Fundraising and executive search firm DickersonBakker in Raleigh, North Carolina has realigned its leadership team to “reimagine the entire concept of fundraising, providing a dynamic experience for forward-thinking ministries and other nonprofits,” the firm’s new president Andrew Olsen said via a statement.
As head of client strategy and day-to-day operations, Olsen will work alongside Chief Executive Officer Derric Bakker, architect of the company’s growth strategy. Additionally, to integrate sales, marketing and accelerate company expansion, Kat Landa, CFRE, CSD, has been promoted to chief growth officer.
“The nonprofit sector is hungry and calling for change,” Bakker said via a statement. “We saw this coming years ago and began designing a solution for the future of fundraising. We’re focused on helping nonprofits treat every donor like a major donor.” The firm works predominantly with faith-based organizations.
In a national study of 300-plus nonprofit leaders conducted by DickersonBakker, nearly half agreed that retaining existing donors should be their organization’s top priority — but pressure to bring in revenue often drives other priorities.
Prior to DickersonBakker, Olsen has worked with numerous fundraising agencies, including Russ Reid Company, ONE HUNDRED Agency, Newport One and Altus Marketing. He also hosts the Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast.
Landa had been senior vice president of Development Guild DDI. She’s also been with One & All agency, ViewSpark, and Blackbaud on the Kintera online marketing product.
With nonprofits struggling to combat disappearing donors and revenue, and grappling with how to integrate emerging technologies like AI into their business models, swift change is a necessity, Olsen said.
