New England School of the Arts
New England School of the Arts (NESA) is a growing organization that provides immersive arts-based learning opportunities to youth of all ages and experience levels. The founders have successfully led several popular afterschool programs and a summer camp, and have also taken multiple steps to create an independent high school. The Head of School approached Jill Marshall Consulting in 2024 to collaborate with another consultant to improve NESA’s visibility and admissions process by upgrading NESA’s website and marketing approach. In addition, Jill contracted with NESA to find new funding sources through an in-depth grants prospecting process.
“Working with Jill Marshall Consulting has been transformative to our very young organization. Jill is masterful at looking at an area where an organization wants to grow and develop, identifying the areas where improvement is needed and highlighting the current strengths. Jill is also a wonderful team player. She worked closely with our marketing and development consultant Elliott Mitzi to do a complete overhaul of our website and support the creation of a branding document that all stakeholders connected to NESA were briefed on. Jill brings decades of experience to her work and is professional in every aspect.”
- Jennifer Chambers, Head of School
Designing a New Website
Communications | Content Creation | Website Development
In just five weeks, Elliott Mitzi and I partnered to create new messaging and a custom website design for NESA. We began by working with the Head of School to identify key elements of NESA’s overall communications strategy, and then determined how to apply them to NESA’s website and marketing efforts. Next, we scanned multiple independent schools’ websites for compelling design and content, and recommended appropriate features for NESA. I drafted some of the core content for the website, and offered feedback on the website’s design and final copy.
Developing an Annual Marketing Plan
Communications | Marketing | Branding
I also supported Elliott Mitzi in building a tailored, annual marketing plan, as well as a branding and style guide for NESA. These key communications tools enabled NESA to prioritize opportunities, maximize resources, and have confidence in its strategy moving forward. They will provide direction for NESA’s staff and other partners for years to come.
Identifying New Funding Sources
Fundraising | Grants Prospecting | Staff Training | Organizational Development
After facilitating feedback from NESA staff to understand their fundraising goals over the next 3-5 years, I am researching regional and national grantmaking prospects to support NESA’s continued growth. NESA will be provided with a list of ranked grantmakers most likely to support NESA’s mission, including by operating and restricted opportunities. In addition, I will analyze the giving of NESA’s current and lapsed donors, and advise on future strategy to strengthen these relationships.
Results
NESA has several key capacity-building tools in place to guide its work, a list of grantmakers to consider approaching for support, and a beautiful website that provides appropriate information and resources for its target audiences.