At the end of this year, Linda McNay is retiring.

I’ve tried twenty different ways to start this article, and none of them felt sufficiently profound, so I decided to just get it out there. It is difficult to adequately give a full measure to the importance of that statement.

Linda is, quite simply, a fundraising legend. She has, for the vast majority of her career, dedicated herself to helping nonprofits thrive by better funding their missions. Not because it was her job, but because she genuinely loved the community for which she worked.  And as it turned out, she was really good at it.

First, she contributed directly as a fundraiser for educational institutions at Transylvania University (her beloved alma mater), Georgia Tech, Emory University & Pace Academy. She served as V.P of the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges and then transitioned into the Arts & Culture sector as CDO at the High Museum of Art, leading its efforts to raise $95 million to bring great art from the Louvre and China to the Atlanta community. Then, for over twenty years, she expanded her impact, offering her fundraising expertise as a consultant helping a broad spectrum of small and midsized nonprofits to better staff and fund their missions.

Linda believes deeply in giving back to her field and lifting others up in the process. Linda served as an active member of AFP, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, for over 30 years. Her volunteer work with them included being a mentor in the Diversity Fellows Program, serving on the National Philanthropy Day Steering Committee and Past-Honoree Chair for many years and faithfully participating in the Philanthropy in the Classroom program.

Her impact has, quite literally, been felt across the entire nonprofit community throughout the metro-Atlanta area. Some would venture to say throughout the southeastern United States.

Linda founded Our Fundraising Search in January 2013 with a goal of providing nonprofit search services to small and mid-sized nonprofits. OFS was that company for exactly one search, when she placed Ailena Parramore as Director of Development at an independent school. Ailena kept asking for help, and Linda kept saying yes, until she had grown OFS into the boutique, full-service fundraising firm you know today. (If you’re keeping track, this made Ailena, now OFS Co-Owner, the first candidate placement and first client of OFS. Full-circle moment indeed.)

It’s really hard to put into words Linda’s talents and impact. She is, at her core, energizing, eternally optimistic and extremely hard to say no to, generally because she truly doesn’t accept that something can’t be done. Whether it was being the first woman in fundraising at her alma mater (when it wasn’t believed women could be successful in the field), jumpstarting a stagnant alumni fund, managing a portfolio of over 50 capital campaigns, co-writing a children’s book on philanthropy because “one doesn’t exist so, obviously, we should just write it”, or helping a client overcome the unexpected loss of a beloved executive director, Linda’s eyes and enthusiasm have always been focused on building a brighter, more successful future.

Linda has a great eye for talent. (Obviously, I am biased on this front, having been both hired by her and placed by her.) As she taught me the ropes of search and executive placement, I saw that her great skill is to look past what is on the resume and instead understand a candidate’s potential.

For the past few months, she has been quietly letting some long-time colleagues and friends know of her decision to retire. One of the most common themes that have emerged from those conversations is the sheer number of people who started or accelerated their nonprofit careers based on Linda’s help, advice and (occasionally) direction.

One of the things no one tells you when you become a CEO or Executive Director is how lonely the job can be. For our clients, Linda has always been a trusted advisor and confidant. Speaking from personal experience as a nonprofit leader, she was frequently the first person I would call for a fresh perspective on a problem. I was not the only one.

In fact, Walk With A Consultant was specifically created because so many of us needed advice that we were sucking up valuable, billable hours (that she was always happy to give). Her advice, always given for free, was usually spot on and often accompanied by a story of how she acquired that particular bit of wisdom.

When you look Linda up on LinkedIn, you’ll notice that she has more than 8,000 connections. That is because Linda is a loyal and interested friend. Linda may have a lot of colleagues, but she looks at those colleagues as friends. Her ability to keep track of what is going on in the careers and lives of all those connections is a testament to her belief and understanding that the nonprofit sector is powered by great and kind people.

We’d be remised if we didn’t point out that she has accomplished all this while she and her husband, Gary, were raising their sons, Ian & Mason. Reflecting on all her recent accomplishments, she brought it back to her family: “They were always more important and the reason for it all,” she said.

While Linda may be retiring, she will forever be our revered leader – our founder, our relentless cheerleader and the champion of so many nonprofits in her community. As Ailena and I step into the role of owners, Linda’s intent behind the founding of OFS will continue to be our core values – curiosity, patience, wisdom, persistence, empathy and fun.

Please join all of us at Our Fundraising Search in celebrating a true hero of the sector. Linda’s retirement date is December 31, 2025.