Our radically human approach
We always start by listening to you about where you are on your journey: what you are hoping for, inspired by, concerned about. With that preliminary understanding, we look at the reality on the ground, whether it’s an audit of your communications, a review of your fundraising approaches and patterns, or a broader look at your community’s purpose and vision. We hold those things together to assess with you what is needed. Are there gaps to be closed? Is more engagement needed? Do your dreams and aspirations flow naturally from the current state of things?
And because we respect the faith traditions and practices of the organizations we often serve, we always make room for the movement of the intangible (the spirit) that contributes to and guides the decisions you make.
Then, once we understand what you are hoping to achieve, and the context in which those hopes are operating, we work together to create a path forward to reach people and move them with your message, raise the money you need to fulfill your sense of purpose, or reimagine the possibilities to make a difference in your community and beyond.
The discussion at the retreat was rich and necessary. I am grateful for your honesty, vulnerability and care for our parish. What a beautiful job you did leading! I heard from a number of folks how much they enjoyed your approach and leadership. Well done.
We could not be more pleased with Vandersall Collective. We had interviewed another consultant and chose Vandersall Collective because of the level of support they provide. Our growing church has a wonderful volunteer spirit and yet we needed our consultants to do the heavy lifting.
We also chose them because of the spiritual foundation of their process. They quickly understood our mission and the essence of what St. Stephen’s stands for and believes in.
Mieke and Erin and the staff have consistently responded very quickly to our questions and have given us very helpful feedback. Both vestry and clergy have grown in the process. Vandersall has given us guidance and timelines and has been flexible with some unavoidable delays.
We are grateful for Vandersall and what they have helped us achieve.
Working with Vandersall Collective is an investment in who our community is and who we hope to become. Their processes are full of care, joy, wisdom, and somehow thread the needle of data-driven compassion. Mieke Vandersall and Dave Harder have become more than consultants—they are companions in the journey we're taking. It's a journey I doubt we'd be on without the courage, hope, and knowledge they offer and help us remember to see in ourselves.
The work we did with Vandersall Collective, looking deeply at who we are as a church and what’s possible for our ministry in the future, has started to manifest itself in the way we meet together, in how we worship, how we’re rethinking our structure, and how we allow the Spirit to move us in discernment rather than always just “planning and doing.” What a great surprise to find that this work also gave me a springboard into work at the General Assembly on the denomination’s Way Forward Committee. I found that I knew how to listen for what was needed, and had the vocabulary at the ready to talk about exciting possibilities for the future of the church.
Quite simply, we couldn't have done it this year (2020) without Vandersall Collective. Not only did they give us the moral support we needed to feel brave enough to ask donors for funding, but we also received the tools to be able to continue to raise funds in a sustainable way. It was such a natural working relationship. Both myself and the board actually enjoyed the process of fundraising (can you believe that??) and felt thoroughly supported throughout. Our programming actually expanded in a year we should've shrunk.
I think most surprising was how Vandersall Collective made us really consider our strengths, who we were as an organization, and what was possible for us. Once we did that, things began to open up for us.
‘Thank You’ falls far too short to express my appreciation for the time you spent with us and the words you shared with us. Seeds have been planted and planted faithfully by you. Now, it is time for us to do our parts—to shift our paradigm and to work—and trust our Lord for the increase. Your words and the concepts you presented tied so coherently with growth (spiritually and numerically) and moving forward with parish status.
Working with Vandersall Collective brought all the joys of having capable, caring, dedicated colleagues—and then some. Mieke and her team guided our nervous congregation through a feasibility study with knowledge and expertise that were matched by their compassion and pastoral sensibilities.
The Vandersall Collective has approached our work together eager to listen and be attuned to the uniqueness of our organization, its identity, and its needs. I am so grateful for the coaching and empowerment they have been providing us—it has already started to transform the culture of our organization.
It has been a joy to work with Mieke! It’s not easy work—she has a knack for getting right to the root of challenges in our organization. Her authenticity, skill as a facilitator, and years of experience have built trust to ‘go there’ week after week, and I can see the company emerging with momentum towards our vision as a result.
Mieke’s work was inordinately valuable to our organization. She gave me a sense of vision and confidence around fundraising.
Working with the Vandersall team has been a game-changer for our organization. The combination of skills this team has brought to the table revolutionized our operations, communications, fundraising, and strategic planning for the future. As a director charged with a challenging re-start, Vandersall was exactly the resource I needed, soup to nuts, in a visionary one stop shop. The passion, wisdom and devotion to the future of the church and the world charged our team and our Board with resolve and determination. What a gift!
Mieke and her team at Vandersall Collective are extremely professional, thoughtful and creative collaborators—and they’re a pleasure to work with. I recommend them without reservation.
Vandersall Collective was an incredibly efficient and creative firm that took our organization through a massive name change process—including rebranding, rollout, and website build—while using professional resources and insight that left my company comfortable in every stage of the process and utterly pleased with the final products.
Our Presbytery’s website was in desperate need of a complete makeover. Vandersall Collective walked with us step by step to create a more user-friendly and resourceful website.
Vandersall Collective helped us to gain the motivation, the tools and the confidence to launch our capital campaign. We are so grateful for their faithful and visionary guidance.
Our campaign isn’t simply raising money. We are building relationships, recalibrating our culture and renewing our mission. Mieke and her team are integrated into every aspect with competency, dedication and heart.
On our own, we would not be able to navigate these waters. We’re grateful for the partnership we feel with Mieke and her team.
I honestly do not know how our organization would have survived a year like 2020 without the support, encouragement, and effective fundraising skills of Vandersall Collective. In a year when the world was in chaos, Vandersall Collective helped our organization's board and staff work closely together to far exceed our fundraising goals and build deep relationships with our members that will enrich our organization's mission for many years to come.
We arrived with a vision and Vandersall Collective has brought it to fruition: focusing our goals, building fundraising infrastructure, challenging the way we view money in our lives and creating a customized strategic plan has spoken to the unique needs of our project. Our ambitious dream of recording an album live in the wilderness will be realized this summer and would not have been possible without this critical process.
We chose Vandersall Collective because they care as much about the life and future of the whole parish as they do about the campaign they are assisting with. This challenges us to look beyond where we are and see where we can be, both financially and spiritually.
Vandersall Collective is life-saving. Mieke and Erin have lovingly nudged Arlington Presbyterian forward into a new money story that speaks to our time and place. In the process, APC has strengthened internal relationships and deepened relationships with our neighbors. As a solo pastor, I cherish Mieke and Erin's role as a trusted conversation partner.
What a relief. Vandersall Collective walked us through, step by step, helping us change how we thought about and managed our Stewardship season.
Vandersall consultants were wonderful to work with in helping our congregation do important discernment work around a potential capital campaign. The keen insight and wisdom offered with good humor and support were invaluable to our leadership team in enabling us to move forward. Anyone seeking help with strategic planning or capital campaign consultants should absolutely consider Vandersall Collective.
Vandersall came alongside us when we began the work of overhauling our historic church’s brand identity, website, and communications. With their guidance, we have built a communications platform reflective of who West End Church is today and how me might grow for tomorrow. Working with Vandersall has not only been transformative for our church, but also a joy and a continual learning opportunity for our staff and leadership. I recommend them without hesitation.
Working with Vandersall Collective was like finding good friends. They got us!