Sam Kennedy

About Sam Kennedy

I am President and founding partner of Strategic Partners, Inc. I have worked for a variety of not-for-profit clients from small, start-up operations to regional clients with service locations in several states. I am particularly familiar with Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and northwest Ohio, having worked professionally in these areas for more than thirty years. I had more than seventeen years of resource development experience prior to entering the consulting field where I have been working for over fourteen years. Much of my institutional career have been in the field of education, where I began as a secondary school science instructor in 1972. I continued my connection to education by serving as a trustee and later President of the Adrian (Michigan) Public School Board of Trustees for thirteen years. I am past President of the Adrian Morning Rotary Club and Plymouth AM Rotary Club, both in Michigan I am a charter member of the Michigan Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, achieving CFRE certification in 1986. I have also held volunteer leadership roles in the National Catholic Development Conference, and was the founding president of the Michigan Association of School Development. My insights into personal gift strategy, project design and overall project direction produce results far beyond what is expected or predictable. My strategic insights make me a sought after advisor to annual, capital and endowment projects around the country. I am also skilled in organizational analysis, which have provided numerous opportunities to create, re-focus, or turn-around new or struggling development programs. Specialties: major gift development; annual, endowment and capital projects; leadership development, board and staff training, endowment building, major capital expansion projects for healthcare and higher education clients, and temporary professional staffing for advancement and resource development positions.

Experience

1. President and Principal

   Strategic Partners, Inc

   Mar 2001 — Present · Canton, MI, US

   Annual Fund Strategy, Major Gift Fundraising Strategy, Campaign Strategy - especially for unpredictable and out of the ordinary projects.We take on projects others can not and we generate transformational resultsWe have special expertise in endowment building, major capital expansion projects for healthcare and higher education clients, and temporary professional staffing for advancement and resource development positions.

Education

• University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business

  Not-for-profit management

  1981 — 1982

• Oakland University

  Masters

  1972 — 1977

• Catholic Central High School

  Science Math

  1964 — 1969

• Oakland University

  Bachelor of Arts

  1969 — 1972