A historic organization transforms their philanthropic program with the support of new development staff

Founded in 1853, the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association was the first national historic preservation organization in the United States. Today, the Association remains committed to its original goal: preserving, restoring, and managing the beautiful riverside estate of George and Martha Washington. Since George Washington’s Mount Vernon opened to the public in 1860, over 85 million visitors have witnessed and learned about the life and legacies of the Washington’s firsthand.

In 2017, Mount Vernon retained Development Guild to conduct their search for a Senior Vice President for Development. Critical to the success of the engagement was our ability to partner with key leadership and gain a holistic understanding of the institution’s operations, culture, opportunities, and direction. We successfully placed Joe Bondi, who came to Mount Vernon with over 15 years of fundraising experience at George Washington University. Later that year, Joe hired us to conduct an additional search for a new Senior Director of Development. We placed Amy Turcotte in the role. Amy held a wide range of management experience including Director of Development and Major Gifts at the National Geographic Society.

The placement of Joe and Amy strengthened and transformed Mount Vernon’s philanthropic program, which plays a critical role in supporting the institution’s ambitious agenda.