About Us

Brooklyn

CCS is founded in 1947 as Community Counselling Service in Brooklyn conducting business with parishes in the northeastern United States.

Brooklyn

The Diocese of Brooklyn becomes one of CCS’s first major clients in 1959 and becomes the foundation for what would be the chief focus of CCS’s work throughout the Catholic Church. This project raises over $30 million.

New York

CCS establishes itself as a major fundraiser in the Catholic sector. A campaign at the Archdiocese of New York raises a historic $44 million to fund construction of a number of high schools around NY, and is the largest amount raised for any AD in the U.S. at the time. This engagement leads to major campaigns for the Archdioceses of Boston and Chicago in the 1960s.

New York

CCS works on the campaign for Fordham University in 1963 to build its Lincoln Center campus. This engagement leads to work with significant Jesuit universities and preparatory schools in the U.S. and Great Britain.

Minneapolis, MN.

A campaign for the American Lutheran Church in 1973 signifies the start of a series of major denomination and synod campaigns within the Lutheran, Episcopal, Congregational, and Methodist churches.

San Francisco

The 1978 Committee to Save the Cable Cars campaign in San Francisco becomes one of the first public-private partnership campaigns in the country. CCS helps the campaign raise $10 million, which marks CCS’s exploration into more secular projects.

Toronto, Ontario

CCS begins working with the Anglican Church of Canada in 1980. The engagement represents CCS’s first major national campaign in Canada which leads to an additional national church campaign and campaigns for major Canadian universities and hospitals (McMaster University, United World Colleges, Trent University, Vancouver General Hospital, and Hamilton Civic Hospital).

Manchester, England

University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology becomes the first major public British university campaign. This leads to development projects for major British universities, including: Imperial College, University of Liverpool, Salford University, University of Surrey, the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, and the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.

Evanston, IL.

In 1986, CCS joins Rotary International in the PolioPlus initiative to eradicate polio worldwide. This was CCS’s first major voluntary service organization campaign, raising $257 million on $120 million goal in just two years. This engagement leads to global campaigns for Lions Clubs International and Kiwanis International, as well as efforts for the UN Foundation, GAVI, MSF, CARE, Oxfam America, American Red Cross, and many others.

New York

Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center becomes CCS’s first leading academic medical center campaign and paves the way for engagements with the Lahey Clinic, White Plains Hospital Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

New York

The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation sets a goal in 1990 of $100 million and goes over goal, raising $200 million. This would be CCS’s first major disease-focused voluntary health organization campaign.

Philadelphia

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia raises $100 million in 1991, which is one of the largest campaigns undertaken by CCS at the time.

Brunswick, Maine

In 1993, CCS engages in its first major successful environmental project, working with the Nature Conservancy of Maine. This begins a series of chapter campaigns for the Nature Conservancy.

Oak Brook, IL.

Lions Club International raises over $146 million for its SightFirst campaign to eradicate preventable forms of blindness.

New York

In 1997, Human Rights Watch becomes CCS’s first major advocacy group campaign and begins a years-long relationship.

New York

CCS partners with Weill Cornell Medical College to raise $750 million for the 2001 Advancing the Clinical Mission campaign.

Atlanta HQ / Worldwide

Habitat for Humanity enlists CCS to work on the More than Houses campaign that raises nearly $594 million to build 100,000 new Habitat homes across the world.

Moscow, Russia

CCS begins work with the New Economic School in Russia. This is CCS’s first major campaign in Russia and leads to work with other leading higher education institutions overseas.

Nashville

In 2006, the Nashville Symphony hires CCS to surpass a $120 million goal to restore the performance hall and fund future artistic initiatives. This becomes CCS’s first hundred-million dollar campaign for an arts center outside of a major U.S. city, leading to comparable projects in Denver, Utah, Dallas, Indianapolis, and Cleveland.

New York

The Chapin School in New York becomes CCS’s first major private school project, raising $80 million and paving the way for a number of subsequent successful independent school engagements.

San Francisco

UCSF Medical Center hires CCS to assist on a $600 million campaign to embark upon an unprecedented opportunity to construct three new hospitals on the UCSF Mission Bay campus. The campaign attracts two gifts of $100 million+, a first in the history of the entire University of California system.

New York

Another partnership in 2007 with Weill Cornell Medical College raises $1.3 billion for the Discoveries that Make a Difference campaign to fund a variety of initiatives that will further enhance the school’s research enterprise. Since 2001, the Weill Cornell projects combined raise over $2 billion. This was the first Ivy League elite medical center CCS worked with, which paved the way for others.

Sacramento

In 2008 the Crocker Art Museum in the Sacramento Valley engages CCS on the Masterpiece in the Making campaign, which raises $100 million to expand the museum to almost triple its size.

Indianapolis, IN.

Kiwanis International/ UNICEF partner with CCS in 2010 on The Eliminate Project to eradicate maternal and neonatal tetanus worldwide.

Beijing, China

CCS works with Schwarzman Scholars, Tsinghua University on a $450 million campaign to build and endow an elite Master's degree scholarship program in China. Completed in 2015, this endeavor was the largest charitable effort in China’s history coming from predominantly international donors. It leads to work with the Asia Society, the China Institute, and Singapore Health.

Chicago, IL.

CCS is hired by the Archdiocese of Chicago to achieve a $350 million fundraising goal, the largest diocesan campaign in history.

Washington, D.C.

The Smithsonian Institution conducts a $300 million campaign to build the historic National Museum of African American History and Culture.