Strategic Partners
At Benefactor Group, we focus on our core fundraising competencies. To broaden our expertise–without adding expense or unnecessary layers of administration–we've aligned ourselves with others who share our values and who can extend specialized services to our clients, as needed.Laura J. MacDonald, CFRE
President
Laura MacDonald, President of Benefactor Group, is a certified fundraising executive with more than 24 years' experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and philanthropy. She has served as the vice president and creative director of a national fundraising firm, chief development officer in arts and higher education, and as a key volunteer for community organizations.
Diana S. Newman, CFRE
Executive Vice President
Diana Newman is the Executive Vice President of Benefactor Group. Her expertise includes strategic planning, evaluation and assessment, board development, public speaking, group facilitation, and fundraising services for nonprofit organizations, specializing in gift planning and endowment building.
Ronald J. Guisinger, SPHR, CCP
Senior Consultant
Ron Guisinger has more than 25 years of Human Resources management experience in both the public and private industry sectors. His experience in the Human Resources field includes Human Resources strategy & planning; workforce alignment; mergers & acquisitions; performance & talent management, job & organizational design; and total rewards. Prior to joining Benefactor, he was the Director of Workforce Alignment for Sterling Commerce, an E-commerce technology firm with more than 2000 employees throughout the US and in more than 20 countries. Previously, he served as a Senior HR Manager for CompuServe Network Services. Ron began his HR career with management and job analyst roles with the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.
Sharon Ferguson
Senior Consultant
Sharon Ferguson is a seasoned fundraising professional with more than 20 years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising, volunteer management, and public relations and marketing. She has served as the chief development officer in arts and higher education and, as a senior consultant, has worked with higher education, human services, cultural institutions, and religious organizations.
Lisa Buckley
Senior Consultant
Lisa Buckley has more than a decade of experience in philanthropy and fundraising, working with both corporations and nonprofits. She has worked intensively with grant makers, developing and directing corporate social responsibility initiatives and cause-marketing programs. Lisa has also assisted many charitable organizations in raising funds through capital campaigns, major gift solicitations, annual campaigns, and special events.
Catherine H. Fynes
Senior Consultant
Catherine Fynes joined Benefactor Group in 2008 bringing with her nearly 25 years of experience in not-for-profit professional and volunteer management, fund-raising, marketing, and media relations. She has developed and implemented annual giving campaigns, planned giving programs, special events, capital campaigns, and direct mail solicitations. She has secured numerous grant awards from foundations and corporations.
Terri LeMaile-Williams
Consultant
Terri LeMaile-Williams serves the clients of Benefactor Group as Consultant, drawing on more than a decade of experience in fundraising, research, advertising, event planning, and project management. She has worked with companies ranging from major nonprofits to media firms to the fashion industry.
Eric Witt
Business Manager
Eric Witt has more than 20 years of operations and management experience in both medium and small companies. His experience has crossed the retail, manufacturing, and design industries, and includes retail operations management, store planning and construction, sourcing and procurement, finance administration, human resource administration, print production, and project management. Most recently, he was Business Manager at a nationally-recognized branding and strategy firm where he helped the company grow from 13 employees to over 60. Previously, he served as Operations Director for Circle Journey. Eric began his career at Micro Center, where he worked in retail management, and then at the corporate office for six years developing and executing new stores.