Client Comments

“This plan is awesome!  You are truly skilled at what you do! I must re-iterate, though, that we are so, sooooo lucky to have your contributions to our organization.  Thank you!”

“Just want to acknowledge and thank you from the bottom of my very open and very relieved heart for your skill and patience and determination and honesty and mostly for your grace. I learned so much from you and would love to have more time with you. You’ve put us all in a place of peace and ease and provided so much relief with so many great ideas.”

“The response from all the staff as well as all the participants was very positive.   The information was clear, concise and useful.  Leslie provided the framework for moving forward in a progressive, positive manner.  Her easy going manner facilitated open discussion and her knowledge left no questions unanswered.”

“I just wanted to thank you for connecting me with Leslie Thompson. She was a no nonsense, no bullshit, to-the-point kind of person who told me what I needed to hear. She was invaluable. She talked to me about board dynamics, how to ask leading questions to get people to the conclusion you want them to get to, emphasized self-care, suggested who I need to have on this board, how many people we need to become highly effective, the importance of creating specific policies etc. She also made me understand that I’m not off my rocker for standing up and fighting.”

“Her diverse fundraising experience over many years has provided her with the ability to assess situations quickly and make sound recommendations to enhance fundraising success. This makes her an ideal consultant.”

“Thank you so much for such an informative & timely workshop! I think anyone joining a Board in the role of director should have access to this at the beginning of their first term!  Feeling inspired & supported & grateful!”

“I teach at UBC and part of what I teach is how to ask questions – how to survey effectively.  I must say that I was listening to your style as much as to the actual questions and you are remarkably good at engaging people.  I felt that we were having a conversation and that you were not pushing my answers into little boxes.”

Your presentation was excellent – the right balance of important information and humour!”

“Many thanks for the seminar.  I thoroughly enjoyed your entertaining and informative presentation.  It’s nice to see someone put the “fun” back into fundraising.”

“I wanted to tell with you how much I have been thinking about the many things you shared at the session.  As we are in the midst of planning our sponsorship packages and fundraising goals, I have been able to use a lot of the information you supplied.  I learned a ton and you presented it all in an easy, friendly style that made spending a Saturday at a workshop very enjoyable!”

I want to thank you for a powerful workshop.  I can see the path clearly now.  I feel relieved of time consuming efforts with low return and will now make time for the things that I know will work.”

Thank you for giving us a wonderful workshop.  I’ve been to several fundraising workshops before and yours is refreshingly different.”

“My meetings with Leslie felt as though I had just entered non-profit therapy.  What a relief!”

“Yoda – help!!!”

“Thank you.  I now have an action plan and have learned several key concepts.  I appreciate your energy and enthusiasm.”

“Actual, tangible knowledge to take away and use immediately!  Very worthwhile time spent.  Easy to share with the rest of my board – not just for me!  Thanks!”

Working with Leslie was a very positive experience that I would recommend to any aspiring arts administrator or fundraiser. At every turn, Leslie was proactive, thoughtful and thorough in her counsel. She demonstrated exceptional tact and diplomacy in dealing with a Board of largely novice fundraisers, empowering them to overcome initial challenges around the process and successfully advocate and procure funds on behalf of the organization. Leslie is a gift to the arts sector, and a true professional.”

“….. extremely knowledgeable, appropriate and eloquent.”

“Thanks!  You covered all the right things.  It was a very inspirational & practical workshop.”

“The workshop was excellent.  Leslie was very knowledgeable and well prepared and presented information in a very simple and easy to understand manner.  I learned a lot!”

“Leslie presented fundraising in a valiant light, creating new understanding of the steps towards being successful, being accountable and being organized!  Thank you for your knowledge.  This workshop is very valuable for both fundraisers and those involved with any organization.”

“Generally, I hate fundraising workshops, but Leslie’s was truly useful. The information was practical and presented in a fun and manageable way.  Really inspiring!  The morning muffins that she personally made helped too!”

“Your energetic ideas and break down of ways to approach fundraising were truly informative and inspiring.  I hope that our paths will cross again in the future.”

“Just read through the paper you researched and wrote. It is such a fantastic document and so very complete and thorough. Kudos! If followed, this will go a long way to being able to be successful with our fundraising efforts for years to come. Thank you for all your great work!”

I found the session to be amazingly informative and inspiring!  For me, one of the largest breakthroughs was finally learning more about the cultivation stage of the work.  Now that I know much more about this stage, I’m far more comfortable with the solicitation stage, which was something that I used to scare myself–and then hold myself back from the whole undertaking.   I’m now genuinely and greatly excited about moving forward, and soon reviewing the Case for Support!  I’ve huge gratitude for Leslie T. and the many participants who showed up a sunny, spring Saturday!

“Thanks Leslie! We are doing quite the happy dance today. I went to a function two days ago where a business executive told us that his personal donations were down this year.  After the meeting was over, I wasted no time in accommodating him. Just like that!  This morning I got a call from his secretary asking who to make the cheque for $26,372.62 out to.  I guess that fundraising workshop really took!  Thanks to you, I knew what to do and how to ask when the opportunity presented itself.”

“I thought Leslie’s workshop was excellent. It was so well balanced with general info, humour, and direction. The time went very quickly and although I have been involved in fund raising over the years, I learned a lot. She also gave me a way to help without doing ASKS!!”

Thank you for a valued workshop with clear and concise information that our Board will surely find helpful in the days and months to come. So refreshing to be able to listen and speak with someone who knows what we are going through and has a gracious way of delivering valued perspective and relevant content.