Kara Christ currently serves as the Vice President of Corporate Marketing for CCS Fundraising, leading a team of passionate marketers charged with elevating the brand to contribute to firm growth. She is a data-driven marketing executive skilled in branding strategy, digital experiences and social media, business and relationship development, campaigns implementation, and managing cross-functional, global teams.

With nearly 15 years’ experience delivering successful marketing programs to organizations such as the American Red Cross, KPMG, Alliance Bernstein, and United Bank, Kara is regarded as having strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. She brings an analytical eye for detail and a solutions-oriented approach to setting strategy, problem-solving, and achieving organization goals.

Kara is proud to serve on the Board of Directors of the American Marketing Association, Washington, DC Chapter as the Partnerships Chair, and also on the Board of her Homeowners Association as the Communications Chair. She is passionate about volunteering and regularly donates her time teaching financial literacy (United Bank), mentoring high school students (Urban Alliance), reading to kindergarten children (KFFL), and giving blood at local blood drives (American Red Cross). Kara considers herself a “double-bulldog” having received an MBA from Georgetown University – McDonough School of Business and a BA in Journalism from the University of Georgia.

Robyn has spent over 15 years in the nonprofit sector crafting strategy, driving growth, and scaling impact globally. Her experience includes leading international organizations and teams, fundraising for and growing organizations and boards, serving as a philanthropy advisor and fiscal sponsor portfolio manager, and working on the ground with grassroots community leaders.

Since joining CCS, she has designed and led complex client projects across sectors and has counseled organizations on fundraising initiatives and campaigns with financial goals ranging from $5m to $100m. She also participates in the firm’s internal work on Innovation and contributed to the 11th edition of CCS’s Philanthropic Landscape Report.

Robyn received her undergraduate degree from Emory University, where she served as a Community Building and Social Change Fellow and worked closely with the Refugee Community. She received her Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Milano, the New School for Public Engagement. Robyn is certified as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy © – a specialization focusing on developing the skills needed to guide donors and clients from philanthropic aspiration to achieving maximum social impact.

Robyn lived in Cape Town, South Africa for many years and considers the opportunity to work in partnership with so many friends in the country’s township communities to be one of the great honors of her career. Robyn currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Regarding Her (RE:Her) and mentors local nonprofit leaders in Brooklyn, New York.

select client partners

  • The James Beard Foundation
  • Schwarzman Animal Medical Center
  • The ARChive of Contemporary Music
  • ADAPT Community Network
  • Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child

resources

The Coronavirus Crisis: An Unprecedented Opportunity to Advance Authentic Disability Inclusion in our Sector and Beyond, Candid, 2020

Snapshot of Today’s Philanthropic Landscape 11th Edition (2022)

Elizabeth joined CCS in 2013 and brings deep experience in the education, healthcare, and religious sectors. She has conducted strategic planning and operational assessments, led high performing fundraising teams, and managed major campaigns across the country that have raised more than $750 million. Finding joy in teamwork with clients, Elizabeth brings a combination of skilled project management and high-level strategic guidance to each partnership.

Elizabeth earned her BA from Emory University and MBA/MTS from Vanderbilt University. She recently returned home to Nashville with her husband and two spaniel pups, after living in Chicago, San Francisco, and Sandpoint, Idaho over the years. They love spending time outdoors hiking, camping, and kayaking, and volunteering for their local parks.

Select Client Partners

  • Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Center City, MN
  • Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, Palo Alto, CA
  • University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
  • Archdiocese of Chicago, Chicago, IL
  • Diocese of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
  • Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, Chicago, IL
  • Antioch University, Yellow Springs, OH

Kaleigh is an Assistant Vice President committed to furthering the critical missions of nonprofit organizations through philanthropy. Since joining CCS, Kaleigh has partnered with organizations throughout the Central United States spanning across the religious, health, education, and social services sectors. Her areas of expertise include feasibility studies, campaign planning, major gift strategies, scaling development operations and building organizational capacity.

Passionate about her work, Kaleigh is committed to supporting her clients expand their inclusive philanthropy practices. She is thankful for the opportunity to support her clients in creating a more equitable society. In addition to her client responsibilities, Kaleigh co-chairs the Aspiring Allies Employee Resource Group working committee, serves on the Pro Bono working group, and is a mentor to her colleagues. Kaleigh has been privileged to lead one of CCS’ pilot Pro Bono client partnerships.

select client partners

  • The AROSE Foundation (As apart of CCS’s Pro Bono program) Chicago, IL + Flint, MI
  • CareFlite, Dallas, TX
  • Providence Cristo Rey Highschool Indianapolis, IN
  • Feeding America, Chicago, IL
  • Say Yes to Education Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
  • Erikson Institute, Chicago, IL
  • Feeding Louisiana, Baton Rouge, LA
  • The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Cleveland, OH
  • The Mayfield Education and Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH
  • The YMCA of Greater Cleveland Association, Cleveland, OH
  • The Diocese of Rapid City, Rapid City, SD

Courtney brings extensive experience in strategic fundraising, corporate and community engagement, individual giving, donor relations, marketing, and capital campaigns. Her passion for philanthropy combined with a self-motivated personality and drive to make a greater impact has led to success for public and private higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations. Courtney’s broad experience in higher education fundraising provides her with a strong understanding of complex organizations, including the competing priorities of multiple divisions and a variety of development disciplines.

Since joining CCS, Courtney has worked alongside client teams in the higher education and healthcare sectors in conducting a feasibility study, coaching clients on seven-figure major gift solicitations, developing ongoing strategic plans, and advising leaders and campaign volunteers. Additionally, Courtney provides client partners with comprehensive support on stewardship, donor communications, annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving. 

Courtney has served on a variety of boards: Chair of the Best Buddies Illinois Advisory Board, AFP Chicago’s Continuous Learning Committee, and Butler University Alumni Board of Directors. Courtney holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential and the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation. She earned her BA in Strategic Communications from Butler University and Masters in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago Liautaud Graduate School of Business.

select client partners

  • Cuyahoga Community College Foundation
  • Kettering Medical Center Foundation

webinars

  • Transitioning Crisis Donors into Mission Donors (AFP Cleveland – July 2021)
  • Generational Giving (AFP Chicago – November 2021)

Matt joined CCS in 2019 and has spent much of his professional career in the fundraising and non-profit space. Matt is drawn to the power of philanthropy to address some of today’s most complex and pressing issues in the US and around the world.

At CCS, Matt has lead projects with fundraising goals in excess of $480 million across the health, arts and culture, social and human services, education, foundation, and religious sectors. Matt’s expertise lies in campaign management, major and principal gift strategies, volunteer engagement, data analytics, and capacity building. Matt’s goal with every client engagement is to elevate the organization’s capacity to fundraise in support of its mission to drive even greater impact.

Matt is a Canadian/American dual citizen and has spent time living in Europe. He brings a global perspective to his work and has experience at CCS working with multiple international organizations making a global impact.

Matt holds a Master of Arts from University College London and a Bachelor of Arts from Centre College.

With roots spread across the country, Matt now calls Charlotte, NC home. He enjoys any opportunity to learn something new, hiking and mountain biking through North Carolina’s stunning natural spaces, and tending to his home garden.

Select client partners

  • Soles4Souls
  • Lions Clubs International
  • Communities Foundation of Texas
  • Be The Match
  • United Way of Greater Cleveland
  • YMCA of the North (Twin Cities)
  • Totino-Grace High School

Meaghan works with nonprofit organizations to drive strategic fundraising decisions by leveraging quantitative data. As a Data Analyst at CCS Fundraising, she utilizes advanced statistical analyses to provide data driven recommendations to clients. In addition, Meaghan leads special initiatives to provide data resources firmwide as well as quantify the impact of analytics work.

Meaghan joined the CCS Analytics team in 2019. Prior to joining CCS, she gained three years of nonprofit experience working as a development assistant/database manager while completing her college studies in math and statistics. Shortly after graduating, Meaghan joined CCS Analytics which combined her experience in nonprofit work and statistical background. Since joining CCS, Meaghan has had the pleasure of working with over 200 clients around the world.

Meaghan holds an M.S. in Statistics and a B.S. in Mathematics with a concentration in Statistics from Montclair State University. When she isn’t working, you can find her practicing and teaching Irish Dance.

Cherice started her career in law as a legal assistant and then transition to paralegal, where she developed her passion for people, HR, and business process optimization.

She pivoted her career from the legal field into recruiting, where she led recruiting efforts across multiple facets: technology, law, HR, talent, analytics, and more, within several industries.

In her current role, Cherice is responsible for leading CCS’ recruitment strategy and talent acquisition function; She also oversees recruiting strategies across all lines of business as well as talent development initiatives. Cherice is also responsible for responsible for driving diversity efforts that contribute to a strong equitable recruitment process across the firm.

Carly brings more than a decade of strategic fundraising experience to her work with client partners. At CCS, Carly has conducted a range of projects including feasibility studies, campaign management, staff and volunteer training, and fundraising assessments. Passionate about helping nonprofits fund their visions, Carly excels at developing wide-spread buy-in for compelling funding priorities, mobilizing volunteer leaders, building and quickly advancing prospect pipelines, and designing successful major gift strategies.

Prior to joining CCS, Carly held development positions at Commonwealth School and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Her work included directing and advancing annual fund strategy, managing volunteers, conducting prospect research, and developing meaningful stewardship and engagement materials.

In addition to her work with clients, Carly co-chairs the firm’s Annual Giving Working Group and supports recruitment and hiring for the New England team. Outside of CCS, Carly serves on the Program Committee of Women in Development of Greater Boston. A graduate of The Cambridge School of Weston and Muhlenberg College, Carly currently lives in Boston with her husband and dog, Nelson.

select client partners

  • Combined Jewish Philanthropies
  • The Cambridge School of Weston
  • The Rashi School
  • Boston Latin School Association
  • North Yarmouth Academy

Publications

2023 Philanthropic Landscape, 12th Edition – Individual Giving Chapter

At CCS, Dana has partnered with institutions across all sectors – advocacy, arts and culture, education, environment, healthcare, human services, religion – as they seek to strengthen their infrastructure and undertake ambitious fundraising efforts. Dana’s primary areas of expertise include strategy, evaluation, and planning as she currently oversees the onboarding of feasibility studies, assessments, and development projects, including case development. In this role, she has collaborated with over 50 clients with fundraising goals ranging from $5 million to more than $1 billion. 

Prior to joining CCS, Dana supported development at The Shefa School, an independent school in Manhattan serving students with learning differences. Dana played a key role in formalizing the school’s fundraising infrastructure.

Dana received her BA in Communication Studies from Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College and her MS in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.

select client partners

  • 14th Street Y
  • Beth Tfiloh Congregation & Day School
  • Child Mind Institute
  • Hewitt School
  • Harvard Crimson
  • Museum of Chinese in America
  • NYU Stern School of Business
  • Palm Beach Zoo
  • Regis High School
  • Sanctuary for Families
  • The Trevor Project