​John C. Shimer has spent more than five decades in professional fundraising, developing and applying an approach to transformational giving that challenges many of the assumptions behind traditional capital campaigns.

​

John began his fundraising career at age twenty-three as public relations director for the United Way of South Bend, Indiana. At thirty-two, he received the Harold J. (Si) Seymour Award for outstanding achievement in hospital fundraising, becoming the youngest recipient in the award's history. He is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) and a Fellow of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.

​

In 1990, John and his son, Christian Shimer, were recruited by a private family foundation to work directly with the nonprofit organizations it supported. John's compensation was paid entirely by the foundation, rather than by the charities he advised. That unusual arrangement gave him the freedom to recommend the fundraising strategy he believed would best serve each organization, without regard to consulting fees or conventional campaign practices.

​

Increasingly, that meant replacing the traditional capital campaign model with an approach built around a compelling institutional vision, deep donor relationships, and a small number of gifts capable of transforming an organization's future. ​That approach became the Transformational Giving Campaign and ultimately the foundation for The 20 Gift Campaign.

​

​Now retired from full-time fundraising, John continues to share his experience with nonprofit leaders and is available for a limited number of private telephone consultations.