Senior Team Archives - Page 3 of 10

Lacy has built her career in philanthropy and public service. Since joining CCS in 2014, Lacy has supported more than a dozen institutions with tailored Organizational Strategic Plans, Strategic Development Plans, Feasibility and Planning Studies, Board and Executive Coaching, Development Advising, and Capital Campaigns. Her clients have included an international religious order, national healthcare system, independent schools, and community development organizations.

Before CCS, Lacy served as a Global Philanthropy Advisor with SOS Children’s Villages and in various roles within the Democratic National Committee. She holds an M.A. from the University of St Andrews and an M.Sc. in International Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lacy, her partner, and their daughter live in Little Rock, Arkansas. She proudly serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Central Arkansas’s National Public Radio affiliate and on the Board of the Historic Arkansas Foundation. Lacy is also a member of the Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum.

Select client Partners

PGA REACH, the foundation of the PGA of America; Frisco, TX
U.S. Council on Competitiveness; Washington, DC
Greenpeace; San Francisco, CA

Polly is an Executive Vice President at CCS Fundraising. In this capacity, she has successfully partnered with nonprofit clients in a variety of sectors across Colorado. Polly believes in the transformative power of philanthropy and has worked with organizations to help them reach the most ambitious fundraising goals in the history of their organizations. Polly has effectively conducted feasibility and planning studies, developed major gifts programs, led teams through change, built systems, and led her clients in the planning and execution of major capital and comprehensive campaigns.

Polly is from Denver and is active in the Colorado community. She is on the Board of Trustees at Denver Academy and sits on the governance committee. Additionally, she recently completed two terms on the Board of Directors for KIPP Colorado Schools and was the co-chair of their development committee. Polly is an alumnus of the Institute for Leaders in Development through the University of Denver. Previously, she was the Managing Director of Development and Managing Director of Individual Giving at Teach For America Colorado where she led the team in raising over $35 million. She also taught 3rd grade in Los Angeles (LA) and served as an instructional coach in LA and Denver. Polly has a B.A. in Spanish Literature from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a certification in elementary urban education from the University of California Los Angeles.

Polly lives in Denver with her spouse and two young daughters.

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.

Pronouns: she/her

As Executive 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 Stratton brings over a decade of experience helping nonprofits achieve transformative results. As Senior Vice President at CCS Fundraising, Nicole leads the firm’s Northwest practice, bringing focus to partnerships with organizations across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Western Canada. She works with nonprofits in arts & culture, education, healthcare, religion, and social and human services to design and implement strategies that build capacity, engage donors, and drive meaningful impact. Her leadership has contributed to campaigns with cumulative goals exceeding $1 billion, with a focus on securing six- to nine-figure gifts.

She is known for her collaborative approach and ability to translate complex challenges into clear, actionable plans that inspire confidence and results. She draws on a deep expertise spanning CCS’s service areas, including campaign planning, major gift programs, volunteer engagement, and data-driven strategy development, ensuring clients are equipped to achieve ambitious goals while building long-term sustainability.

Raised by two educators who demonstrated the power of giving back, Nicole developed a lifelong passion for working with organizations that transform lives and communities. She holds a Master of Public Administration from NYU Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Nicole enjoys exploring the Northwest, hosting gatherings, and fostering connections in her community. She also loves traveling the world with her husband, drawing inspiration from new experiences.

Chloe Erb, Senior Vice President, is a fundraising professional with a background in nonprofit leadership and fundraising strategy. Chloe helps lead strategy and operations for CCS Philadelphia, with a focus on business development and marketing initiatives. Prior to her role in strategy and operations, Chloe provided strategic fundraising counsel on multiple projects throughout the country. Chloe has conducted development assessments and planning studies and provided onsite development and campaign management.

Chloe is an active member in the Philadelphia community. She is involved with the AFP Greater Philadelphia Chapter and a volunteer at MANNA. Chloe has had articles published in the Nonprofit Quarterly and Philadelphia Business Journal. She has also had speaking engagements focused on using digital marketing to drive online fundraising and leveraging the sustainable development goals in donor communications.

Chloe joined CCS after several years of experience in higher education at the University of Pennsylvania. During her time at Penn, Chloe helped manage all elements of fundraising and stewardship for Penn’s undergraduate annual fund through direct mail, email, strategic planning, and data analytics. Chloe played a key role in achieving record-breaking results for The Penn Fund in an annual fund campaign that raised over $37 million.

Chloe received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College and her Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. Chloe resides in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Luna.

resources

Major Giving: Timeless Principles and Emerging Trends

Greater Philadelphia’s strong philanthropic landscape has room for more growth

Curating Change: The Merger of Two Historic Women’s Organizations

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.