RestoreHER US.America is a human rights organization founded in June 2019 that advocates for women impacted by the criminal justice system. Based in Georgia, RestoreHER works at the intersection of policy, data, and direct advocacy—running quantitative data programs, hosting an annual symposium, and leading legislative campaigns to advance justice reform. For nearly five years, founder Pamela Winn operated solo, building the organization from the ground up. Over the past two years, RestoreHER has begun adding staff, including Deputy Director Kaila Pouncy, and is now working to transition institutional knowledge out of the founder's head and into documented systems that can support a growing team.
With support from Progressive Multiplier Fund's staffing mini-grant (part of the Vote Your Voice cohort through SPLC), RestoreHER is testing whether bringing on dedicated development capacity—alongside a development consultant—can help the organization diversify revenue beyond its current 95% reliance on institutional foundation grants. The test centers on hiring a development director to lead all fundraising responsibilities, building donor management infrastructure, and creating documented processes that allow the founder to focus on policy work while the team drives revenue generation.
RestoreHER hired an employee to handle development and administrative support while working with a six-month development consultant (contract ending June/July 2026). In June 2026, the organization brought on a development director to take over fundraising—grant writing, relationship cultivation, corporate partnerships, and eventually individual donor programs. The hire was timed to allow overlap with the outgoing consultant, enabling knowledge transfer before the contract ends.
Current work includes creating RestoreHER's first formal written development plan, evaluating a new CRM system after their previous provider (Flipcause) went bankrupt, and establishing 30/60/90-day onboarding expectations to prevent the misalignment that often leads to development staff turnover. The team is also working to transition the board from advisory to working status, with members expected to leverage their networks for donations and engagement.
Revenue diversification has not yet been achieved, but early signals suggest the investment is creating new organizational capacity. RestoreHER now has dedicated development staff for the first time, reducing the administrative burden on Pamela and Kaila that previously prevented consistent donor communications. The team is documenting processes that were previously held only in the founder's head—a step needed for any organization transitioning from solo-founder to team-driven operations.
The organization navigated a CRM crisis when Flipcause went bankrupt, identifying a replacement provider (Software for Nonprofits) that retained access to their contact lists and funder data. They now have approximately 7,000 contacts in Mailchimp and are working to integrate civic work contacts into a unified donor management system.
The team is building infrastructure that didn't exist before: written development plans, onboarding expectations documents, and regular check-in rhythms designed to align staff priorities with organizational needs. These systems are intended to reduce turnover and create sustainability beyond any single staff member.
Key questions include whether the development director can cultivate corporate partnerships and individual donors in a landscape where RestoreHER has little track record outside foundation grants. Can the organization maintain consistent donor communications and relationship-building between major projects, addressing the pattern of strong project completion but weak engagement during gaps? Will the documented processes and systems allow the team to operate smoothly during legislative sessions when Pamela must focus entirely on policy work?
The team is also testing whether the board can transition to active fundraising roles and whether RestoreHER's framing as a human rights organization (rather than strictly criminal justice reform) opens doors to new funding sources and populations beyond their current focus.
At a moment when the philanthropic landscape is shifting and foundation funding is becoming less reliable, RestoreHER's work offers insights into how founder-led organizations can build development infrastructure while maintaining mission focus. The organization is navigating a common but difficult transition: moving from a solo founder who holds all institutional knowledge to a team-driven model with documented systems, clear roles, and diversified revenue. This work is happening while RestoreHER continues active legislative campaigns and programmatic work—testing whether small organizations can build capacity without losing momentum on their core mission.