Strategic growth,
transformational results

Tere and her team have been transforming the non-profit community in Vermont and Northern New England for decades, bringing together complementary experience and a deep understanding of donor motivations and giving habits with sophisticated development strategy. Our success is directly attributable to our campaign and development acumen, coaching ability, and extensive knowledge of and credibility among major donors throughout Vermont and beyond.

Our Services

Our services to the nonprofit community in Vermont (and beyond) include:

  • We provide the full spectrum of services to guide you from your strategic plan vision to a planning study within your stakeholder community and on to capital and comprehensive campaign strategy and oversight.

  • Gade Associates believes in the intrinsic value of donor relationships to help you meet your mission. After analyzing and prioritizing your donor base, we provide you strategic direction and major gift coaching strategies to propel your organization forward.

  • Our coaching and training services are action-oriented designed to educate and motivate executives, staff, and volunteer leadership to embrace, co-create, and achieve philanthropic goals short- and long-term. Our coaching strategy focuses on relationships and shared values.

  • Gade Associates offers workshops and presentations designed to educate and motivate board members to understand and embrace their role in development and relationship building. We help board members identify their fundraising skill set to help your organization flourish.

  • Our content development team creates fully integrated content and design services to develop case statements for capital campaigns and other fundraising initiatives.

  • Contact us for a complimentary initial consult. Together we can identify your needs, timeline, and possible next steps.

  • VPR (now Vermont Public) engaged Tere Gade to ensure the success of two $10M campaigns: one to build an endowment and the other to expand and renovate its headquarters. I also had the pleasure to work with Tere at Shelburne Farms in the pre-campaign and leadership phases of a transformational $50M campaign. In both cases, it was Tere’s leadership, strategy setting, and understanding of philanthropy that put in place all the building blocks needed to meet our goals. Tere’s coaching and guidance helped me, and each member of the fundraising team, to be our best and tell the inspiring stories of what our campaigns will make possible.

    ROBIN TURNAU
    Chief Advancement Officer, Shelburne Farms; Former CEO, Vermont Public Radio (VPR)

  • In January of 2020, when I became the Executive Director of UP for Learning, Tere supported me, and the organization, in navigating this delicate developmental phase with exceptional leadership coaching. Tere knew just where to begin – a strategic framework refresh process – which led to a refined mission and vision for our growing organization. From there, Tere helped UP build our philanthropy program which has enabled UP to share our work and impact with confidence and clarity to a much larger network of supporters. Tere has the rare ability to ask the right questions and shape our conversations in a way that leads to profound and valuable insights. Tere brings honesty, deep experience, compassion and care to her coaching. UP would not be where we are today without Tere’s partnership and I would not be the leader I am without her coaching!

    LINDSEY HALMAN
    Executive Director, UP for Learning

  • I have had the great pleasure of working with Tere Gade for nearly two decades on a number of nonprofit initiatives from capital campaigns to strategic planning, branding, executive search, and more. In addition to being a highly effective consultant in the nonprofit advancement community, I have seen her provide important counsel to her clients with regard to organization development, management, culture building, and with sensitivity to all concerned. I have witnessed her work from a board position as well as in the trenches with her and can report that she simply gets it done. Her leadership, founded on well-reasoned and experienced advice, is exceptional – and delivered with good cheer, enthusiasm, and collaborative instincts. I recommend her without reservation and invite you to be in touch with any questions.

    MICHAEL METZ
    Community leader serving Vermont’s nonprofits

  • Tere brought energy, chutzpah, realistic thinking, and the highest level of fundraising professionalism and competence at a time when we desperately needed it. I don't know if Tere Gade is certified in CPR, but I do know that she resuscitated the Capital Campaign of the Greater Burlington YMCA just at the point when it was in danger of red-lining. In the best of situations, consultants bring to the table something that is not currently available within the organization being served. They act as "catalysts". This is exactly what Tere did for us. Tere was an indispensable factor in our achieving outsized results in the year 2016. Do yourself a favor. Hire Gade Associates!

    KYLE DODSON
    Chief Executive Officer, Greater Burlington YMCA

Our Team

  • Tere Gade, MA, CFRE

    FOUNDER

    Tere has provided philanthropic services to Vermont and Northern New England nonprofits for over 23 years in support of education, health care, public broadcasting and youth and family services.

    More about Tere

  • Rick Blount

    CONSULTANT / CONTENT CREATOR

    Rick has served nonprofits and policy makers for nearly 30 years through leadership and consulting roles.

    More about Rick

  • Lisa Cadieux

    Lisa's design experience spans 32 years, three cities (Boston, San Diego and Burlington) and myriad mediums.

    More about Lisa