Linda Wise McNay is founder, owner and principal consultant with Our Fundraising Search in Atlanta.  She has completed more than 18 years of consulting and has served more than 200 clients. Linda’s nonprofit background includes work with both higher and secondary education, the arts, human services and faith-based organizations; and has included work in capital campaigns, annual fund, planned giving, membership, and development and executive search. 

Prior to launching Our Fundraising Search on her own, Linda served as Chief Development Officer for 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. She also managed the execution of an endowment campaign, initiated the institution’s first full-time planned giving effort and increased the museum’s membership to a record 50,000. During her High Museum tenure, Linda served as national president of AMDA, the Art Museum Development Association.   

Linda served as Director of Advancement at Pace Academy, a K-12 private school in Atlanta.  At Pace, she led the school’s largest and most successful capital fundraising campaign with a goal of $15 million. The campaign was an overwhelming success, reaching goal ahead of schedule, under budget and with 95% parent participation and 100% board and 100% faculty/staff participation. 

In higher education, Linda has held positions including Vice President of the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges; Executive Director of the Emory Challenge Fund at Emory University; Director of Development at the Georgia Institute of Technology and alumni and development roles at her alma mater, Transylvania University. 

Linda has been a member of AFP, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, for over 30 years. Her volunteer work with them includes being a mentor in the Diversity Fellows Program, serving on the National Philanthropy Day Steering Committee and Past-Honoree Chair for many years.

In 2021, Linda and her colleagues, Ailena Parramore and Dave Paule, authored Fundraising for All, a book that demystifies fundraising for staff and volunteers alike. Dedicated to raising the next generation of philanthropists, along with fellow passionate fundraisers, Ailena Parramore and Del Martin, Linda has co-authored a children’s book, The Adventures of Phil An Thropy. Author of a book and an online course: Fundraising for Churches: 12 Keys to Success Every Church Leader Should Know with Sarah Mathews; Fundraising for Schools: 8 Keys to Success Every Head of School Should Know, and Fundraising for Museums: 8 Keys to Success Every Museum Leader Should Know, a regular speaker and presenter at workshops and conferences and author of numerous articles for publication, her doctoral dissertation was entitled The Relative Cost Effectiveness of Three Direct Mail Techniques on Non-Alumni Prospects. 

Linda earned her Doctorate in Philosophy of Higher Education from Georgia State University; a Master of Business Administration specializing in Personnel Administration, from the University of Kentucky; and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. Linda and her architect husband, Gary, have two adult sons. 

In her spare time, Linda likes traveling to new places with family and friends, reading, writing, walking and playing board games.