The moment
Red Wiggler offers meaningful, paid work to adults with developmental disabilities on a working organic farm. Heading into its 30th anniversary under a new Executive Director, it had never done a structured development audit. Revenue leaned on a few funders and annual events.
Meanwhile the farm's own insurance carriers, banks, landscapers and service providers had never been asked to partner.
What I did
- Audited first. Budget, calendar, fundraising history and partnerships. Corporate and vendor partners ranked as the biggest untapped opportunity.
- Started with who was already there. Vendors already knew and trusted the farm, a much warmer path than cold corporate outreach.
- Made yes easy. Two low-lift offers sized for a tight-budget year: a $1,000 Field Naming sponsorship and a Corporate Volunteer Day paid for by the partner.
- Built what lasts. A development plan, stewardship calendar, donor letter templates and a shared tracker so Executive Director Kara McCall and the board can carry every relationship forward.
What changed
- 14 vendors and companies contacted, 7 engaged.
- 2 grants secured: $500 in Wegmans gift cards and a $2,500 Atlantic Union Bank sponsorship.
- 4 Corporate Volunteer Days on the calendar, each fully funded by the partner.
- 2 Field Naming sponsorships, adding $2,000 in new revenue with more in conversation.
- For the first time, a structured corporate pipeline the team owns.
Why it worked
Red Wiggler didn't need more asks. It needed easier ways for people who already knew the farm to say yes. Several partners said budgets were tight this year, and low-lift offers let them give anyway.