“Among Jeff’s many talents is his remarkable gift to be a good listener.  The talent to hear what animates people to move from being friendly to an idea to supporters of a cause is the catalyst to making things happen.  Jeff both exemplifies and teaches that rare skill to listen for when that moment arises, as well as how to act on it.  Unquestionably, this was one of the reasons he was a leader in LSU’s fundraising program during the Forever LSU Campaign.”

“Jeff Hale is the most successful fundraiser I have ever worked with. Inheriting a long-neglected one-person institutional development office in 2009, he brought immediate, positive impact to all areas of the LEH’s fundraising: annual fund, corporate and foundation relations, grant writing, Board recruiting and relations, and staff training, including a very talented assistant: Jan Clifford. Jeff’s efforts enabled the organization to successfully transition from being largely government supported to being funded mostly by private donations. The fact that all of this was accomplished during a long, stubborn recession is even more remarkable. I highly recommend Jeff to any non-profit organization seeking expert advice in fundraising.”

“During my tenure with the LSU Foundation, Jeff was one of our top development officers. He established more positive and productive relations with many of our corporate and foundation donors, leading to increases in their levels of support. His work helped us set new standards for development programs throughout the University. Since then I have followed his career shift to a consulting practice, and I have been pleased to serve as a supportive reference for his abilities.”

“Jeff’s understanding of corporate relations is remarkable. It was a unique pleasure working with him to improve—actually, to remake—the Schlumberger-LSU relationship. His CFR office was indeed a “one-stop-shop” for all aspects of Schlumberger’s interactions, across several disciplines. Jeff played a key role in LSU acquiring our elite “Ambassador School” designation.”

“I first met Jeff in 2011 in his efforts to cultivate a partnership between the LEH and BHP Billiton in advancing a multiyear early childhood and family development program.  I was impressed with his diverse background, passion for engagement and commitment to the LEH mission. But what most impressed me about Jeff’s talents was his sincere ability to articulate how this new partnership could advance our social investment strategy and objectives, while profiling our brand in a space that set us apart from our peers. This level of corporate relations savvy—truly understanding what drives social investing—is rare in the nonprofit sector. Jeff has mastered the ability to see and negotiate ideal “win-win” scenarios.”