About Us
What Makes Schmucker Advising Group Different
We're Nonprofit People Who Understand Organizational Change
Most consultants are either nonprofit experts who don't understand how organizations actually change, or change management experts who don't get the nonprofit sector. We're both. Our team combines deep expertise in organizational development, fundraising, research, and nonprofit strategy with real experience in the trenches.
We Teach You to Stand on Your Own
Our goal isn't to create dependency. It's to build your internal capacity so that when you're ready, you can continue growing without us. We're not interested in being your permanent consultants. We want to be the advisors who helped you become unstoppable.
Nothing Is Prescriptive
Your organization has its own culture, challenges, and opportunities. Cookie-cutter solutions don't work when you're trying to navigate complex organizational change. We help you discover what works for your specific situation, then build the systems and skills to execute it.
Meet The Team
Angie Schmucker, CFRE
Founder & Principal
Angie began her career as a consultant helping for-profit organizations change for the better. The path took her into marketing research, sales, and ultimately, strategy for a Fortune 500 company. In 2002, Angie relied on her business experience, communication, and relationship-building skills to successfully transition into the non-profit sector, focusing on fundraising.
For nearly two decades, she raised funds in a variety of roles and for a broad area of needs ranging from live professional theater to autism, from early childhood and K-12 education to higher education, from athletics to libraries, and from healthcare to museums. She found opportunities to grow and improve every fundraising program she worked on. During this time, her teams worked well together and celebrated achieving their goals.
Angie has a Master’s in Organization Development and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University, in Bowling Green, Ohio. She is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) and holds a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workplace certificate. Angie is married, has two adult sons, and one cat. In her spare time, she loves hiking, making things with paper, and working in the garden.
Areas of Expertise
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Organization Development
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Organization Assessments
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Strategic Planning
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Board Assessment, Development, and Training
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Executive Coaching and Leadership Development
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Fundraising Planning
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Major and Principal Gifts
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Planned and Annual Giving
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Stewardship and Donor Relations
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Team Culture and Engagement
Senior Consultant
Sue Helderop
Sue brings more than 30 years of nonprofit and higher education expertise in management, board development, program design and execution, and volunteer engagement to the organization. Prior to joining us, she worked in higher education as a senior director of engagement and led the alumni engagement program at universities in Michigan. Sue holds a BS in advertising and public relations from Grand Valley State University. She is married, has one son, and is blessed with two grandchildren. In her spare time, Sue volunteers as a mentor and enjoys singing, photography, and travel.
Areas of Expertise
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Stewardship and Donor Relations
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Program Strategy and Development
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Alumni Engagement
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Volunteer Management
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Board Assessment, Development and Training
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Event Management and Assessment
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Team Management and Leadership Development
Senior Consultant
Barb Walker
With a BSBA from Bowling Green State University (specializing in marketing research), Barb brings experience in multivariate analysis and trend-spotting. She spent 30 years in advertising, moving brands forward, finding pathways to communicate with key decision-makers, and uncovering insights to help grow her clients’ customer bases across both B2B and consumer audiences, from outdoor power equipment to healthcare. Barb holds a certification as a trained qualitative moderator (focus groups), an ethnographer, and a brand planning specialist. On off hours, Barb enjoys culinary pursuits and outdoor activities, such as hiking, birding, and nature with her husband in her home state of Ohio.
Areas of Expertise
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Strategic Planning
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Branding/Rebranding
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Research
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Group Facilitation
Consultant
Wendy Ernzen
Wendy brings more than 20 years of nonprofit fund development experience as a past Director of Development and a nonprofit consultant for small and mid-size organizations in human services, arts and culture, and urban planning. Wendy holds a BS in finance from Oakland University, an MPA from the University of Michigan - Dearborn, and is a member of the Leadership Detroit Class of XXXIX.
Wendy is also an advocate for disabilities and inclusion, serving on the Severe Autism Committee with Autism Alliance of Michigan, the Advocacy Committee with the Oakland County Health Network, and is the producer and host of Let's Plant Houses, a podcast that celebrates the stories of families making the impossible possible for their kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also serves as Governance Chair on The Greening of Detroit's board.
She is married, with two children. In her spare time, she likes to travel, practice yoga, and take leisurely walks with her dog, Ranger.
Areas of Expertise
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Fundraising Strategy
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Stewardship and Donor Relations
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Effective Storytelling
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Sponsorship Program Development and Activation
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Grant Administration and Proposals
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Campaign Planning and Execution
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Strategic Planning
Consultant
David Klinger
Dave Klinger is a business and healthcare executive with more than 30 years of experience who has helped organizations unlock their potential through structural design, communication, and effective development and deployment of human assets. Dave’s experience includes 25 years in healthcare administration, leading human resources, organizational development, and communications. He also provided organizational and communications expertise in public affairs and human resources at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and its physician group. Dave has a BA in journalism from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and an MBA with honors from the Eli Broad College of Business, Michigan State University.
Areas of Expertise
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Human Resources
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Organizational Development
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Business Strategy
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Grant Writing/Donor Proposals
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Communications
Consultant
Brian Phelps
With over 20 years of experience driving organizational excellence, Brian serves as a strategic advisor dedicated to helping businesses navigate complex change and optimize performance. His career spans consulting agencies, recruiting firms, manufacturing, and technology organizations, providing him with a unique, multi-faceted perspective on aligning human capital with business strategy. Brian specializes in bridging the gap between high-level strategic planning and practical execution, focusing on the systems and skills that empower organizations to sustain long-term growth.
Brian holds a Master of Organization Development and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University. His academic foundation is complemented by professional certifications in learning and development, change management, and continuous improvement, reflecting a career-long commitment to fostering resilient, high-performing workplace cultures.
Outside of his professional life, Brian is married and the proud father of three boys. When he isn't focused on his family, he stays active through weight training and basketball, and he enjoys diving into DIY home improvement projects or traveling to new destinations.
Our Methodology
Schmucker Advising Group has designed a method for change, specifically designed for boards and for nonprofits and their unique needs. Our HEAPS® Consulting utilizes a five-step process. This interactive and integrated process is used throughout each project to ensure forward progress. With HEAPS® Consulting, we address obstacles and optimize opportunities to help your organization move towards your desired future.
HEAPS® Consulting provides an intuitive and organized approach to understanding the current environment and what you already know, while allowing you to envision the desired future state. The starting point of the HEAPS® Consulting process is based on what we hear from all of the key constituents. We use this basis to clearly educate teams about the difference between where you are versus where you want to be in the future.
Working together, we develop realistic action plans that will help bridge the team from today, to tomorrow. Once your action plan is developed, we help you determine how to put the planned changes into practice ensuring you will ultimately reach success. Finally, to ensure that the team can achieve and maintain the change, we help you put the structure in place to keep the team on track for the long-term.
The focus of HEAPS® Consulting is not on the particular change alone, but working, thinking and approaching the everyday need for change in new and exciting ways. The details of learning about and converting to a new way of embracing future success will bring a renewed energy and dynamic to your team or organization, and provide a clear, unified path forward for everyone. Schmucker Advising Group’s HEAPS® Consulting will guide you through the process to build a successful team focused on the future of your organization.