Stronger Together Conference

Data-Driven Development: What Giving USA Reveals (and What to Do About It) – the latest giving trends mean for your strategy and how to respond with confidence.

Presenter: Nia Wassink, MNM (she/her)
Nia is passionate about strong nonprofits. She has worked with and for the nonprofit sector her entire career. Her experience crosses organizational size, structure, and roles. For Nia, consulting is about opening up possibilities and removing barriers for clients to reach new heights of their work and missions. Nia is especially passionate about addressing diversity, inclusion, equity, and access within nonprofits from Board governance practices to increase diversity, implementing community-centric fundraising practices, to creating truly inclusive strategic planning processes and plans. Nia received her BA in Sociology from the University of Michigan and her master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver. Nia grew up in Michigan and now resides in Longmont, Colorado with her husband and clowder of cats.

Open Me! Send Emails that Donors Will Read and Respond to – Walk away with actionable tools to boost your donor communications.

Presenter: Jenny Desmond
Jenny Desmond is a Nonprofit Fundraising Trainer and Consultant who is dedicated to helping local nonprofits grow stronger so they can make our community a better place.  A Colorado native, her experience spans more than 30 nonprofit organizations as an employee, coach, trainer, or volunteer. She worked many years at  Intercambio Uniting Communities, where last job was Interim Executive Director and Development Director. She has been fortunate to mentor leaders across our community in her role as a partner with Social Venture
Partners (SVP Boulder).  Jenny is passionate about relationship-based fundraising with individual donors. The principle she repeats often is, “Donors must know, like, and trust an organization and its leaders before
they will make a significant gift.” Inviting donors to see the special things that happen on a day-
to-day basis can make all the difference.  Jenny is also an entrepreneur with an international cultural and birdwatching tour business. Through that she has learned many principles of marketing that are easily overlooked in the nonprofit sphere. Yes, Jenny and MailChimp are buddies!

Thriving, Not Striving: Beyond Pizza Parties and Trust Falls in High-Stress Workplaces — Learn how to build a workplace culture where your team genuinely flourishes.

Presenter: Ann Noonan
Ann Noonan has called Boulder County home since 1978, building a career defined by deep human connection and collaborative partnership. With over 40 years of experience in substance use disorders and mental health, she has developed a rare ability to meet people where they are — navigating complex conversations, bridging diverse perspectives, and fostering trust across communities. She now channels that expertise as a semi-retired consultant in Behavioral Health, DEI, and workplace wellness, where her skill in reading people and building consensus drives meaningful organizational change.

Ann brings those same interpersonal strengths to her board service with the Longmont Community Foundation and the Capital Campaign board for Rocky Mountain Equality, as well as to a dedicated coalition working to develop real, actionable programs to reduce gun violence. Whether she’s negotiating shared goals across stakeholder groups or guiding organizations through sensitive cultural shifts, Ann leads with empathy and clear communication. Outside of work, she recharges by singing with the Resonance Women’s Chorus, traveling, learning Spanish, and spending time with Quigley, the wonder dog.

Capital Campaign Fundamentals – Learn how to run a capital campaign that succeeds.  A practical training from SVP Boulder County designed to help nonprofits and their boards make informed decisions about pursuing a capital campaign. Covering everything from feasibility studies and board engagement to common pitfalls and financial realities, this session gives you the tools and clarity you need to confidently decide what’s right for your organization.

Presenters: Ashley Rumble, Keeley Stokes and Katie MacDonald

Ashley Rumble
Ashley brings 15+ years of nonprofit development leadership and a track record of transforming fundraising operations for mission-driven organizations. She has a proven record of securing major gifts to support annual operations, capital initiatives, and endowment campaigns. Most recently at Emergency Family Assistance Association, she nearly tripled individual revenue while growing a multi-million-dollar endowment. She brings direct capital campaign experience, helping organizations align community readiness with bold fundraising goals. Ashley has deep expertise in the Colorado philanthropic landscape with consulting clients including Colorado Mountain Club, Impact on Education, Boulder Food Rescue, Garden to Table, HomeAhead, and South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center.

Keeley Stokes
Keeley Stokes is an experienced fundraiser, researcher, and evaluator, with a demonstrated history of success working with civic and social organizations. She currently owns and operates Keeley Stokes Consulting, a nonprofit development firm focused on fundraising, operations, capacity building and leadership development. She has worked with several organizations across Colorado, including the Spark Policy Institute, TGTHR (formerly Attention Homes), the Alliance Center, Outside, Inc., and the University of Colorado, Boulder. She holds a PhD focused in Political Science & Comparative Public Policy from University of Colorado at Boulder and has been a member of SVP Boulder County for nearly 5 years.

Katie MacDonald
Katie MacDonald is a skilled communications, marketing, and fundraising professional with over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Bringing a community-centric and social justice lens to her work, Katie is passionate about serving her community. Professionally, Katie served as the long-time Marketing Director at the WOW! Children’s Museum in Lafayette and played an integral role in growing WOW! from a small play space into a beloved local destination for families in Boulder County. In her current role, she is the Development Manager at Social Venture Partners (SVP) Boulder County bringing nonprofits and philanthropists together to create collective impact. Katie is a Colorado native and grew up in Littleton. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communications and a minor in Women’s Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Katie is currently serving on the Longmont Museum Advisory Board and the Longmont Museum Capital Campaign Committee. In 2021, she was a volunteer for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Denver.