Leadership Archives - Page 2 of 8

Allison Willner founded and leads CCS Fundraising’s Systems practice area, partnering with complex organizations to holistically analyze fundraising operations and assess the integrity of key development workflows.

Centered on ‘data in practice’, her work evaluates the ability of client systems and processes to support effective, impactful development programs – given where each organization is now, and where they aim to grow. A strong believer in the power of storytelling, she helps clients take ownership of their data narratives and create clear sight lines from individual activity to big-picture goals.

Allison has an MBA from Columbia Business School, and a BA in creative writing from SUNY Binghamton. She loves good coffee, magical realism, unusual houseplants, and making data visualizations for fun.

Leigh has more than a decade of experience working with and within nonprofit organizations. Since joining CCS in 2013, she has partnered with organizations throughout the country and across the spectrum of nonprofits sectors, including arts and culture, healthcare, and education to raise over $500M in capital and programmatic funding.

She has led the design of large-scale fundraising initiatives and extraordinary campaigns and has counseled organizations with financial targets ranging from $2M to $1B. Much of Leigh’s work has focused on campaign design and planning, principal and major gift strategies, board engagement and growth, organizational and development assessments, feasibility and planning studies, and interim development management. She has partnered with organizations to develop strategic donor engagement plans and drive overall philanthropic revenue.

Leigh is a graduate of Tulane University where her passion for philanthropy grew as she coordinated logistics and communication efforts for several Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. She has visited more than 25 countries, on 5 continents, witnessing the great challenges in developing nations. She recognizes the direct impact of generosity on a global scale and remains inspired by partnering with clients to achieve their philanthropic goals and see real impact in the world.

As Senior Vice President at CCS Fundraising, Maeve Riley oversees operations in Texas and the Southern market. Based in Dallas, Maeve leverages her expertise of the regional philanthropic landscape to foster strategic partnerships with organizations spanning across sectors. Maeve specializes in prospective funder landscaping, principal and major gift strategies, sustainable growth plans, and staff and leadership training and development.

With over a decade of experience in nonprofit management and fundraising strategy, Maeve has guided organizations on development initiatives ranging from $4 million to $1B. Of note, Maeve led CCS’s partnership with Peterson Health Foundation, implementing key initiatives identified in the Foundation’s strategic plan, by creating an endowment, establishing a grateful patient program, developing their annual fund, and enhancing planned giving content.

In addition to her client service, Maeve is passionate about internal and external talent and professional development, with a focus on engaging diverse populations and broadening the scope of inclusive philanthropic practices.

Maeve also serves as a board member of the Misalignment Museum. Prior to her work at CCS, she served as the Director of Alumni Relations at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and led an educational program for a federally funded youth development agency.

Maeve holds a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from DePaul University School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Santa Clara University. She resides in Dallas and enjoys traveling around the country in her free time, frequenting her hometown in Northern California, and visiting family in Oregon and North Carolina.

Nicole has been with CCS Fundraising for over a decade. As Senior Vice President, Nicole is responsible for multiple partnerships in the Northwest, West, and Southwest regions. With a background in community organizing and master’s degree in nonprofit evaluation, she brings an impact-oriented mindset and an equity lens to all partnerships.

Nicole is rigorous and optimistic in her approach to fundraising and capacity building. During her tenure at CCS, she has overseen campaign feasibility studies, managed campaigns with goals between $5M-$150M, delivered staffing assessments and Board & volunteer trainings, developed major gifts programs from scratch, and coached executive leaders through significant challenges and opportunities.

Nicole has a Master of Public Administration from New York University – Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Sciences from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She is a leader of CCS’ DEI initiatives and resides in Portland, OR with her husband and pup, Nola.

Select Client partners

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
Portland Art Museum
Paul G. Allen Foundation
March of Dimes Foundation
Diocese of Santa Rosa

Julia M. Siebel, Ph.D. (“Julie”) has dedicated her career to helping institutions achieve their potential through effective organizational management and excellence in volunteer engagement, and by focusing on philanthropy, culture change, and project management. She brings to her clients 30 years of experience in thought leadership, strategic planning and analysis, fundraising campaigns, constituent engagement, operations management, institutional advancement, data mining, and communications. Throughout her career, she has consistently launched, or enhanced, programs designed to build engagement, receive substantial philanthropic support, and achieve excellence.

Since joining CCS in 2014, Julie has partnered with nonprofit institutions across the breadth of the sector. In addition to providing interim management services, strategic planning coaching, and capacity building guidance, she has led her clients through the development and implementation of large-scale campaigns that have raised between $6 million and $120 million. Internally, Julie supports her fellow team members as a mentor and trainer and served as the founding facilitator for the Southern California team’s JEDI Work Group (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion). She was a founding member of the Aspiring Allies Employee Resource Group and sits on the corporate Elevate Collective Employee Resource Group and the Social and Human Services Cabinet.

Julie holds her PhD in History and Gender Studies from the University of Southern California with a research focus on the powerful impact of women’s voluntary activism across the nonprofit sector. She is an active civic leader who serves with local, national and international organizations including the Association of Junior Leagues, International; The National Women’s Hall of Fame; the Pomona College Alumni Association; the Balboa Island Museum and Historical Society; and Ronald McDonald Houses in the southern California region. You can find Julie sharing her unique perspective and expertise at industry conferences, on webinars, and on social media platforms including LinkedIn and Twitter.

select client partners

Education

Social & Human Services

Academy of Our Lady of Peace, San Diego, CA
Age of Learning, Glendale, CA
California State Universities, Bakersfield, Humboldt and Stanislaus
Chandler School, Pasadena, CA
Crean Lutheran High School, Irvine, CA
Damien High School, La Verne, CA
University of Redlands, CA

Easterseals Southern California, Irvine, CA
Global Genes, Aliso Viejo, CA
J.F. Shea Center for Therapeutic Riding, San Juan Capistrano, CA
My Friend’s Place, Hollywood, CA
Ronald McDonald Houses in Orange County, Long Beach, and West LA, CA
The Salvation Army Orange County, Tustin, CA

Arts & Culture

Other Sectors

Balboa Island Museum and Historical Society, Balboa Island, CA
Holocaust Museum LA, Los Angeles, CA
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Beverly Hills, CA

Junior League of Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA
Providence Little Company of Mary Foundation, Torrance, CA
Radiant Health Centers, Irvine, CA
St. Michael’s Abbey, Silverado, CA

recent resources

John Sammis is a Senior Vice President and leads our Data Analytics practice. He brings more than 30 years of experience with statistical analysis and predictive modeling. He has devoted more than 15 years of his career to charities, universities, hospitals and other nonprofit institutions, helping them produce models and use the results to achieve their fundraising goals. At CCS, John helps philanthropy and fundraising professionals apply leading edge data analytics tools to address specific organizational objectives. He is constantly reviewing the latest statistics tools and innovations to ensure that CCS applies the best approach for each client. He has particular expertise in the areas of exploratory data analysis, interactive model building, model diagnostics and data vetting and cleaning.

During his time at CCS, John has worked with over 400 clients from all over the world to utilize data analytics for strategic fundraising.

John earned an MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University.

Sarah is passionate about working collaboratively with her clients to help them communicate their vision for the future and prepare systematic plans to achieve them. Her areas of expertise include planning comprehensive campaigns, staffing campaign leadership, managing volunteers, and engaging donors.

Sarah joined CCS in 2015, bringing more than 13 years of experience with nonprofits. Prior to joining the firm, Sarah spent nine years in development and community outreach with coastal nature preserves in San Diego, California, and Wells, Maine. While working in the binational Tijuana River Watershed, she collaborated with government agencies, international organizations, nonprofits, and businesses to secure funding to restore and protect the water quality and habitat along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Sarah earned her master’s degree in International Environmental Policy from the University of California – San Diego in 2012. Her undergraduate work was in Peace Studies at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. She has volunteered for numerous nonprofit organizations, including Amnesty International in London, the Appalachian Mountain Club, San Diego Coastkeeper, and a refugee resettlement center in New York State.

Sarah grew up in Maine, and currently resides in Portland. She loves to travel, especially in Mexico, but now spends most of her free time playing on the beach and hiking in the woods with her husband and two children.

select client parnters

Avesta Housing
Berwick Academy
Cheverus High School
First Parish in Portland
Knox County Homeless Coalition
Preble Street
Maine Audubon
Maine Historical Society
North Yarmouth Academy
The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire
Thomas College
The Winsor School
Waynflete School

Since joining CCS in 2017, Sarah has partnered with nonprofits to secure the philanthropic support necessary to fulfilling their missions. Sarah has advised small startups and landmark organizations alike, with goals ranging from $5 million to $125 million. Her areas of expertise include campaign planning and management; principal, leadership, and major gifts; case development; annual giving programs; and development assessments. Sarah has served and counseled organizations that span sectors including arts and culture, social service, independent and boarding schools, and higher education. Sarah is a leader of CCS’s independent schools practice group and presents regularly at regional and national conferences including CAIS, NYSAIS, TABS, and NAIS.

Prior to joining CCS, Sarah was an elementary school educator at schools in and around New York. During her years in the classroom, Sarah experienced the incredible impact philanthropy can have on educational institutions and the many doors charitable giving can open for young learners.

Sarah received her BA from Bowdoin College and her MEd from Manhattanville College. A native of San Diego, CA, Sarah resides in Manhattan where she spends her free time visiting museums, reading, volunteering, and exploring the city’s parks with her dog, Sadie.

select client partners

American Museum of Natural History
Dodd Center for Human Rights – University of Connecticut
Horace Mann School
Saint Anthony Hall
Sid Jacobson JCC
Speyer Legacy School

Mission-minded and committed to impactful change, Sacha Lehto brings the skills, knowledge and insights gained from a sixteen-year career creating impactful fundraising strategies, managing and conducting prospect research, conceptualizing special events, guiding volunteer development, and leading transformative fundraising campaigns.

Sacha has extensive international fundraising experience, including with USA for IOM, the non-profit partner of IOM, the UN Migration Agency, where she led fundraising strategy development and campaign management, liaising with staff in both Washington, DC, and Geneva. Her international experience includes leading fundraising efforts for Texas Children’s Global HOPE (Global Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence), a program focused on building long-term capacity to treat children with cancer and blood disorders in sub-Saharan Africa.

For over ten years, Sacha fundraised for health organizations in Canada, including BC Cancer Foundation, a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia, and VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, the largest hospital in the province of B.C. For CCS, Sacha’s healthcare experience continued, managing a $250 million comprehensive campaign for St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Sacha’s fundraising expertise and passion for giving back have resulted in her being invited to join numerous volunteer committees and boards, including New York based ILEA (International Live Events Association) and Veterinarians International. Her degree in Fashion Design serves as a source of creative inspiration that she still brings to her work today. She has a love for travel and immersing herself in foreign cultures, having lived in Paris, Toulouse, Salamanca and Montreal, in addition to her native Vancouver.

select client partners

USA for IOM
Texas Children’s Global HOPE
American Battle Monuments Foundation

Raised and educated in Mainland China, Japan, and the United States, Ruyi began her career as a Development professional at The Juilliard School, where she worked closely with the leadership to identify domestic and international prospective donors, including for the creation of the Tianjin Juilliard School based in China.

Ruyi subsequently joined CCS in 2013 as part of the on-site fundraising counsel team for Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Foundation in support of the Schwarzman Scholars Program based in Tsinghua University in Beijing. During the engagement, the CCS team secured $375 million from 75 donors in five continents. Ruyi also served as a Campaign counsel for China Institute, the oldest institution in the United States with a focus on U.S.-China relations. Additionally, she has managed campaigns and conducted a number of development assessments for a variety of nonprofit sectors, including: arts and culture, secondary and higher education, youth and social services, religious, and environmental causes. These projects were based in California, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Ruyi’s work in the Asia-Pacific region also encompasses her academic and research background as a Fulbright scholar with a focus on social enterprise management and leadership while living in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. During her graduate studies, Ruyi worked closely with the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University on delivering programs for faculty and students.

Ruyi holds a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s from Harvard University. She is committed to serve as a volunteer and an advisor to nonprofit organizations focused on the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives with her husband and their son.