ProKids · photo by Corrie Schaffeld
Fundraising
We collaborate with non-profits to develop fundraising strategies, manage significant capital and community fundraising campaigns, and create annual fundraising plans.
Music Hall
About Us
About Us
Our mission is simple: Maximize the power of giving. Ignite Philanthropy connects people, ideas, and capital to fuel community solutions.
Through intentional listening and co-creation, Ignite Philanthropy supports the philanthropic and
non-profit sectors in three main service areas.
What We Do
Playhouse in the Park · photo by Mikki Schaffner
Philanthropic Advising
We partner with private and family foundations to develop and execute grantmaking strategies, investing over $20 million in collective community grantmaking annually.
Great Parks
Strategic Analytics
A key aspect of our model, we create custom analytics to help non-profits and foundations discover critical insight about their communities.
Who We Serve
Through intentional listening and co-creation, Ignite Philanthropy supports the philanthropic and non-profit sectors.
Non-Profit
Organizations
Transformative growth requires precise strategy and planning. We want to help our non-profit partners get there – and beyond. Ignite helps non-profits execute strategies that secure the necessary resources for major projects, from building new facilities to launching impactful programs.
Private, Family, and Corporate Foundations
We collaborate with foundations on their community investment strategy, enabling them to maximize the impact of each donated dollar. We also relieve foundation leaders from daily management tasks, allowing them to focus on their mission while we handle the intricacies of running successful grantmaking programs and managing non-profit relationships.
Community-Led
Initiatives
We partner with civic and community leaders to bring their visions to reality. Over the years, we’re proud to have worked alongside some of the most innovative changemakers in our communities – powering emerging projects that will impact generations to come.
Ignite’s depth of knowledge of the philanthropic community has made them an invaluable thought-partner in our region. Their collaborative model of co-creating fundraising strategies in partnership with non-profit leaders, donors, and community members has resulted in transformational growth for dozens of local organizations. Most recently, I was proud to work alongside Ignite and their team to develop and launch the $52 million campaign to restore the historic Emery Theater into Children's Theatre’s forever home.
Allison Kropp
Campaign Co-Chair & Board President, The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati
Otto M. Budig
Ignite Philanthropy was the key to successfully raising over $75 million to save the iconic Music Hall. This historic campaign would not have seen this level of success without Ignite Philanthropy’s dedicated leadership and management skills.
Otto M. Budig Jr.
Board President, Music Hall Revitalization Company
The Harvey B. Gantt Center has worked with Ignite Philanthropy on multiple projects which have helped to elevate our institution to an entirely new level of success. From facility usage studies to major endowment campaigns, they have the ability to tackle a wide variety of projects. Ignite Philanthropy is one of the most versatile teams we’ve ever engaged.
David Taylor
Retired President & CEO, Harvey B. Gantt Center
As president of a family foundation, I can say with confidence that Ignite has our back. They organize our board meetings logically and efficiently. We rely on their knowledge of philanthropy and the non-profit community. They are true partners in our grant making.
Woody Taft
Board President, Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation
Core Principles
Our four core principles have been developed by our team with intentionality around equity and community and how these connect to each principle and the work we do each day. We believe in the value of diverse teams and perspectives, striving to empower every voice in the creation of solutions.
Solutions-Driven
Our work is rooted in our ability to develop solutions to help our clients achieve their philanthropic goals. We take the lead in co-creating the path to our clients’ success.
Adaptive
Building the right strategy requires us to remain humble so we may continually learn and adapt. We embrace listening, questioning, and experimentation as the foundation to our adaptive mindset.
Team-Centered
No single individual has the knowledge and experience to successfully navigate all aspects of our work. We thrive by taking a team approach, ensuring that we bring diverse tools and talent to successfully tackle our clients’ complex challenges.
Service-Minded
Through the generosity of our clients, we are able to serve our community. We take this responsibility seriously, personifying the spirit of the sector we serve.
Ignite Milestones
2013
Scott Provancher founded Lewis & Clark Co., kicking off with an $83 million renovation of historic Music Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio and a $40 million Thrive campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina.
2016
Lewis & Clark Co. acquired Susan Ingmire’s Ignite Philanthropy Advisors, originally founded by Penny Friedman in 1997. Not long after, the business expanded to offer foundation management, grantmaking, and community investment strategy services. Among its first family foundations clients are the Louise Taft Semple Foundation and the Seasongood Foundation. The company was then rebranded as Ignite Philanthropy, marking a new chapter in its growth!
2018
Teresa Hoelle made Ignite history when she joined as the first woman co-owner and as a member of the Executive Team. Previously, she had worked with influential non-profit organizations such as United Way of Greater Cincinnati as Chief Marketing Officer and ArtWorks as Vice President of Institutional Advancement, bringing invaluable experience and perspective to Ignite’s vision for the future.
2021
Ignite Philanthropy was recognized by Cincinnati Business Courier's Fast 55 Awards as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Cincinnati region.
2021
Ignite brought together a Corporate Board of Advisors made up of leaders within the community, business, and philanthropic sectors to guide the company in meeting the evolving needs of the non-profit sector. Together, Ignite and the Corporate Board of Advisors continue to ensure that our core principles stay at the heart of our mission.
2022
Ignite Philanthropy acquired Blue Fox, a data analytics firm owned by long-time partner Will Lester. This move not only deepened Ignite’s ability to offer strategic analytics but also strengthened our commitment to serving clients. Will Lester joined the Ignite team as the Vice President of Data Services.
2023
Miranda Walton, then a manager in Philanthropic Services, received Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40 award for her impact with Ignite’s team and clients, as well the Cincinnati community through her volunteer leadership.
2023
Ignite’s revenue grew from $2.2 million in 2020 to $4.7 million in 2023, and its full-time employee count grew from 12 in 2020 to 27 by the end of 2023.
2024
Ignite was honored by Cincinnati Business Courier as a Best Places to Work finalist and as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Cincinnati region through Fast 55.
2024
Ignite became a majority women-owned business when Tara Noland joined Scott Provancher & Teresa Hoelle as co-owners. Tara was also promoted to President, and Will Lester was promoted to Chief Operating Officer.
2024
Amanda Hemann, Vice President of Client Operations, was recognized as a 40 Under Forty honoree by Cincinnati Business Courier, marking the second year in a row of an Ignite team member receiving the prestigious award.
2024
After 11 years of helping Cincinnati area non-profits achieve their fundraising goals, we expanded to our first new market—Charlotte, North Carolina. We required a visionary to helm the Charlotte office as Vice President and found the perfect fit in Meggie Herrlinger, a seasoned fundraising professional local to the area.