Projects
As a Development Leader with more than 20 years of experience, I lead fundraising, major gift, sponsorship and grants strategies that elevate donor engagement and fuel sustainable revenue growth across a wide range of nonprofit organizations, including education, healthcare, the arts. Below are a few key projects that demonstrate my ability to turn mission, insight, and strategy into measurable impact.
Spotlight Arts Collective
Role: Director of Development - Fundraising, Communications & Donor Engagement | Executive Board Member
When I stepped into the development role at Spotlight Arts Collective, the suburban Chicago community theatre organization had minimal fundraising infrastructure, limited donor communications, and no active grants, sponsorship or major gifts pipeline. I built the development function from the ground up — establishing a comprehensive revenue strategy, creating donor-ready collateral and sponsorship materials, and developing a fully segmented prospect list that grew to more than 100 qualified business leads.
I introduced professional storytelling, compelling cases for support, and consistent donor stewardship, strengthening engagement and elevating visibility in the region. These foundational efforts positioned the organization for sustainable year-round fundraising, achieved more than 5x growth in grants, individual and major gift revenue, and expanded the donor and patron contact list by nearly 300%, enabling SAC to move from ad-hoc giving to a structured program with clear goals, sustainable systems, and measurable outcomes.
National Council of Teachers of English
Role: Membership Development Coordinator
My work supported NCTE’s nationwide release of the National Standards for the English Language Arts, elevating visibility and driving member participation during a pivotal organizational initiative. I advanced national engagement goals by designing targeted outreach strategies that strengthened relationships across a broad spectrum of educators, donors, and member constituencies. I also developed segmented campaigns that increased renewal and response rates by 9%, and used data-informed prospect qualification to improve targeting efficiency across national audiences. These efforts contributed to steady year-over-year membership growth, and a broader reach within the literacy education community.
In partnership with executive leadership, I created communications and stewardship activities to deepen supporters' understanding of the organization’s impact. I prepared reporting and performance insights that informed decision-making and improved forecasting for annual goals. By managing a team that included part-time college-student staff, I oversaw outreach, service, and follow-up workflows that strengthened stewardship practices and improved member satisfaction. These efforts contributed to increasing member retention to over 90%, more consistent supporter engagement, and measurable improvements in the overall membership experience.
NCTE College Section / CCCC
Role: Membership Development Coordinator
In addition to my core membership development responsibilities at NCTE, I managed fundraising for the College Section and the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC), the world’s largest professional organization for scholars and teachers of composition. My efforts focused on building donor engagement and advancing fundraising initiatives to support contingent faculty, early-career scholars, and educators at two- and four-year institutions. I developed and refined donor communications for programs such as CCCC grants and awards, increasing donor participation and improving visibility for mission-critical funding priorities. By crafting clear, compelling messaging that highlighted both need and impact, I helped broaden donor awareness and deepen support for equity-focused initiatives.
Lincoln College
Role: Independent Development Strategist
I supported Lincoln College’s historic Embracing Our Past. Empowering Our Future campaign by producing donor-facing collateral and conducting targeted prospect research, strengthening outreach throughout the public fundraising phase. My work contributed to clearer messaging and more compelling cases for support, helping the College surpass its ambitious $8 million goal by raising $9.6 million from more than 2,400 donors — one year ahead of schedule.
I developed materials that highlighted campaign priorities, showcased transformational gifts at the $1M+ and $25K+ levels, and demonstrated the grassroots momentum generated by over 2,000 individual contributors and 350 organizations. Through refined donor profiles, improved segmentation, and polished communication tools, I helped advance fundraising efforts that expanded scholarship support, enhanced academic programs, and elevated the College’s vision for future growth.
Carle Parish Nurse Association / Community Parish Nurse Program
Role: Independent Development Strategist
I created the original website for the Carle Parish Nurses’ Association, a community-based nonprofit health ministry within Carle Foundation Hospital, a 501(c)(3) academic medical center, serving as the program’s first comprehensive digital presence. The Community Parish Nurse Program places specially trained registered nurses within faith communities to deliver charitable, preventive, and supportive care — acting as trusted health educators, advocates, and care navigators for individuals and families across the full continuum of wellness: body, mind, and spirit.
Working from the ground up, I conducted background research, developed the program’s early brand identity and messaging, and wrote all core content to clearly articulate the mission, recruit and inspire volunteer nurses, engage congregations, and communicate the program’s value as a community benefit and population health initiative. The site helped build awareness, credibility, and participation for a growing nonprofit network that expanded from an inaugural cohort of 40 nurses to more than 500 trained faith community nurses over time, supporting thousands of annual client encounters and an estimated tens of thousands of cumulative volunteer service hours. This work provided strategic storytelling, constituency cultivation, and mission-driven communications fundamental to effective development —mobilizing volunteers, aligning institutional and community partners, and creating a compelling case for engagement in a scalable, outcomes-focused community health ministry.
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Role: Director of Development - Major Gifts Campaign Management
I managed a successful seven-figure capital campaign that exceeded its fundraising goal, overseeing every phase from prospect identification and cultivation to solicitation, donor engagement, grantwriting, stewardship, and campaign reporting. Alongside this major initiative, I led a comprehensive regional development strategy that rapidly strengthened donor participation and revenue performance. By implementing targeted, insight-driven fundraising campaigns and refining segmented outreach, I increased overall development revenue by 63% in my first year, followed by an additional 54% increase in the second year. My work included preparing all appeals, proposals, and narrative and financial reports, expanding the prospect pipeline, and elevating the quality and consistency of development communications.
I also delivered substantial improvements in efficiency and return on investment. Through data-driven refinement of the direct-response program, tightening segmentation, message alignment, and production workflows, I increased direct response revenue by 352%, while reducing costs and raising donor response rates. I coordinated donor records and revenue tracking with finance, executed cultivation and recognition events, and enhanced stewardship through timely acknowledgments and meaningful engagement touchpoints. These combined efforts established the highest development revenue in the organization’s history, strengthening the agency’s ability to expand essential healthcare services across the region.
