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Barbara L. Ciconte, CFRE
Senior Vice President, Consulting Services
Donor Strategies, Inc.
For thirty years, Barbara L. Ciconte, CFRE, has helped nonprofits think strategically and work smarter. She has experience in all facets of nonprofit management and resource development. Barbara has worked with local, regional, and national organizations in strategic planning and assisted them in building more effective resource development programs in annual, capital and endowment giving, major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, and special events.
A sampling of her clients include the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Association of Small Foundations (ASF), New Neighbors Education Center, The Campagna Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Northern Virginia Family Service, Reston Interfaith, Inova Health System Foundation, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, National Academy of Social Insurance, and the Falls Church Education Foundation.
Prior to becoming a consultant in 1999, she spent thirteen years at American University, where she served as the associate dean responsible for the overall development, alumni relations, and publications program for the university’s law school. Barbara was previously the law school’s director of development and in that position was responsible for managing the college’s successful $20 million capital campaign, which was part of the university’s $100 million Centennial Campaign. She has been involved in the successful solicitation of six and seven figure major gifts.
A leading national educator on fundraising and board development, Barbara is the co-author of Fundraising Basics: A Complete Guide, Third Edition published by Jones and Bartlett. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University and American University and has published articles in The NonProfit Times and The Development Director’s Letter. Barbara volunteers her time as a trainer and instructor for Maryland Nonprofits, Center for Nonprofit Advancement, and the Institute of Policy Studies.
A former member of the board of directors of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), she served two years as vice chair for professional advancement, responsible for the association’s educational programs and services. As a graduate of the Center for Philanthropy at Indiana University/Association of Fundraising Professionals Faculty Training Academy, Barbara holds the Master Teacher credential. She was a guest presenter at the Fundraising Institute-Australia’s 2003 International Conference in Canberra, Australia.
A past president of the AFP Greater Washington, DC Area Chapter, Barbara received the AFP/DC Chapter’s highest honor in 1997 when she was named outstanding fundraising executive of the year for her leadership and service to the profession. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and adheres to AFP’s Code of Ethical Principles and Standards. As a volunteer, Barbara serves as President of the Take Heart Association Project’s Board of Directors, an organization which assists needy children in Kenya with life-saving heart surgery and medical treatment.
Kathy Downey
President
Hands-On Fundraising
Kathy Downey has thirty years experience working in the nonprofit sector as a development director, executive director, and a fundraising consultant. In June of 1992, she started her business, Hands-On Fundraising. Unlike many consultants who merely advise clients about how to raise money, she actually completes fundraising tasks for clients, including researching foundations, writing foundation grant proposals and reports, assisting in grant accounting and budgeting, coordinating fundraising committees, and planning and conducting special events. She has also managed conferences and meetings with no fundraising component for up to 200 persons on topics such as defense and national security issues, green building practices, and environmental health.
Kathy has raised million of dollars in grants for her clients from foundations such as The Ford Foundation, The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Open Society Institute, in addition to producing final narrative and financial reports on these grants. She has also managed successful fundraising events, including an annual reception for the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program that raises nearly one-third of that organization’s budget, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights annual dinner attended by over 1,000 people.
Her recent clients include American Rights at Work, Arms Control Association, the Center for Community Change, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the National Center for Science and Education, and the U.S. Student Association Foundation.
Prior to starting her own business, Kathy served as the Director of the National Student Educational Fund and the National Abortion Rights Action League Foundation, and as the Development Director for Physicians for Social Responsibility and Americans for Democratic Action. Kathy has also served as a Family Mediator in the Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Program of the D.C. Superior Court since 1992.
Laura G. Forman
Principal
Laura Forman Communications LLC
www.formancommunications.com
Laura Forman Communications LLC is a consulting firm that works with non-profits, foundations, and corporate community relations programs helping them manage their message, and strengthen their communications and outreach efforts.
A veteran of broadcasting, academia, foundations, and associations, Laura has more than 20 years experience in public relations, marketing communications, development, and broadcast journalism. Prior to establishing her consulting practice, she held senior communications positions at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the National Press Foundation, and WAMU – FM, the top public radio station for news/talk in Washington, D.C. Previously, she was a television and radio news producer in New York, Iowa, and Washington, D.C.
Laura is actively involved in the community. She serves on the board of Passion for Learning, the advisory board of Round House Theatre, a grants panel for the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, and committees of the Association for Fundraising Professionals and Leadership Greater Washington.
Janet S. Curtis, CFRE
Consultant to Associations and Nonprofit Organizations
Capitalizing on 25 years of experience in nonprofit development
and communications, Jan consults with organizational leaders to
facilitate strategic, development, feasibility, and program
planning; to develop messages that position organizations
effectively; and to equip organizations to manage development
operations and achieve self-sufficiency. Jan also creates
communication and fundraising materials and trains board members
and staff for institutional advancement. Her earlier work as a
guidance counselor prepared her to listen carefully to clients’
needs and then to help each advance organizationally in order to
fulfill their missions. A specialty is her understanding of the
challenges inherent in running a small development shop and
helping such enterprises plan and allocate scarce resources
accordingly.
Clients have included the DC Pediatric
Palliative Care Collaboration, Shaw Community Ministry,
Interfaith Voices, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Education Fund, Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital,
HONOReform Foundation, Campaign Legal Center, American Hospice
Foundation, National League of Cities, Foundation for the National
Institutes of Health, American Counseling Association Foundation,
Society for Human Resources Management Foundation, and National
Building Museum, among others.
Prior to establishing her consulting business
in 2003, Jan served as vice president for development at Island
Press/Center for Resource Economics and at the National Building
Museum, both in Washington, D.C. She also has held senior
development positions at the League of Women Voters of the U.S. and
at social service organizations in Pittsburgh and southwestern
Pennsylvania, where she launched an organization’s development and
communications efforts. All told, Jan has helped a myriad of
organizations raise the funds necessary to achieve their goals.
Jan holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive
credential and is a member of the Association of Fundraising
Professionals (AFP) and the Association Foundation Group (AFG),
where she serves as board secretary. She also sits on the Boards of
Directors of the C&O Canal Trust and the Washington Master Chorale
and provides pro-bono assistance to United College Ministries in
Northern Virginia and her local United Church of Christ. She is a
former board member of AFP – D.C. Chapter and currently serves on a
committee of the Chapter’s National Capital Philanthropy Day (NCPD)
planning team. In November 2009, at NCPD in D.C., AFG honored Jan
with the 2009 AFG President’s Award.
Jan holds a M.Ed degree from the University
of Pennsylvania and a B.A. degree from Wellesley College. She
attends conferences and workshops regularly to ensure current
understanding of best practices and to stay abreast of the nonprofit
advancement field.
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