Hartsook Companies Fundraising Consultants

Murray Blackwelder is known as one of the best fundraisers in America for two simple reasons. He creates excitement for the missions and campaigns of the organizations he serves, and in equally creative and exciting ways, he closes large gifts.

Murray began his fundraising career as director of university relations at Baker University, where he led a successful $1 million campaign. Later he became development director for Rockhurst College. Fast forward to Iowa State University, where Murray served as vice president for external affairs. During Murray's tenure at Iowa State, the University experienced record giving years, completing a $214 million campaign and a $450 million campaign a few years later.

Drawn to ever-bigger challenges, now as senior vice president for advancement with Purdue University, Murray is directing a campaign and more than 50 staff fundraisers to raise nearly $1.5 billion. "The vision for Purdue is preeminence, the next level," says Murray. While steering Purdue's ship toward preeminence, Murray makes time to counsel Hartsook Companies clients, even when it means giving up a few days a month of vacation time.

Why? Largely, he says, because it's fun to be part of the creative process where you can really make a difference. A recent example has Murray closing a $1 million gift on a national campaign. Murray has closed dozens of $1 million gifts, but this was the first time he did it over the phone, having never met the donor.

"You have a set period of time to make change happen," he says. "That's the challenge. The thrill comes when you see the results on the smiling faces of Special Olympics athletes or students attending lectures in buildings you helped bring into existence."

Prior to his association with Iowa State University, Murray was executive director to the Wichita State University Endowment Association and executive director of development at Wichita State University. Working with Bob Hartsook and others now associated with the firm, Murray was instrumental in the successful completion of the University's first capital campaign for $100 million.

He is an active member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), having held a variety of conference chair positions and served as a CASE National Trustee. A former president of the Wichita Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), he continues to maintain an active membership in AFP.

Murray holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a bachelor of sciences degree in business administration from Baker University. Residing in Lafayette, Ind., he and his wife, Diane, have two grown sons, Brett and Karsten.