Bill Brooks is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and the principal of Bill Brooks & Associates, Ltd. He specializes in grant proposal writing, corporate, foundation, and government prospect research, project development and budgeting, and related services for not-for-profit organizations. During his 22-year career, Bill has developed hundreds of successful projects, proposals, solicitation letters, annual and final reports, and other fundraising materials. He has assisted dozens of organizations across the U.S. and Canada in nearly every area of fundraising and not-for-profit management.

Bill began his career as a fundraiser for his alma mater (Hamline University, St. Paul, MN, BA in Business Administration - 1982) before joining two different American Association of Fund Raising Council (AAFRC) firms: IDC as a direct mail/phone consultant, and later Ketchum, Inc. as a capital campaign consultant. He came to Chicago in 1989 and served as the chief development officer for three organizations and the executive director for two others. Bill started his own consulting practice in November of 2000. Since then, he has served more than thiry not-for-profit clients that provide programs to people in the following service areas: arts and culture, arts education, disabilities, early childhood and youth development, education, education reform and scholarship, employment, the environment, medical research, physical and mental health care, shelter and housing, and social services.

Fundraising

• Writes and prepares print materials (grant proposals, letters, interim/final grant reports, annual reports, etc.)
• Identifies and researches corporate, foundation, and government funding sources
• Analyzes grantor guidelines and giving tendencies
• Recommends grantors likely to fund
• Communicates with funders on behalf of client

Bill's resume and writing samples are available upon request. He provides any and all of the above services on a retained hourly basis.

Former and current clients include: The Academy of Communications and Technology Charter School (ACT); Access Community Health Network; Advocate Charitable Foundation; American Health Information Management Association; Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra; Boulevard Arts Center; Career Resource Center; Chicago Architecture Foundation; The Chicago Furniture Society; Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform; Erikson Institute; First Step Foundation; Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago; Hispanic Scholarship Fund; Illinois Academy of Family Physicians; Illinois Academy of Family Physicians Foundation; Institute for Psychoanalysis; The Irish Music Foundation; The Lake County Haven; Lake Forest Symphony Association; Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Inc.; Northpointe Resources, Inc.; The Peace Museum; People for Pembroke; Rivers Council of Minnesota; Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center; S & S Development Group NFP; Teachers Academy for Mathematics and Science; Union League Boys and Girls Clubs; Whitehead Institute; and Youth Communication.

Bill is the Immediate Past President of the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits (ACN), and continues to serve on its board as Vice President of the Governance Division.  He has served on the Executive Committee of the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) as Divisional Vice President for Membership Services, and is a former Chair of AFP-Chicago's Membership Committee, a former Board member and Chair of the Development Committee at The ACT Charter School, and a former Board member, Secretary, and Membership Chair of The Chicago Furniture Society.