James A. Bush
Senior Associate
Jim Bush has lived in the Minneapolis area for over 30 years. He began his career with the YMCA of Minneapolis Area in 1969, and worked as a Sr. Community Program Director in both urban and suburban branches. In 1976 he received the Professional of the Year Award for the Minneapolis YMCA. He began working for the United Way of the Minneapolis Area as a Division Director, handling a portfolio of accounts raising over $250,000. In 1979, he was named Associate Campaign Director, and responsible for the day to day operations of the campaign department, supervising a professional staff of 6, support staff of 7, and a field staff of volunteers of 20 individuals, while increasing his portfolio of accounts to over 150 and a value of $3.5M.
In 1983, he became Senior Division Director with over 200 accounts representing the major corporations and businesses in the Metropolitan Minneapolis area, and increased the value of those accounts from $4.5M to over $6.3M. In 1988, he left the non-profit world, got his real estate license, and became an independent contractor for a business brokerage firm (Opportunities in Business) finding and listing small businesses to sell, valuating businesses, and finding and educating potential business owners about buying and operating small businesses. In 1993, he became Assistant to the President, of a start-up natural foods company (Indian Foods Company), where among his duties were to secure manufacturing and distribution locations, and hiring/supervising demonstration staff.
In 1995, he re-entered the non-profit arena as Major Gifts/Planned Giving Officer for the MS Society-MN Chapter, where he began a board/staff solicitation that raised over $15,000 in the first year, and began laying the foundation for a planned giving program. In 1997, he became the first Planned Giving/Major Gifts Director for Regions Hospital Foundation, establishing a Heritage Society with over 30 members and an expectancy amount of over $1.25m. He also secured a $100,000 gift to purchase a health-education vehicle that provided health testing for hard to reach populations. In 2000, he was selected to be a volunteer for Citizens Democracy Corps (Washington, D.C.) and send to Russia to advise Russian NGO’s in Moscow and Samara on fundraising, strategic planning, volunteer recruitment, training, recognition, and retention.
Specialty Areas:
- Planned Giving Services (Identification, Qualification, Cultivation, Solicitation, Recognition, and Stewardship Services for small, medium, and large non-profits)
- Major Gift Campaigns (Capital, Annual, Special Projects, Endowments)
- Board, Committee, Volunteer, Staff Recruitment, Training, Retention
- Prospect Research and Qualifying
- Strategic Planning for Staff and Volunteer Boards/Committees
- Special Projects and Events Empowerment/management Services