My Story
I founded Higgins Consulting Group to help nonprofit leaders address the challenges that often sit beneath fundraising results: unclear priorities, underdeveloped systems, limited capacity, leadership transition, and the absence of a practical strategy that people can actually implement.
Throughout my career, I have seen what becomes possible when mission, leadership, stewardship, and disciplined execution are aligned. I have also seen talented teams work extraordinarily hard without the structure or support required to sustain progress. My role is to bring clarity to that complexity and help organizations build a stronger path forward.
ABOUT ADRIANA HIGGINS
For more than 25 years, I have worked at the intersection of fundraising, nonprofit leadership, organizational growth, and mission. My career has included executive and senior development leadership roles in national nonprofits, healthcare, civil rights, human services, and community-based organizations.
I have led established fundraising programs and built new ones. I have managed teams, advised executives and boards, developed comprehensive fundraising strategies, implemented donor databases, strengthened development operations, guided campaigns, and worked across major gifts, principal gifts, institutional funding, planned giving, sponsorships, and donor stewardship.
Over the course of my career, I have helped raise more than $100 million. That experience has taught me that fundraising success is never only about the ask. It depends on trust, leadership, preparation, disciplined follow-through, strong systems, and an organization’s ability to steward both relationships and resources well.
I created Higgins Consulting Group because many nonprofit leaders need access to that level of experience without immediately hiring a full-time executive or engaging a large consulting firm. They need a trusted advisor who can understand the big picture, identify what is getting in the way, and translate strategy into practical decisions and next steps.
That is the work I am committed to doing: helping leaders strengthen their organizations so they can pursue growth with purpose and create impact that lasts.
I help nonprofit leaders turn ambitious goals into practical strategy, stronger capacity, and lasting impact.
My Philosophy: From Purpose to Legacy
I believe meaningful and lasting growth begins with purpose. Organizations must understand what they are called to accomplish, why it matters, and what must remain central as they grow.
Purpose is sustained through stewardship—the responsible care of relationships, resources, trust, and opportunity. Stewardship creates the conditions for stronger capacity: the leadership, systems, people, and infrastructure required to thrive. Capacity makes disciplined growth possible. And when growth is pursued with intention, it creates the potential for legacy—impact that can endure beyond a single leader, campaign, or moment.
This Purpose-to-Legacy progression is more than a brand idea. It reflects how I approach the work and the questions I help leaders answer.
Experience That Connects Strategy and Execution
My professional experience includes serving as Vice President of Development for Measures for Justice, Chief Advancement Officer for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Director of Major Gifts for Piedmont Atlanta Healthcare Foundation, and Executive Director of Susan G. Komen Houston. Earlier in my career, I helped build a planned giving program for the Houston Zoo.
Across these roles, I have worked with national and regional funders, major and principal donors, corporate partners, healthcare leaders, boards, volunteers, and cross-functional teams. I have led complex portfolios, strengthened donor data and reporting, built pipelines and stewardship systems, supported capital and comprehensive campaigns, and helped organizations navigate growth and change.
Because I have been accountable for both strategy and execution, I understand the distance between a recommendation that sounds good and one an organization can realistically carry out. My consulting work is designed to close that distance.
Credentials and Selected Experience
• Adriana M. Higgins, Ed.D., CFRE
• Founder & Principal, Higgins Consulting Group
• More than 25 years of nonprofit and fundraising leadership
• More than $100 million raised over the course of her career
• Executive and senior leadership experience across national nonprofits, healthcare, civil rights, human services, and community-based organizations
• Experience in fundraising strategy, major and principal gifts, institutional funding, planned giving, campaigns, development operations, CRM implementation, and board engagement
Every organization’s path is different. The first step is understanding where you are, what you are working toward, and what may be standing between the two.
I welcome the opportunity to learn more about your organization and explore whether Higgins Consulting Group can help.