Heather Schade Fundraising Consulting
I support cultural and media organizations in advancing their development strategy, including securing institutional funding, strengthening major donor engagement, and surpassing fundraising goals.
Services Offered
Institutional Fundraising
Development of foundation, corporate, and government proposals, reports, and supporting materials tailored to organizational goals and funder priorities
Proposal budget development
Prospect research
Grants calendar creation and management
Database management
Major and Individual Gifts
Creation of major donor strategy including donor engagement, asks, and pipeline development
Written appeals and proposals, cultivation materials, and development communications
Donor research
Database management
My Approach
Strategic and Collaborative
I partner closely with organizations to understand their mission, funding priorities, and long-term goals. Whether developing grant proposals, devising fundraising plans, or supporting donor asks, I bring a collaborative and thoughtful approach grounded in both strategy and execution.
Clear, Compelling Communication
Successful fundraising begins with telling a compelling story that demonstrates a project’s impact. I help organizations translate complex initiatives into persuasive narratives that resonate with foundations, government agencies, and philanthropic supporters.
Results-Oriented
Nonprofit teams are often balancing ambitious goals with limited time and capacity. I provide responsive, organized support designed to meet deadlines, streamline processes, and help move fundraising projects forward with confidence and measurable results.
About Heather
Heather Schade is a fundraising consultant with over a decade of experience securing transformational gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies. She has worked for leading nonprofit cultural and media organizations, including Storm King Art Center, Brooklyn Museum, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and ProPublica.
Throughout her career, she has led and contributed to the growth of fundraising programs by thoughtfully moving donors and funders through the pipeline and closing five- to seven-figure gifts. As the Associate Director, Institutional Giving & Project Support at Storm King, she secured more than $4M annually in institutional funding for major initiatives, growing the program by 900%.
At ProPublica, her portfolio value increased 125% from $900,000 to $2M, and she contributed to the expansion of the leadership gifts program from $9.5M to $17M annually, while also securing a $3M planned gift. She is an experienced contributor to major capital campaigns, including Storm King Art Center’s $53M capital and endowment campaign and ProPublica’s $70M capacity-building campaign.
Heather is an expert in translating complex ideas into compelling funding opportunities and brings a collaborative, thoughtful approach to her work. Her experience includes donor and funder strategy, proposal development, prospect research, and development communications. She holds a Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration from New York University.
Professional Experience
Storm King Art Center | New Windsor, NY
Director of Development and Associate Director, Institutional Giving
Directed the institutional giving program, raising over $4M (a 900% increase)
Gifts included Empire State Development ($2M); 2022 Federal Appropriations Bill ($1.6M); MarketNY ($1.2M); Windgate Foundation ($1M); and NYSERDA ($600,000)
ProPublica | New York, NY
Assistant Director, Leadership Gifts
Key member of a leadership gifts team that raised $17M annually (an 80% increase)
Secured a $3M planned gift as part of nascent legacy giving program
Brooklyn Museum | Brooklyn, NY
Institutional Giving Officer
Awards included Tisch Illumination Fund ($1M); NEH ($700,000); and Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation ($250,000)
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts | New York, NY
Development Manager, Institutional Relations
Gifts of note included: NEA ($210,000); NYSCA ($150,000); and the Shubert Foundation ($150,000)
Recent Awards
Storm King Art Center
$2.6M - NYS Consolidated Funding Application
Storm King was awarded an $2.6M award for its $53M Capital Campaign, the largest gift to an arts organization in that cycle. Empire State Development awarded $2 million and NYSERDA funded $600,000 through the Carbon Neutral Community Economic Development program. This was the Art Center's first award from the agency.
ProPublica
$250,000 Individual Gift
ProPublica was awarded a $250,000 gift from a long-time individual donor, in support of its Pulitzer Prize-winning democracy work.
Storm King Art Center
$1M - The Windgate Foundation
The Art Center received a $1 million gift from The Windgate Foundation, for the establishment of a legacy endowment at the Arkansas Community Foundation. The endowment will support Storm King’s Education Programs in perpetuity.
Recommendations
"Heather excels at bringing departments and consultants together towards a shared goal. She is efficient, resourceful, and detail-oriented — qualities that are essential in this field. She brings a thoughtful balance of optimism, approachability, and transparency to her work."
Samantha Wiley, Former Storm King Art Center
"Heather is a thoughtful and empathetic leader who embraces challenges and collaborates cross-departmentally to meet institutional goals. She is driven, self-motivated, and detail-oriented."
Scot Sedley, Storm King Art Center
Get in Touch!
Schedule an introductory call to discuss your needs.