Norma Nicolls

Jim was the originator of the Planned Giving program for the USS Midway Museum raising over 6 million dollars in legacy gifts. He established repertoire with affinity minded volunteers and members of the public who made charitable contributions to the Museum while making sure these gifts conformed to the goals of the donor and the Museum.

He was also responsible for bringing the corporate sponsorship program to the museum, which has resulted in several highly profitable contracts from sources such as the NFL and Cox Communications.

Jim successfully leveraged the relationships with the investment management community. He and I worked together as a team in the Development Department of the USS Midway Museum.

Jim had a strong rapport with staff, board and donors. His outstanding social skills and professional etiquette at every level and his proven track record of success made him a very valuable and trusted employee. He was an outstanding representative for the museum and a pleasure to have on the team. 

I highly recommend Jim Eckel to anyone needing help with more lucrative fundraising efforts. Our nonprofit has for the past 10 years relied on two major fundraising events a year, loyal donors and grants.

Jim has taught us new methods of raising larger levels of capital using his arsenal of planned giving strategies. I am very grateful to have someone like Jim available to attend meetings with larger sponsors and explain in detail how they can benefit while supporting our program.

We will continue conducting our events and pursuing grants however Jim is guiding us through. new strategies to take Fish for Life to a whole new level.

Thanks Jim!

As the Executive Director of Heritage Museum of Orange County I was looking for someone to take the Development Department in a new direction. Jim was instrumental in leading the fund raising campaign for a new exhibit brought from the Smithsonian Museum for the very first time.

He opened doors to funders that were like minded and offered innovative ideas to attract supporters. Additionally we were able to open our educational farm program and collaborative stewardship of the onsite wetlands through Jim's efforts to bring business, school and individuals together for a common goal. I highly recommend his ability to look at a goal with fresh eyes and come up with ways to achieve that goal.  Candace Chromy

"I highly recommend Jim for any position in the sales and fund development arena. He is a 'can do' person who doesn't let 'no' dull his focus on results. He has an amazing talent for following up on 'leads' and cultivating donors on a strategic, long-term basis.

His enthusiasm is contagious. He built a fundraising team from scratch with people who really knew little about raising money or how to use their contacts. He has kept the momentum going over this past year even with bumps in the road that would have discouraged many. He is a professional in his approach to development, extremely ethical and definitely hard working. Any organization that hired him would be lucky to have him. More info - Carol Stone, 714-637-5055"