Marcy Heim lives to inspire generosity! Her every keynote, workshop, coaching session or article speaks to living a lifestyle of generosity – in our giving, in our relationships and to ourselves – respecting the unique and special gift we are to the world. She brings a sincere respect and energy for the transformational that philanthropy has on our organizations and communities.
Nationally and internationally recognized as a high-content and entertaining presenter, keynote speaker and workshop leader, Marcy’s sessions focus on major gift relationship building, creating a mindset for success, leadership and staff partnerships, staff and volunteer major gift motivation and coaching, and long-term visioning. She is author of Empowering Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors and will soon release her second book, “ASK for Anything ARTFULLY!”
Marcy’s teaching is not from a degree – although she’s a biochemist and animal scientist by training. Rather it is backed by over 20 years of firsthand experience on the leadership team at the University of Wisconsin Foundation. There she managed her own portfolio of major givers, and oversaw the constituency development staff and programs for a college unit with more than 600 faculty and staff, 4,000 students and 40,000 alumni. Her unit experienced twenty-fold giving growth and completed a $50 million campaign under her leadership. In addition, Marcy coordinated the regional development efforts for the UW-Madison in the Pacific Northwest for 10 years throughout the UW’s successful $1.8 billion Create the Future Campaign.
Marcy has created artful major giving relationships for over three decades. Her programs are filled with her own experiences and that’s why she’s so able to help her clients create meaningful and powerful major giving relationships. Marcy’s donors increase their giving amounts, yes, but also their JOY in giving. She was doing donor retention before it was a “thing.”
A trusted authority in the development profession, Marcy partners with leadership in higher education, hospitals, social services, theater and arts and more to break through annual giving barriers and grow long-term relationship building major giving. She clears the way for development professionals to have clear metrics that allow for success and growth while promoting increased staff job satisfaction.
Marcy has been honored with membership in the prestigious Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Laureates. Her CASE online program, “Taking the Fear Out of Making a Major Gift Ask,” reached an international audience at more than 250 sites including Canada, Greece and Ireland. She holds the CASE Crystal Apple for receiving top reviews at 10 CASE national conferences focusing on solicitation and she has shared her authentic approach with thousands of development professionals and board members.
As part of the faculty for the Fundraising and Non-Profits Conference at UW-Madison for 25 years, Marcy developed a process called the 3-sentence Ask. This method empowers everyone – board, staff, and anyone really, to ask for anything artfully.
She received the AFP Outstanding Fundraising Professional award and is an AFP Master Teacher. Any of her teaching quality for CFRE credits.
Through her coaching programs, Major Gifts Accelerator and her on-line sessions, Marcy provides support and accountability to her clients to get clear, move forward boldly and achieve both personal and professional results. In addition, she provides individual coaching to deans, executive directors and other leaders who are key to development success empowering them to both lead and support strong major giving results. Her board training workshops are popular throughout the United States and Canada. A stage performer for years, her Keynotes include her self-penned fundraising tunes – including the popular, “People love to give me money!” Don’t be surprised if she breaks into a version of the “Fundraisers’ Blues” written and performed specifically for your session!
On a limited basis, Marcy works longer-term with individual VIP clients. These relationships promote major gift capacity building as well as campaign readiness work. Her consulting services include leadership development, board training, feasibility studies, development audits, strategic planning, and major gift development and management.
Most of all, Marcy wants YOU to live a generous life filled with JOY!
