Wake Christian Academy

PHILANTHROPY AND FUNDRAISING: RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING & SUPPORT

Founded in 1966, Wake Christian Academy has spent nearly six decades cultivating a Christ-centered educational environment where academic excellence and spiritual formation go hand in hand. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, the school serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade, offering a rigorous curriculum grounded in biblical truth.

Case Study

Challenge

For nearly 60 years, Wake Christian Academy has delivered a Christ-centered, academically rigorous education that has shaped generations of students. Yet, while the school’s impact grew, its physical campus did not keep pace. In 2017, WCA launched a bold master site plan—a visionary blueprint to transform its facilities and better serve its students and community. However, the school’s fundraising infrastructure at the time was not equipped to support such an ambitious initiative. That’s when Armstrong McGuire stepped in to help.

We found opportunities to help through:
Leadership Development
Strong leadership shapes everything. Whether you’re recruiting top talent, managing a transition, strengthening staff culture, or engaging your board more effectively, Armstrong McGuire helps you build leadership capacity with clarity and confidence.
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Philanthropy and Fundraising
Resource development is the fuel for your mission. If you are considering a capital campaign, pondering your fundraising effectiveness, working to engage your board in development or trying to strengthen your pipeline and systems, we are here to help.
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  • The annual fund case for support was aligned to the key initiatives of the school: All School improvements, Athletics, Fine Arts, Need-based Financial Aid, Professional Development, and Technology.
  • Annual fundraising grew to 3 times the amount raised previously.
  • Capital fundraising grew exponentially, positioning the school to attract the largest gifts in its history allowing the school to complete phase 1 of the three-phase master site plan. The school is preparing to launch the public campaign for phase 2 in the fall, followed by construction in the spring of 2026.  
Case Study

Results

Case Study

Approach

In 2017 Armstrong McGuire partnered with Wake Christian to conduct a Campaign Readiness and Feasibility Study. Through this study, we identified an opportunity to enhance the school's annual fundraising efforts and to begin fostering a deeper level of investment within the community. Together, we built the fundraising and communication muscles of the staff and the board, helping the school strengthen its overall position in the competitive landscape of private education.

"As a Christian educator, I was trained to help students grow academically, spiritually, and emotionally. But in order to accomplish our mission, we must raise funds to advance the mission and vision of our school. Armstrong McGuire provided training, guidance, support, encouragement, and practical coaching to help our team accomplish our goals. Shannon and Jeff are wonderful partners and great friends to our school."

‍

—

Dr. Mike Woods

Dr. Mike Woods
Head of School

When a feasibility study shows that you are not ready to raise the full amount you hoped, it can be disappointing. In the case of Wake Christian Academy, it was inspiring.

The Board of Directors, the Head of School, and the staff embraced the study as an opportunity to learn, grow, and trust in God’s plan for the school. With faithful discernment, they took to heart the recommendations to strengthen the annual fund as a launch pad to future capital fundraising.

They set about the work of revising the annual campaign structure, timeline and approach in partnership with Armstrong McGuire. They set higher targets for the school and for individuals. They asked boldly and individuals and the community at large responded. Momentum was building.

With a more robust annual fund platform established, the school turned to fund some of the first components of its master site plan. Instead of launching a full capital campaign, they started with smaller projects, inviting larger investments from some families who were uniquely positioned to invest, earning their trust and demonstrating what was possible for the larger WCA community.  

Emerging from COVID shutdowns in 2020 stronger than ever, WCA was ready to revisit its capital campaign vision in 2023. Building on the work from 2017, Armstrong McGuire conducted a smaller scale Campaign Readiness and Feasibility Study. This time, we found the school better positioned to launch such an effort.

Although the school remains in the quiet phase of the campaign, they have raised more money to date than ever in its history, attracting 6 and 7-figure investments.  

Case Study

Execution

Our expertise in these fields led us to success.
Capital Campaign Readiness & Feasibility
Team Leads

Meet the people who made it happen.

Our experienced advisors have held roles that span the nonprofit spectrum—so we understand what it's like to be in your shoes.

Shannon Williams

Managing Partner
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Jeff Hensley

Advisor
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