Overview
Personal expertise and support
Melanie takes a bespoke and personal approach with organisations; her aim is to help them develop successful long term philanthropic relationships.
Often combining strategic guidance with hands-on work for clients, Melanie has helped to meet the demand for support during capital, revenue and endowment campaigns, large projects, growth and development, staff change or transition.
Following recommendations from her fundraising assessments, audits, consultations and feasibility studies, clients have often used her consultancy to guide them through the initial stages of implementation.
Current and recent projects
Stoutzker Fundraising Partnership has begun a capital campaign planning project for the Yehudi Menuhin School and recently completed a capital campaign planning and interim support project during a period of change for the Nightingale Hammerson care charity.
We have recently provided the Victoria & Albert Museum with a strategic review of its American support. Melanie has worked with the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) for a second time providing guidance with international philanthropic sectors, case for support development for corporate sponsorshiop partners, trusts and major giving, prospect pipeline development, a leadership assessment and guidance with resourcing to support fundraising and communications. She worked with the the Soho Theatre providing support during the recruitment of a Director of Development Director, Sutton Trust to develop high value philanthropic support for long term sustainabililty and for a second time the think tank, Centre for London, establishing a high value programme of support.
Recent campaign feasibility studies for clients include the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Charity (CW+), the National Portrait Gallery, Christ's Hospital School and Cockpit Arts, a Social Enterprise organisation for designer-maker businesses.
Previous experience
Melanie has more than 24 years' experience as a development professional. Following seven years as an advertising account executive, her fundraising career began in the USA, working with a consultancy specialising in the cultural, charity and political sectors.
In 1994, Melanie began her UK fundraising career with the Royal Academy of Arts, and in 1997 joined the Natural History Museum as Head of Charitable Giving. She subsequently became Deputy Director of Development. In this role, Melanie directed the £75 million Darwin Centre capital campaign. She raised over £30 million for this campaign and for other capital projects, as well as funds for education, conservation, exhibition and scientific research programmes.
Melanie formed a fundraising consultancy in 2004 with the Natural History Museum’s former Development Director. The consultancy worked with the Science Museum, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Barbican Centre and the London Children’s Museum.
In 2006, Melanie founded Stoutzker Fundraising Partnership with a small team of expert associates, leading and collaborating on a wide range of fundraising client projects.
Work for other clients includes:
- combined campaign planning and implementation support
- Capital, endowment, revenue and programme fundraising guidance and support
- major gift programmes and solicitation of high net worth individuals
- feasibility studies for capital and combined campaigns
- audits and reviews of fundraising strategy, programmes, resourcing and skills
- case for support development
- prospect research management
- Interim support for organisations in times of transition and recruitment
- building effective volunteer leadership and management
- staff and board level solicitation training
- fundraising team building, recruitment and training
- guidance on effective skills and resourcing
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