Perry Jowsey, Director of Development, Freedom Service Dogs

By Heather Fletcher

FS: Have you had any major difficulties or setbacks you've faced along the way? Things you would do differently with your fundraising?
PJ: Again, the economic downturn has been a setback for us as it has been for most nonprofit organizations, as we are now forced to seek funding in an ultra-competitive and greatly diminished philanthropic marketplace. As an organization with an outward social focus, Freedom Service Dogs made the strategic decision since the economic downturn to continue a plan of increasing service to those in need. This has resulted in using financial reserves to cover the cost, which is not a path taken lightly and subjects us to critical ratings based on some formulaic methods of evaluating nonprofit efficiency. This will be exaggerated by some as financially precarious, but as an organization that is built for and exists for human service, we would choose this route again if confronted with identical circumstances.

FS: What advice would you give to organizations similar to yours, in size and annual operating budget?
PJ: My first piece of advice would be to adhere to a reasonable growth plan. I'm constantly amazed how so many nonprofits are pushed by executive directors and boards for rapid expansion, with projections upwards of 75 percent revenue growth from one year to the next. Even corporate America has come to grips with the idea that slow, steady growth is the best path for long-term prosperity.