Case Study: Development Operations & Institutional Fundraising
Alaska Wildlife Alliance (AWA)
The Alaska Wildlife Alliance (AWA) protects Alaska's wildlife through citizen mobilization, advocacy, and education. AWA advocates for healthy ecosystems, scientifically and ethically managed to protect our wildlife in an increasingly dynamic world.
Through the AWA-CIMA partnership:
$1.1M+
Raised in grant funding
81%
Proposal acceptance rate
3-4 Months
Operating reserves built
AWA first engaged CIMA in 2024 to manage several complex federal pass-through grants, help meet revenue goals, and bolster end-of-year fundraising. The organization also knew it needed to rebuild its development infrastructure from the ground up, including a functional CRM, grants calendar, and financial reporting processes it could rely on regardless of staff transitions.
CIMA started on a focused six-month engagement to close the gap and stabilize AWA's grant management, then expanded into ongoing institutional giving management and operations support.
Our work has included:
Rapid prospecting and a strong year-end campaign to close the projected deficit
Full management of AWA's institutional giving program, including its federal pass-through grants
Leading the transition to a new CRM, with CIMA's Systems & Innovation team supporting data migration and setup
Reworking reimbursement and reporting schedules to create predictable cash flow, including renegotiated university partner contracts
Re-engaging lapsed foundation funders and securing new introductions in AWA's issue area
Coaching AWA's leadership on funder communications and strategy
Results:
Closed a budget deficit and helped the board adopt a reserve fund policy, on track to reach 3 to 4 months of operating reserves by the end of 2026
Raised over $1.1 million in grant funding for an organization with a sub-$800,000 annual budget
Maintained an 81% proposal acceptance rate across 2025 and 2026
Positioned AWA to grow its team and take on a larger convening role among partners working on wildlife policy reform
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