Our People

Megan Simmons

Senior Consultant

Today’s donors don’t seek transactions—they want to achieve transformation, to change the world. Our goal is to help organizations articulate the visions and plans worthy of that transformational investment.”

Megan Simmons

Megan, who joined Benefactor Group in 2016, leads the firm’s Fundraising Communications practice. She guides mission-driven organizations to articulate worthy visions, share their plans in compelling ways, and create sophisticated materials that inspire supporters to action. Her work includes cases for support, custom proposals for principal investors, attractive donor-ready collateral, and communications audits and strategies—all grounded in a nuanced understanding of donor motivation.

Always curious about industry best practices, Megan has written for publications such as Nonprofit Quarterly and Philanthropy.org, serves on the board for the Giving USA Foundation, and chairs the Giving USA Editorial Review Board. In 2025, she co-authored a special report, Generations and Giving, for the Giving Institute.

Prior to joining Benefactor Group, Megan served as an editor at a publishing house, as well as worked in financial services. Megan graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University, where she was an Eminence Fellow and a member of the honor society Phi Beta Kappa.

Read more about Megan and why she serves the common good here.

Client Partners

Publications

Giving USA Special Report Generations and Giving: A Literature Review on Philanthropic Trends Across Generations. Link.
Giving Magazine, “What Inspires Big Gifts? Big Ideas.” Link.

Featured Insights

Free Download: A Guide to Campaign Communications

July 14, 2021

For fundraisers, campaigns unlock a treasure chest of big ideas, energizing messages, and fresh collateral. At their best, campaigns lend themselves easily to powerful communications and creative materials. But they are also guided by structures—phases, sequential solicitation practices, and other rules—that can complicate the marketing team’s job. We take a look at communication during a […]

Fundraising stories represented by children at COSI.

Show, Don’t Tell: How and Why to Use Stories in Fundraising

August 22, 2019

A children’s museum can tell a donor that it educates 10,000 students each year—that 50% of its visiting schools come from low-income districts, that 1,200 youth participate in the “Girls in Science” program, that kids with museum membership passes are 30% more likely to pursue higher education. That information is important. It’s necessary. But it […]

The Science of Fundraising Communications: Our Top (Data-driven) Tips

The Science of Fundraising Communications: Our Top (Data-driven) Tips

February 17, 2026

If you’re a communicator, you often have a gut feeling about what works and doesn’t work when it comes to connecting with your donors and prospects. You may have a personal list of best practices that you rely on, and that you trust because they (usually) work. But do you know why they work? Read on for the science behind it.

Unlock better donor communications

August 29, 2023

This month, a few members of the Benefactor Group team attended the 2023 Bridge Conference to present on a favorite topic: how to effectively communicate with donors through the lifecycle of a campaign.

Cincinnati Office

Cincinnati, OH
614-437-3000