Plan International USA

The Challenge

Plan International USA approached Carter in 2017 to build on the success of a recent eight-figure campaign and prepare the organization for a potentially even larger major/mega gift fundraising campaign to support their mission to advance children’s rights and equality for girls, working in over 80 countries to create a more just and equal world.

How Carter Helped

Our team conducted a campaign planning study; supported the organization through campaign preparation, leadership enlistment, pacesetter and major gift solicitations, and a mid-campaign assessment; worked alongside Plan’s marketing agency on the campaign’s kick-off activities; and provided ongoing campaign counsel to ensure the success of Plan’s We Are the Girls campaign.

Once engaged, the Carter team also recognized an opportunity to shift Plan’s fundraising philosophy from “securing gifts and grants” to asking donors to join in a global movement for girls – an important strategy for inviting and stewarding more significant gifts. Along the way, Carter supported Plan’s leadership in ensuring the fundraising and programs team members all spoke the same language, that donors would be investing in systematic, long-term solutions to ensure global equality for girls.

The Results

In 2023, Plan International USA celebrated exceeding its $200 million goal for adolescent girls’ empowerment and education. Equally important to achieving the campaign goal, our team supported the organization in transitioning away from “transaction-based fundraising” toward building a stronger culture of philanthropy to ensure that Plan is capable of sustaining relationship-based major/mega gift fundraising long after the campaign’s and the Carter team engagement’s conclusion.

“I thought we were looking for a fundraising partner, someone to raise more money. What we needed and what we got was a partner that helped us understand what philanthropy can do for Plan.”
– Shanna Marzilli, President & CEO