Client Testimonials

One of Barb’s many talents is her ability to take a fresh look at an organization, assess current conditions, and then craft a suite of recommendations from which to build upon. Following a leadership transition, we engaged Barb to coach a small team within our organization to improve internal communications, solidify fundraising strategies, and utilize planning tools. She quickly assessed the team’s strengths and areas where we could become more efficient and productive. Building on our strengths, we held regular coaching sessions to identify priorities, set goals, and establish strategies for implementation. Barb has a very positive and encouraging way about her. She is confident and competent, and, she empowered the team to celebrate wins and embrace challenges. I cannot recommend Barb more highly, and I very much look forward to future engagement opportunities with her. 

As president of a large hospital foundation, I once tried to hire Barb.   But she was too darn smart, talented, focused and determined to help many organizations to work for just one.  My loss.  The world’s gain.

If you’re a CEO or CDO looking to build your development team, talk to Barb. She has the experience, wisdom and kindness that every non-profit needs…plus the personality that ensures everyone succeeds.

Barbara’s experience, expertise, and insight have played an integral role in the development of our fundraising team and have helped us build momentum to meet our objectives. Barb has an extensive knowledge base of philanthropy tools, techniques, and best practices, and she demonstrates a strong willingness to roll-up-her-sleeves as a dynamic partner.

Barb is a refreshing breath of fresh air that stirs creative thinking, animates systematic change and energized ongoing efforts. With excellent questions and a can-do attitude Barb’s partnership has made a difference in my life and in our work. I especially appreciate her proactive planning, measured counsel and optimistic tenacity.

Barb has been a tremendous resource and thought partner to me as I take on a first capital campaign. I’m grateful for her years of experience and gift of wisdom. Barb is optimistic and quick with thought provoking questions that help me move to the next level.

As the Fort Meade Alliance Foundation President, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Barb Kappel and Due East Partners for the past 4 years. Barb provided strategic guidance and leadership as we developed our Foundation. In addition, Barb successfully built and executed a $3.6M capital campaign to build an Education and Resiliency Center on Fort Meade that will serve hundreds of thousands of people for years to come. Barb’s leadership and expertise helped the board of directors in major gift strategies for individuals, corporations, Foundations, as well as public funds. Barb has been an outstanding partner.

Working with Barb, I felt like I received a customized experience that was personal and tailored to the goals I wanted to achieve. She held me accountable, boosted my confidence while challenging and encouraging me to go out of my comfort zone. With her guidance, I was able to develop next steps and a clear plan moving forward.

Barb has been an important member of our team almost since the day we launched Due East. Barb is not only one of the best major gift fundraising strategists we know but she is the model of a nonprofit professional who fully understands and leverages the art and science of fundraising. Barb helps organizations of all shapes and sizes build meaningful relationships with their donors and enhance the nuts and bolts of their development functions. She understands that fundraising is just one aspect of an organization’s overall strategic growth and helps leaders identify and effectively capitalize on their organization’s strengths to expand their reach and impact. Barb does all of this by truly investing in every nonprofit leader with whom she works. Her heart is in every project and every interaction.

I have known and worked with Barb in charitable endeavors for over 20 years. Recently, Barb and her team at Due East Partners helped the Ft. Meade Alliance and it’s Foundation administer and complete a significant capital campaign to provide a Resiliency Center on Fort Meade in Central Maryland to serve tens of thousands in the region. In this Center, the Fort Meade Alliance Foundation, the Department of Defense, every military branch, and various third parties will be able to offer needed services to the entire Fort Meade community (both active and retired military, DOD personnel, and their families) in a state of the art facility. During the campaign, I served as President of the Ft. Meade Alliance and sat on the Ft. Meade Alliance Foundation Board of Directors, thus providing me with a front row seat to Barb’s work. Barb’s guidance and expertise in executing major gifts strategies for corporations and foundations, as well as accessing public funds, was pivotal to the success of our campaign.

Barbara Kappel is a leader in the fundraising community providing strategy and guidance for measurable results for any size fundraising organization. Ms. Kappel has helped me plan strategies for major giving which led to successful results for organizations I have worked with including Chesapeake Bay Trust and St. Mary’s Parish and Schools of Annapolis.

In my experience as President & CEO of nonprofit organizations I lived how competing urgent priorities crowd out essential development tasks.  Working with Barb created the focus we needed to prioritize, collaborate, and complete donor engagement strategies. Barb prides herself on proper preparation and follow up. It’s one of her many assets along with her advice and coaching. Our conversations were organized and effective. We always knew my priority and actions for the week or two ahead. I could then efficiently and productively complete them checking in with Barb along the way.

I wholeheartedly recommend Barb to my colleagues in executive positions who juggle many roles while striving to meet essential fundraising goals. Barb understands, is so pleasantly supportive, and helped increase my fundraising productivity!

Our organization is 100% volunteer driven, and we depend heavily on the community to bring their passion and commitment to this great cause. Barb Kappel came to DPCF in 2012 as a volunteer. It was immediately apparent that her experience and leadership would be invaluable to our cause. Not only did she give tireless guidance in the creation and launch of our Jingle Bell Run of Annapolis 5K race, but gladly stepped in as the Director and lead fundraiser, securing all sponsorships for the event. Through her careful oversight, the ‘Jingle Bell Run’ has raised tens of thousands of dollars and grows each year. The logistics of executing such an event are at times exhausting and always time consuming, yet Barb has never wavered for a minute in her efforts to ensure a successful outcome. It is a special person that can combine compassion, work ethic and expertise to focus on a cause where the benefits are not always immediately seen and where there is no compensation. These qualities have been invaluable to DPCF and I’m confident that they will offer the same benefit to your organization. I highly recommend Barb Kappel.

I have worked with Barb as a mid-Atlantic philanthropy professional for 15 years to bring planned giving and major gift tools and resources to the industry. She is a trusted resource for a broad range of non-profits. While she prides herself on specializing in the small to mid-sized organizations, she has proven experience with NPO’s of all sizes. I would absolutely recommend Barb to help your organization thrive on the right track.