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Overview
Strategy, Focus and Philosophy
Philanthropy, at its core, is altruistic: an investment of values, intellectual capital, and financial resources, which brings about the greater good for our world and communities. Unfortunately, due to the enormous complexity of social challenges in today’s world, the constant evolution of the nonprofit landscape, and increasing administrative and regulatory oversight of traditional charitable instruments, the modern experience of philanthropy too often fails to produce meaningful rewards of genuine altruistic engagement for successful families and businesses.
The founding vision of Oakdale Strategies is to deliver comprehensive services to philanthropic individuals, families, and organizations to make high-impact, high-value philanthropy easy. Philanthropists face many decisions on what to do with their foundations, legacy planning, board appointments, and family involvement. Oakdale Strategies relieves donors of these important, but taxing, tasks so they can concentrate on the rewards of giving. We combine content expertise with philanthropic technical knowledge and tools to help multiple generations speak in one voice.
Our Core Values
We believe that the strongest philanthropic relationships—the ones that produce the highest yield for grantees and their beneficiaries—are also most rewarding for donors.
In our experience, these high-value, high-yield relationships are realized under the conditions of trust, transparency, and empathy for shared goals of donor and grantee.
Because forging this foundational trust requires a long-term investment of time and resources both on the part of a donor and funding partner(s), these kinds of relationships are also very rare.
To be a partner of value in advancing high-yield philanthropy, Oakdale Strategies integrates three guiding pillars in every client engagement:
Our Pillars
At Oakdale Strategies, we specialize in fostering robust philanthropic relationships that maximize value and outcomes for nonprofit organizations and those they serve, while enriching donor experiences. Our approach emphasizes building mutual trust and transparency among donors, nonprofit organizations, and those they serve, all united in achieving shared goals.
Our diverse clientele includes individuals, families, companies, philanthropic foundations, nonprofits, and professional advisors. We integrate three core principles into each client engagement:
Relationship-Centric
We work closely with our clients to understand their philanthropic goals and vision, providing tailored philanthropy management services. Leveraging a strong network of nonprofits and expert advisors in accounting, law, and finance, we offer comprehensive support.
Solution-Focused
We begin by identifying administrative challenges and streamlining philanthropic management processes. Through a deep understanding of current and future client needs, and by evaluating past efforts, we enhance operational efficiency for our clients, facilitating more impactful philanthropy.
Trust-Driven
We advocate for a successful philanthropic approach grounded in strategic planning by clients, impactful theories of change by nonprofit partners, and alignment of values and resources between donors and nonprofit partners. As trusted advisors, we advocate for forward-thinking strategies and prudent decision-making, guiding a targeted approach that closely aligns with strategic objectives.
At Oakdale Strategies, we are committed to advancing philanthropy through these principles, ensuring that each partnership achieves lasting, meaningful impact.
Tailored Service Offerings
Nonprofit Legacy + Endowment
- Review and analysis of nonprofit organization’s current and projected financial needs.
- Assess efficacy of past and current planned giving, legacy giving and endowment fund campaigns.
- Assess efficacy of past and current annual giving fundraising efforts.
- Collaboration with nonprofit’s leaders to determine goals and scope of legacy gifting and endowment campaigns, including fundraising and monetary goals and volunteer and donor participation.
- Collaboration with nonprofit’s leaders to determine personnel, operational, fundraising, and overhead costs of legacy gifting and endowment campaigns.
- Design and implementation of:
- Strategies to help ensure long-term financial stability.
- Legacy gift and/or endowment campaigns.
- Record keeping, reporting systems and strategies
- Ongoing program maintenance schedule to ensure project success.
- Collaboration with nonprofit’s leaders, staff, and vendors, to develop marketing, publicity, outreach and stewardship strategies.
- Training of nonprofit’s paid professional staff and volunteer solicitors in best practices for outreach to prospective donors and funders.
- Advise nonprofit organization in identifying and educating prospective donors and professional advisors about the nonprofit’s legacy and/or endowment campaign.
- Consultation and advisory services as needed to help nonprofit optimize its results and achieve its legacy gift and/or endowment campaign goals.
Grantmaking services
- Provide custom grant application and reporting services, including creation of a process and distribution to the desired nonprofit community
- Arrange nonprofit site visits (in-person or virtually) pre and/or post grant
- Provide research on nonprofits or issues to assist in grantmaking decisions
- Design specific grantmaking processes, programs, and partnerships to best achieve any desired outcome
- Make grant distributions per donor’s guidelines through the use of a donor advised fund or private foundation
- Produce customized letters for all grant recipients
Strategic + Family
- Develop a foundation structure and governing policies, or conduct audit of existing relevant processes
- Creation of a philanthropic spending policy and ensure ongoing compliance
- Develop an internal and external mission statement, supported by a long-term visioning process
- Creation of legacy documentation and succession planning to provide guidance for future generations
- Design and implement a giving strategy including sunsetting, perpetual existence, strategic giving, multi-year giving, and calendared giving
Corporate Offerings
- Design and implement a corporate giving strategy
- Assist in development and execution of employee matching program
- Assess efficacy of past and current charitable sponsorships/partnerships
- Develop executive giving programs
Administrative Services
- Assist in the planning of board meetings, making all necessary arrangements and assembly of all materials, including board books
- Manage any commitments that are ongoing, multi-year, matching or pledged
- Manage all record keeping including but not limited to formal minutes at all relevant meetings and the receipt of all nonprofit communications
- Provide monthly summary report detailing all foundation activity and commitments
Partner & Founder
Matt Darling
Matt Darling is the founding partner of Oakdale Strategies. He has a long history of working with clients and donors throughout the Omaha community to better realize their giving strategy and to simplify their giving process. With an eye on all the details, Darling engages donors and actively leads service optimization across the philanthropic sector. He is passionate about connecting nonprofit needs with a strong philanthropic community.
Prior to founding Oakdale Strategies and being the executive director at Fontenelle Forest, Darling was the executive vice president of the Omaha Community Foundation. In that role, he focused on donor relationship building, family foundation management, and cultivating and expanding the reach within the financial advising community. He maintains an in-depth knowledge of all giving tools and the benefits provided by each. The mission of Oakdale Strategies is to translate those needs to donors, to allow their philanthropy to thrive.
Partner
Kelli Cavey
Kelli Cavey joined Oakdale Strategies in July 2024 as Partner of Strategic Impact, bringing extensive expertise in estate and tax planning, alongside a deep commitment to philanthropic giving. Previously, she held the role of Vice President at the Omaha Community Foundation, where she led initiatives to simplify and enhance philanthropic giving through collaboration with donors and their advisors. Kelli oversaw the Foundation’s nationally recognized Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) program and pioneered its Impact Investing Program, which provided crucial capital to nonprofits.
With a decade of experience in law, specializing in estate planning, Kelli holds a Juris Doctorate and is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) certified by the American College of Financial Services. She is actively involved in her community, serving on numerous nonprofit and professional boards, including roles as a Certified Advisor with 21/64 for multi-generational philanthropic conversations, a graduate of Leadership Omaha Class 42, and a Midlands Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient.
In her role, Kelli collaborates closely with partners such as Embolden amplifying their efforts to engage community foundations and maximize philanthropic impact.
Partner
Howard Epstein
Howard N. Epstein joined Oakdale Strategies in April 2024 as Partner of Legacy & Endowment Strategies. Understanding that financial stability is essential for a nonprofit organization’s ability to accomplish its mission and long-term growth, Epstein collaborates and strategizes with nonprofit charitable organizations to achieve long-term financial stability through legacy gifting campaigns and endowment development campaigns.
Prior to joining Oakdale Strategies, Epstein served for ten years as executive director of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. During his tenure, the Foundation doubled the amount of its charitable distributions and its assets under management. He championed the implementation and development of the Foundation’s legacy giving campaign which led to gift commitments from hundreds of donors with a total value over $25 million. Epstein earned his JD degree from Creighton University School of Law, and was in the private practice of law for 16 years before joining the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. He served as an adjunct professor of law at Creighton where he taught a course in nonprofit organizations. Active in business and community activities for over 45 years, he has been a member of, and served as a board member and officer of, numerous organizations including current membership in Suburban Rotary Club of Omaha, Charitable Gift Planners of Nebraska, and the Omaha Estate Planning Council.
A Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, Epstein maintains an in-depth knowledge of the nonprofit philanthropic community, the important role of the nonprofit organization’s officers, board of directors, professional staff, volunteers, donors and supporters. He is well-versed in the techniques and gifting tools which are available to help them succeed.
Partner
Katherine Vogel
Katie Vogel is an experienced estate planning attorney with over fifteen years of practice, dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate the complexities of legacy planning. A graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law, Katie brings a deep understanding of both legal and philanthropic strategies to her work.
She holds a Donor Advised Fund certificate from The American College and is a Certified Advisor with 21/64, equipping her to lead meaningful, multi-generational conversations around philanthropy and family values.
Katie has previously served as Director of Donor Services at the Omaha Community Foundation, where she partnered closely with donors and their professional advisors to maximize the impact of charitable giving. Her work focused on aligning personal values with philanthropic goals to create lasting legacies.
Deeply committed to her community, Katie actively serves on several nonprofit and professional boards, reflecting her passion for civic engagement and collaborative leadership.
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