Cynthia follows her passion helping nonprofits achieve fundraising success.
Cynthia Hurst founded Butterflies in Progress, LLC in 2006 after directing and fundraising for nonprofits beginning with Clean Water Action in 1988.
Cynthia is adept at developing relationships with clients and donors. Most importantly she can teach others to do the same.
In addition to consulting with nonprofit organizations, Cynthia teaches fundraising courses at the University of Virginia, Piedmont Virginia Community College and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence in Charlottesville. This is her story.
I grew up in a household with a mother who volunteered constantly. She served on the board of the local boys home, was the president of the PTA, helped patients in the hospital, made meals for neighbors during difficult times and generally set a wonderful example of how to be a good citizen.
I did not realize how much of an impact she had on me until I began working as a canvasser for Clean Water Action in 1988. I knocked on doors and asked people to give money for a good cause. I had a lot of passion for protecting our environment and followed a set strategy on how to get people involved. This was easy!
Within 18 months, I was running CWA’s Baltimore office. I learned that by staying positive and keeping everyone focused on our fundraising goals, we could succeed. During that first year, we raised twice as much money as the Baltimore office had ever raised and we netted more than any of the 25 other CWA offices.
Next, I helped open new offices in Providence, RI; Dallas, TX; Portsmouth, NH and Miami, FL. I learned that fundraising skills can transfer anywhere!
In later years, I directed development activities for the Wildlife Center of Virginia and WHTJ Charlottesville PBS. I found that my fundraising skills were useful with these and other worthy causes. Developing meaningful relationships with donors was productive and fun!
Today, I have the privilege of working with many different nonprofits–large and small, local and national. They all have one thing in common–passion for their cause. I work with board and staff members to channel their passion in a strategic way that benefits their organization.
At Butterflies in Progress, LLC, we can work with you to plan successful events that promote your nonprofit and increase your revenue stream. We design and execute capital campaigns that help you build buildings, start endowments and follow your dreams. And if your board or staff members have somehow temporarily lost their passion, we can help them find it again.
Together, we can develop your dream into a reality and make our world better.