Chalk Consulting LLC

06/01/2026

Blog Series Part Two

Welcome back! If you caught Part One of this series you already know how much the clients of Chalk Consulting have shaped these past four years. Today I want to get a little more personal. I want to talk about what it actually feels like to build a business from scratch, the lessons that humbled me,

06/01/2026

Blog Series - Part One

‍Chalk Consulting is entering its fifth year of business this month, and I am still a little bit speechless about it. Four years of showing up, learning, growing, and pouring everything I have into work that genuinely matters. And I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the clients who made this j...

04/28/2026

When you work in a solo shop you create your own”team” through interactions with clients, other business owners, collaborative partners, and friends in your respective fields.

I appreciate sharing and working with people. I often miss water cooler talks or spontaneous brainstorming in a hallway.

I have learned how and who to create those moments with during the last four years. This weekend I got to experience the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) conference. Conferences remind us of key concepts, generally help create new ideas and rejuvenate you through a work lens of motivation, inspiration, and grounded thought leadership.

Thanks to all those I saw and met. I don’t have pictures of everyone but I appreciated the conversations, brainstorming, sharing of concepts and general interactions.

01/20/2026

Any Guesses? The 10 Universities With the Most Living Alumni

While watching the NCAA College Football National Championship game, I learned that Indiana University has the largest number of living alumni in the country, with an estimated 805,000. That statistic stopped me in my tracks and got me thinking about the impact of alumni communities. Alumni play a

01/02/2026

2025 reminded me why I love this work. I’m grateful for the clients, boards, and community partners who trust Chalk Consulting LLC and invite me into their stories. As we look toward 2026, I’m excited for what’s next and thankful for what we’ve built together.

11/27/2025

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for inspiring clients, impactful projects, and the chance to do work that fills my cup. Thank you from Chalk Consulting.

10/15/2025

In the nonprofit and education sectors, we talk a lot about stewardship. It’s one of those words we use often, and rightly so. Stewardship means taking care of the people who make our work possible. We write thank you notes, host appreciation events, send newsletters, and share stories about the impact of giving. We do these things to remind our donors how much they matter to our mission.

But there’s one group we often overlook: those who have included our organizations in their estate plans. These are some of our most loyal and generous supporters, yet they sometimes don’t receive the kind of intentional stewardship they deserve.

Read more

In the nonprofit and education sectors, we talk a lot about stewardship. It’s one of those words we use often, and rightly so. Stewardship means taking care of the people who make our work possible. We write thank you notes, host appreciation events, send newsletters, and share stories about the i...

10/02/2025

A ribbon on a name tag turned into a conversation about legacy giving and a reminder that recognition is more than gratitude.

Donor recognition can also be a powerful educational tool — one that sparks curiosity, normalizes giving conversations, and inspires new commitments. A recent encounter at my alma mater reminded me of that truth in a surprising way. Click below for the entire read...

A ribbon on a name tag turned into a conversation about legacy giving and a reminder that recognition is more than gratitude. Donor recognition can also be a powerful educational tool — one that sparks curiosity, normalizes giving conversations, and inspires new commitments. A recent encounter at

05/15/2025

Is Your Campaign Vision Ready for Prime Time?

Your Board Wants Certainty. You Need a Clear Path Forward

At Chalk Consulting, we know that traditional feasibility studies too often serve one purpose: to provide comfort. A simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down doesn’t serve institutions navigating complex challenges or shifting philanthropic landscapes.

That’s why we do things differently.

We’ve reimagined the feasibility process as something deeper, more strategic — a Pathway Forward. Whether you’re testing the waters for a new capital campaign or refining your vision for long-term sustainability, our approach uncovers more than readiness. It reveals what’s possible — and how to get there.

At Chalk Consulting, we know that traditional feasibility studies too often serve one purpose: to provide comfort. A simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down doesn’t serve institutions navigating complex challenges or shifting philanthropic landscapes. That’s why we do things differently. We’ve reimagi...

04/21/2025

To kick off Dark Sky Week

One of the many joys of being a consultant is the exposure to a wide range of organizations, missions, and ways of doing business. Because we’re not tied to just one client or sector, we’re constantly learning, growing, and building a broader network—and that has been an unforeseen gift.