Strategy & growth
Set priorities, sharpen your story and build a plan your team can use—with programs, revenue and resources working toward the same goal.
Three perspectives. One advisor.
Understanding the ask, the gift and the work.
Greg has built fundraising campaigns, led organizations and advised grantmaking as an engaged donor. Better Ventures brings those perspectives together to help leaders make a stronger case, connect resources to realistic plans and build lasting relationships with funders.
Where we can help
Big-picture thinking.
Hands-on experience.
For founders, executives and boards ready to turn ambition into action.
Fundraising & philanthropy
Build a compelling case, focus major-donor and campaign strategy, and prepare for consequential asks. For donors and funds, clarify giving priorities and build thoughtful relationships with the organizations you support.
Leadership & boards
Navigate transitions, engage your board and bring clarity to roles and decisions. An experienced sounding board when the stakes are high.
Partnerships & creative ventures
Connect culture, commerce and community through thoughtful partnerships, sponsorship strategy and special projects built around shared purpose.
Perspective built through practice
25+years across culture, philanthropy and creative ventures
Meet Greg Lucas · Founder
A partner who understands what’s at stake.
Greg Lucas brings more than 25 years of experience building companies, leading cultural nonprofits and developing creative careers. He has served as Managing Advisor of the Dan Lucas Memorial Fund since its inception in 2009, bringing an engaged donor’s perspective to his work as a fundraiser and executive leader.
Better Ventures makes that experience available directly to a select group of leaders and organizations. The work starts with listening, focuses on the decisions that matter and turns a shared vision into clear next steps.
Connect with Greg ↗Strategy & growth
Co-founded Creative Allies and helped grow its design platform to more than 125,000 registered users. Earlier, founded FCCFilings.com, led its business planning and international sales, and helped negotiate its sale to Futron Corporation.
Fundraising & campaigns
Developed fundraising strategies that grew Preservation Hall Foundation’s annual budget from $150,000 to $2.5 million and conceived and led a $25 million capital campaign. He also secured more than $1.5 million in early-stage investment for Creative Allies.
Leadership & boards
Experience as an executive director, chief revenue officer and board chair, with board service spanning the New Orleans Film Society, Give A Beat and French Broad River Academy. Led teams and guided the transfer of client relationships and operations following a company sale.
Partnerships & creative ventures
Managed internationally touring artists including The Headhunters, King Britt and Vijay Iyer, negotiating recording, performance and licensing agreements. Developed brand partnerships and marketing activations for music festivals and events at Sundance, SXSW and Burning Man.
Grantmaking experience since 2009
A donor’s perspective.
A lasting commitment.
As Managing Advisor of the Dan Lucas Memorial Fund, Greg has guided its giving since its inception in 2009, supporting arts, education and community life in Western North Carolina, New Orleans and beyond.
17 yearsgrantmaking history
220+grants delivered
$818,000+in funding
With experience on both sides of the funding relationship, Greg helps clients connect their mission to a credible plan, understand donors’ priorities and make stewardship part of the work from the start.
How we work together
The right support.
A defined commitment.
Direct access, with a focused scope and priorities.
One-time · One-month engagement
Program Auditing
A focused assessment for donors and nonprofits seeking a clear view of a program’s effectiveness and opportunities to improve.
- Program impact and mission alignment
- Financial performance and use of resources
- Communications and donor expectations
- Workflow efficiency and practical improvements
Greg brings an independent perspective to help bridge donor expectations and nonprofit priorities, with clear recommendations that keep the mission at the center.
Discuss a program auditPerspective & direction
Strategic Advisory
A trusted outside perspective for leaders who need clarity, counsel and a plan for moving forward.
- Weekly strategy conversation
- Decision support and priority-setting
- Review of key plans and communications
Deeper involvement
Fractional Executive
Sustained strategic support for a significant initiative, a period of growth or an organizational transition.
- Regular leadership collaboration
- Campaign, philanthropy, board or transition support
- Defined deliverables and implementation guidance
Let’s start with a conversation
What are you
working toward?
Tell Greg where you want to go, what’s getting in the way and where a fresh perspective could help.