In 2016, Ohio Northern University (ONU) engaged Benefactor Group to conduct a search for three key positions in the college’s advancement office: Director of Estate & Gift Planning, Director of Development for Arts & Sciences, and Director of Development for the College of Engineering. Benefactor Group worked with ONU to develop compelling job profiles and simultaneously launched a search for a planned giving professional while also identifying qualified candidates to fill two major gift officer positions. Benefactor Group successfully identified and recruited three highly qualified development professionals to fill all three positions.

From November 2018 to July 2019, ONU engaged Benefactor Group to conduct a campaign feasibility study. The study assessed ONU’s potential to raise $75 million to endow professorships and scholarships, refresh several facilities, and support The Northern Fund. After receiving the report of findings and recommendations, the board voted to further engage Benefactor Group to provide fundraising counsel to the staff and steering committee. Benefactor Group worked with ONU to develop a detailed campaign plan and continued to provide strategic counsel to ONU leaders through 2023. The campaign officially closed in October 2023 with a final tally of $112 million, exceeding the original $100 million goal.

In 2022, ONU engaged Benefactor Group to facilitate a strategic planning process. Led by ONU’s new president, Dr. Melissa J. Baumann, who was appointed in July 2022, this process engaged faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and students across the university to address the challenges facing not only ONU but also the higher education sector. Successfully completed, the engagement culminated in a strategic plan that illuminates ONU’s path to achieving its vision.