Benefactor Group Elevates Abby Shue and Adam Fazio to Partners, Advancing Its Next Chapter
After years of thoughtful planning, Benefactor Group is excited to announce a significant milestone in our firm’s journey. Founder & Partner Laura MacDonald, CFRE, and President & Partner Steve Beshuk have officially welcomed Abby Shue and Adam Fazio as Partners, ensuring the continued advancement and stability of Benefactor Group for years to come.
This transition reflects a commitment to elevating leaders from within: people who embody Benefactor Group’s values, understand our clients, and share our dedication to the nonprofit sector.
Abby and Adam aren’t stepping into new roles so much as formalizing the leadership they’ve already been demonstrating. Abby Shue, Executive Vice President, leads our consulting team across campaigns, talent, strategy, and nonprofit technology. Adam Fazio, now Vice President, leads our talent and executive search practice. Together with Laura and Steve, they form a leadership team grounded in experience, trust, and a shared vision for what Benefactor Group can accomplish alongside our clients.
For our clients, this news comes with an important assurance: what makes Benefactor Group who we are isn’t changing. You can expect the same strategic counsel, the same commitment to excellence, and the same dedication to your mission that has always defined our work. We’re simply building on a strong foundation with leaders who are ready to carry it forward.
Four Partners, One Vision: A Conversation About What’s Next
We sat down with all four partners to talk about this transition: how it came together, what it means for the sector, and what’s ahead for Benefactor Group. Here’s what they had to say.
Let's start at the beginning. How long has this transition been in the works?
Laura MacDonald: From the beginning, I believed enduring organizations are built by investing in people. Think about our name—we’re not MacDonald & Associates, we’re Benefactor Group. This firm is more than my work; it’s about all of us and our dedication to serving the nonprofit sector.
Steve Beshuk: This didn’t happen overnight. We’ve been planning for years. Think less microwave burrito, more cast-iron Dutch oven on a Sunday afternoon. It needed time to develop, and I think we nailed it with Abby and Adam.
This is a notable move in a sector where so many firms are merging or consolidating. Why is this internal leadership change the right choice for Benefactor Group?
Laura MacDonald: Being true to self is one of our core values. That means knowing who we are and not being swayed by what everyone else is doing. Elevating leaders from within is a direct expression of who Benefactor Group has always been: a firm that invests in its people, honors its relationships, and takes seriously that our name is on everything we do.
Abby Shue: I’m grateful for the trust Laura and Steve have placed in us, and I don’t take it lightly. Our clients are navigating real change in the sector—policy implications, reallocated resources, heightened fundraising goals, staffing challenges, and more. As Adam and I become Partners, this adds another layer of stability for our clients: we’re here, we’re invested, and we’re not going anywhere.
Abby and Adam, what does this moment mean to you personally?
Abby Shue: It’s a full circle moment for me. I started working with Benefactor Group as a client and during that work I saw what this team is – people who deliver, who genuinely care, and who make each other better. I came as a client and stayed for the people. Years later, I’m honored to be part of shaping what comes next, and I have no doubt that our best chapters are still ahead.
Adam Fazio: I’ve grown professionally here in ways I couldn’t have anticipated, and I’m so grateful for that. What motivates me every day is the work: helping organizations find the right people at the right moments and supporting organizations making meaningful impact in their communities. This is a chance to do more of that work, with a team I trust, for a sector I care deeply about.
What can clients and partners expect going forward?
Steve Beshuk: More of the same, but better. Same values, same people, same standards. There will just be more of us at the helm now, and that’s a good thing. Clients can expect exactly what they’ve come to count on: a smart, data-informed, people-first approach to fundraising, talent, strategy, and technology.
Adam Fazio: The things that matter most aren’t changing. The clients we’ve worked with for years are still talking to the same people who know their organizations, their histories, their quirks. That trust is invaluable.
What’s ahead? What should we be excited about?
Abby Shue: The nonprofit sector is being asked to navigate uncertainty, do more with less, and demonstrate more impact than ever before. That’s when firms like ours matter most. We have a talented, mission-driven team, and I have never been more certain that our most meaningful work is still ahead.
Adam Fazio: The nonprofit professionals we work with deserve partners who are fully present and fully committed, and that’s what this partnership makes possible. I believe the best work is ahead of us.
Laura MacDonald: What I feel most is pride: in this team, in what we’ve built together, and in knowing the work will continue in the best possible hands.
Steve Beshuk: I’ll echo what has already been said: this isn’t about changing direction, it’s about building on what’s already working with the right people in the right seats. I have no doubt Abby and Adam will bring a wealth of wisdom to the leadership team.
Send A Congratulatory Note to the Partners
More About Our Partners
Founder & Partner
Laura MacDonald has worked professionally in fundraising and philanthropy for more than 40 years. Building on these experiences, she established Benefactor Group in 2000; a firm that has applied its founding principle of “serving those who serve the common good” by helping hundreds of organizations fuel their cause with powerful fundraising, people, and systems.
President & Partner
Steve’s passion is helping nonprofits achieve results, whether it’s building a strategic plan or improving their systems. His expertise, cultivated over decades of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, lies in strategic planning, coaching, business intelligence, technology, and data-informed decision-making.
Executive Vice President & Partner
Abby Shue is an accomplished nonprofit executive and trusted advisor with nearly two decades of leadership in philanthropy, fundraising, and strategy. She brings a distinctive blend of first-hand executive experience and consulting expertise—having both led complex organizations and guided clients nationwide through transformational growth.
Vice President & Partner
Adam guides clients through critical change moments, including leadership transitions. A member of Benefactor Group’s talent management practice, Adam has a passion for building strong teams to increase organizational impact and drive growth.
Let's Connect
At Benefactor Group, our team of experts is ready to fuel your cause with powerful fundraising, people, and systems. Contact us below for more information on how you can partner with Benefactor Group to kickstart your fundraising, identify strong leaders, plan your strategy, or find the technology that will work for you..