Oleary, Leister Purchase Fundraising Agency McPherson Associates
Press release (Jan. 23, 2012) — Veteran fundraisers Tim Oleary and Carol Leister have purchased McPherson Associates from company founder Dick McPherson.
Oleary will function as Chief Executive Officer with Leister serving as Chief Operating Officer. They will jointly manage the company from offices in suburban Philadelphia and New York City.
McPherson will continue to advise on fundraising strategy, creative and emerging trends and technologies as the company's Chief Innovator.
Oleary will lead the company's strategic direction and business development after spending 10 years in client services and corporate management, most recently as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. With a career spanning more than 17 years, he is accomplished in strategic communication and fundraising.
"We are very excited about this opportunity and look forward to continuing our role to help nonprofits enhance their fundraising programs and their engagement with their constituents in the community," Oleary said. "We will offer forward-thinking strategies and practical services amidst the rapidly changing fundraising climate."
Oleary will continue to manage clients and provide fundraising insight for the company's clients and partners.
Leister will oversee corporate operations and strategic planning and will continue to manage clients and fundraising projects. She is a leading fundraising strategist, having held key positions in membership and development for several nonprofit organizations during her 25-year career, and is an expert in organization and process management.
"We look forward to building on the 27 years of legacy and success of McPherson Associates," said Leister. "Putting our clients first will be a top priority as the fundraising landscape continues to evolve. We will focus on the changing relationships that donors are seeking with the organizations they support, and the new technologies that can foster those relationships. We hope to bring the next generation of thinking to the work we do every day," she added.
McPherson's 40-year career in nonprofit fundraising has had a profound impact on the nonprofits he has worked with and the industry as a whole. He founded McPherson Associates in 1984, and his roster of clients have included major U.S. universities, libraries, women's rights funds, public broadcasting stations, conservation groups and more. Internationally, he has worked with the United Nations Environment for Europe program, Boys Town South Africa, Mama Cash, and the American University in Bulgaria.
"Tim and Carol have exactly the right mix of vision, skills and values so important to our sector right now," McPherson said. "I couldn't be more pleased that they can take the world of McPherson Associates in new directions. I'm equally pleased by the chance to continue contributing to the success of our clients as Chief Innovator."
McPherson has advised prominent figures, including Coretta Scott King and former President Jimmy Carter, and is an adjunct faculty member at New York University. He is the author of "Digital Giving: How Technology is Changing Charity" (iUniverse, a Barnes & Noble Company, 2007).
McPherson Associates is a private company headquartered in Malvern, Pa., with offices in New York City. The company provides a multitude of fundraising and direct marketing services to nonprofits and NGO's.
