meet our support goals. We can also speak now with confidence biblically about why raising support teams is important for our own spiritual journeys and for the whole church as a people on mission together.

Brent Walker, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty

Laura Cootsona is a consummate development professional.  Her winsome personality compliments her expertise of non-profit fund raising. She has been of inestimable benefit to the Baptist Joint Committee’s development program including a successful capital campaign.  She has provided meaningful education to our Board and to new development staff.  I cannot recommend her more highly.