- Learn
Participate in a workshop - Connect
Find funding, resources, network and more - Tools
What you need to know - Projects
Community Partnerships- Cal Endowment - Building Healthy Communities
- Encore Fellows Program
Civic Ventures program matching highly experienced professionals with nonprofit organizations in the Sacramento & Sierra regions - Generosity Project
- Placer Collaborative Network
- Strengthen Our Community
A leveraged media campaign to educate, connect and resource the community in support of the region’s nonprofit sector. - Website Development Project
- Previous Projects
- About the Center


Dale Ainsworth, PhD, MS
Managing Partner, Valley Vision
Dale has worked in a variety of industries and nonprofit settings in leadership and consultant roles focused on transition and change planning, implementation, and management. He is an accomplished team builder and group facilitator with experiences in a variety of cultural settings; including working with Katrina refugees in refining rebuilding strategies for the City of New Orleans, a government owned utility in Shenyeng, China, and various leadership teams across the United States.
Sher Barber
Executive Director, Wind Youth Services
Sher brings over 20 years of executive management experience to the role of new executive director over the merged Wind Youth Services and Diogenes Youth Services organization. Most recently Ms. Barber was the Deputy Director for Northern Valley Catholic Social Service where she led counseling programs for youth as well as Wraparound and several other social service programs. Wind Youth Services and Diogenes Youth Services announced in July 2012 their intent to merge the two organizations.
Patrick Bell
Principal, EDGE Consulting
Patrick Bell has over 38 years of experience in all aspects of nonprofits, as volunteer, board member and consultant to over 75 organizations. His nonprofit specialties are Strategic Planning and Board Development. He has taught the BoardLink™ workshops for the Nonprofit Resource Center for nearly a decade, since their inception, and consults extensively through the Center and on his own.
Renee Bosley
Vice President-Employee Benefits, Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc.
Renee Bosley is Vice President-Employee Benefits for Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc. Renee specializes in Employee Benefits Services including healthcare reform compliance, cost containment strategies, negotiations, wellness, HR support and employee advocacy. Renee founded and directed an international nonprofit organization, giving her first-hand experience at leading a nonprofit organization.
Michael Boyd
Account Representative, Inside Publications
Michael Boyd has worked as an Account Representative for Inside Publications – Sacramento’s largest delivered publication – for the last 10 years, where he is continuing to learn about the use of marketing and computers in everyday business.
Michael’s most meaningful introduction to computers began in 1983 when he acquired his first personal computer. Having no clue what they were about led him on a journey that he continues 30 years later, marveling at the innovative power they bring to our lives.
Nancy Brodovsky
Principal, SacConnects
Nancy Brodovsky is the Principal of SacConnects, a regional consultancy that encourages collaboration with nonprofits and businesses to make the Sacramento region a model of philanthropy.
For more than 30 years Nancy has been actively involved with over 20 national and regional organizations and believes that many of the issues that nonprofits face can be resolved by creating well-qualified leaders who are better prepared and engaged to accomplish the goals set forth.
Holly Burkett
Principal, Evaluation Works
Holly Burkett, Principal of Evaluation Works in Davis, California, is an Evaluation Expert with the Office of Performance Review (OPR), which provides Grantee Technical Assistance and Support. She has over 20 years experience assisting public and private sector clients design outcome-based measures of program effectiveness, with special depth in capacity building, employee development, community partnerships, and change leadership.
Gail Catlin
Executive Director
Gail Catlin, Nonprofit Resource Center Executive Director, has over 25 years of executive planning, administration, communications and marketing experience in the nonprofit sector. She is master’s prepared in public administration and has completed her doctoral coursework in the area of transformational learning. Gail has served as executive staff for the Greater Sacramento Cancer Council, the Sutter Community Cancer Center, Sutter Health and the California Association of Hospitals. She also has served as adjunct faculty in the Chapman University’s Masters of Organizational Leadership program, and board member of several local nonprofit organizations.
Harvey Chess
President, FTF Group
Harvey Chess, president of The FTF Group, has represented a variety of private sector grantmakers, including several years as program officer for the California Community Foundation. He began his career as a field representative for the federal Office of Economic Opportunity. His consulting and training activities with grant seekers spans 40 years, including 12 years as a senior trainer for the Grantsmanship Center.
Cheryl Clarke, JD
Fundraising Consultant and Trainer
Cheryl A. Clarke, J.D. is a nationally known trainer and keynote speaker. She has presented at the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference, the Association of Grant Professionals Annual Conference and to dozens of AFP chapters nationwide. In her consulting practice, Cheryl specializes in individual and institutional giving for annual and capital campaigns. She the author of Storytelling for Grantseekers: A Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising and co-author of Grant Proposal Makeover: Transform Your Request from No to Yes.
Catherine M. Connolly, MBA, CFRE
Direct Marketing & Membership Consultant
Catherine M. Connolly has been working in membership and direct marketing for almost 25 years. She has been on both sides of the consulting relationship — as both a client and a consultant. After working at a large, national consulting agency, she spent time at Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (now known at Earthjustice). There she integrated the direct marketing program into the bigger scheme of the entire Development office, along with building the institutional readiness needed for a successful mail program.
Diana Craig, Esq.
Legal Compliance Officer, Wells Fargo Insurance Services
Diana Craig, Esq. is a regional compliance director at Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc. Diana practiced law for six years before joining Wells Fargo Insurance Services in September of 2008. She has extensive experience with a broad range of employee benefits topics including HIPAA, ERISA, COBRA, and the Patient Protection and Affordability Act and regularly advises employers on all aspects of health and welfare plan compliance.
Scot Crocker
Principal, Crocker & Crocker
Scot Crocker is a branding and marketing strategist at Crocker & Crocker, a public outreach and branding firm. He’s the former founder of Crocker/Flanagan which he started in 1989 and grew it into one of the most successful advertising and public relations agencies in Sacramento. He sold the company in 2007.
Lynne Cunningham, MPA, FACHE
Strategic Planning, Marketing Consultant and Speaker, Studer Group
Lynne Cunningham of the Studer Group has over 30 years of healthcare experience, including 25 years as a strategic planning and marketing consultant. She has worked with hospitals, health systems and medical groups all over the country to create the roadmap and design of the Studer Group coaching model, designed to maximize operational excellence. Lynne is the author of several books and many journal articles including “Marketing Best Practices in a Variety of Service Lines”.
Judee Daniels, CFRE and Elfrena Foord, CFP
Statewide Co-Chairs, California Plan Your Giving Project
Judee Daniels, CFRE, (pictured on the right) philanthropy consultant and mentor, currently serves as Statewide Co-Chair for the “California Plan Your Giving Project,” which focuses on increasing the conversations and commitments among Californians to make a meaningful gift to charity with a planned gift—helping donors plan today to give tomorrow. She has raised millions of dollars, while identifying thousands of new donors and volunteers over the past 15 years. Philanthropy has enriched her family’s life celebrations and has raised up a 3rd generation of charitable donors.
Elfrena Foord, CFP®, (pictured on the left) has consulted with her clients for over 30 years on their financial planning matters. She has been active in the nonprofit community as a donor and board member and is passionate about how estate planning can be a positive for the family as well as the charities they support. She is a partner in the wealth coaching and investment management firm of Foord, Van Bruggen, Ebersole & Pajak. Elfrena also serves as Statewide Co-Chair for the “California Plan Your Giving Project.”
Pam Dinsmore
Community Affairs Director, The Sacramento Bee
Pam Dinsmore, a veteran editor and journalist at The Sacramento Bee, was named Community Affairs Director in 2009. She was promoted to the job by Publisher Cheryl Dell, who said that The Bee needs to stay connected with the community and it will be Dinsmore’s job to strengthen those connections with businesses, organizations and readers. She is responsible for sharing The Bee’s story and to open the doors of the newspaper to those we serve.
Charles Dukes, MBA
Charles Dukes, MBA, has recently worked as Interactive Advertising Manager at The Sacramento Bee, managed and directed all new media advertising solutions, and has launched many successful digital products. He and his sales team partnered with hundreds of organizations in the Sacramento region to help identify their target audience through the use of marketing, communications and social media tools.
Gordon Fowler
President/CEO, 3fold Communications
After 15 years of national, success-filled marketing and advertising experience in high-level positions in the private and public sector, Gordon launched 3fold Communications in 2004. His vision was uniquely focused: to deliver big-agency strategy sans media or budget bias. Eight years later, 3fold Communications has become an award-winning, multi-million dollar agency and a leader in socially conscious marketing.
Jim Fritzsche, CPA
President, Fritzsche Associates, Inc.
Jim Fritzsche, CPA has been auditing and preparing tax returns for nonprofits in the Sacramento region since 1990. Today, nonprofit work makes up 80% of his company’s workload. After twenty-two years and hundreds of nonprofit engagements Jim has gained tremendous experience, and is happy to share the lessons learned with anyone who will listen!
Sally George
Senior Manager, Taco Bell Foundation
Sally George is a Senior Manager for Taco Bell Foundation. She has more than 15 years experience working in organization reputation building and cause marketing. At the Taco Bell Foundation, she has developed a national fundraising program harnessing the brand’s 6,000 restaurants, and built a local grant-making program that distributes more than $3 million to 350 nonprofits each year. Sally also works with celebrities such as Mark Wahlberg and has an extensive background in public relations.
Jeanie Hagen-Greene
Founder, H-G Training Group
Jeanie Hagen-Greene, founder of H-G Training Group in 1993, has helped more than 150 organizations including Fortune 500 companies and over 20,000 individuals improve their “people skills.” Clients include corporations, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Previously, Jeanie had over 20 years of real-world experience in the financial services industry being promoted from teller to manager to vice president.
Cameron Hess, Esq., CPA, Sr. Principle
Wagner Kirkman Blaine Klomparens & Youmans LLP
Cameron L. Hess, Esq., C.P.A., is a senior principal with Wagner Kirkman Blaine Klomparens & Youmans LLP and practices in the transaction department in the areas of taxation and business law. A Certified Public Accountant, formerly practicing with the international accounting firm of KPMG, Mr. Hess’ practice includes represents nonprofit entities with respect to nonprofit formation, administration and fund raising. Mr. Hess advises a number of Sacramento-based nonprofits in special areas including unrelated business income tax, sales tax and planned giving. Mr.
Craig Horangic
Organizational Development & HR Consultant
Craig is an organizational development and human resources consultant. He has over 20 years of human resources and senior management experience in Sacramento area companies. Craig is certified by the Institute for Applied Management and Law in employee relations law, has a W. Bridges Transistion Management certification and is a PhD candidate in human and organizational development at the Fielding Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara.
Miriam Houghton
President, EXPRESSIONS
Miriam Houghton is President of EXPRESSIONS (Grant Writing, Consulting, and Training), based in Sacramento, California. Miriam has written and edited more than 1,030 proposals and supporting document packages and reviewed almost 800 more. Her work over the last 27 years has resulted in revenue for her clients and employers now totaling more than $97 million. She works all over California and in other states with non-profit organizations, public agencies, and businesses.
Jennifer Jensen, CPA
Partner, Jensen Smith CPAs
Jennifer Jensen, CPA of Jensen Smith CPAs, has many years of experience in all levels of nonprofit management, from board member to auditor. Her very enjoyable, “hands-on” workshops are practical, applicable and designed so that non-accounting professionals understand the numbers and can effectively implement financial management tools.
Daniel Kaufman
Co-Founder, Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies, LLC
Daniel Kaufman is the co-founder of Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in designing and implementing innovative next generation philanthropic engagement opportunities for individuals, nonprofits, foundations and businesses. He is also the co-founder of the One Percent Foundation, an organization building a broad-based movement of next generation philanthropists by making giving accessible, engaging and meaningful.
Laree Kiely, PhD
Founder and CEO, Keily Group
Laree Kiely, PhD is an award-winning organizational expert, consultant, educator, and speaker. She is founder of the Kiely Group, a 25-year old firm specializing in the critical work of building solutions for people who have real responsibility, real lives and real work to do, and who want real outcomes that measure and sustain.
Kim Klein
Partner, Klein & Roth Consulting
Kim Klein is an internationally known fundraising trainer and has worked in all aspects of fundraising: as staff, as volunteer, as board member, and as consultant. She is best known for adapting traditional fundraising techniques, particularly major donor campaigns, to the needs of organizations with small budgets working for social justice.
Patti Larson
Information Services Manager
Information Services Manager for the Nonprofit Resource Center and a librarian by training, Patti has many years of experience working in the nonprofit field. She teaches the Center classes Starting a Nonprofit: What’s It Take? and Finding Grant Funders. Patti loves to help people find the information they need when she’s not filling in as the Center’s accidental techie.
Nancy Lee
Attorney, Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP
Nonprofit Resource Center Board Vice Chair
Nancy Lee is a business attorney with Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP and has represented nonprofits and for-profits for over 16 years. She also advises numerous types and sizes of nonprofits. Nancy serves on the boards of national and local nonprofit organizations and holds an MBA.
Steve Lew
Senior Project Director, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
Steve Lew is a Senior Project Director for CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and works with organizations in creating strategic plan, fund development strategies, and board development initiatives. Steve also coaches staff and board members in fundraising approaches and teaches board fundraising within the CompassPoint training series. He is Director of the Fundraising Academy for Communities of Color, an 8-month training and coaching series offered in collaboration with the Grassroots Fundraising Journal.
Suzanne Linebarger
Linebarger Grantseeking Services
Suzanne Linebarger is an independent consultant providing a full array of professional grantseeking services, from foundation research and grant writing to grant program development and training.
David Ljung, CPA
Gilbert Associates, Inc.
Nonprofit Resource Center Board Member
David Ljung, CPA, is a partner with Gilbert Associates, Inc., CPAs and Advisors, a 50-person Sacramento-based firm where he directs services to over 150 not-for-profit organizations. The firm provides a broad variety of services to the not-for-profit community including auditing and consulting regarding financial management, internal controls, and operating matters.
Dave has served as a director for nearly a dozen different organizations and he is the most recent past board chair of the Center. He is also a frequent speaker and trainer for nonprofit boards and for the Nonprofit Resource Center.
Becky Lunders
Founder, teamWorks
Becky Lunders of teamWorks specializes in helping nonprofits build capacity by utilizing volunteer leaders. Becky’s nonprofit management experience helps her guide others towards reaching their potential. From volunteer to event staff to trainer to strategic planner, she has worn many hats and offers great insight.
Catherine Marshall
Nonprofit Capacity Building Consultant
Catherine Marshall is a consultant to organizations that build the capacity of the nonprofit sector. Since 1982, Ms. Marshall has served nonprofits first as a volunteer and board member, then as a founder and executive director of her own nonprofit. For nearly ten years, she served as CEO of CAMEO, an association of nonprofits providing microenterprise development in California. While at CAMEO, Ms. Marshall provided capacity building services to over eighty microenterprise nonprofits.
Jan Masaoka
CEO, California Association of Nonprofits
Jan Masaoka is the new Chief Executive Officer of the California Association of Nonprofits. She is a leading writer and thinker on nonprofit organizations with particular emphasis on boards of directors, business planning, and the role of nonprofits in society.
Her books include:
Paul McClure
Vice President/Director of Advertising, Runyon Saltzman & Einhorn
Paul McClure is the Director of Advertising and one of the owners of Runyon Saltzman & Einhorn, Sacramento’s largest Advertising and Public Relations firm. Paul has enjoyed a 28-year long career in advertising and marketing, having worked in San Francisco, Los Angeles and for the past 19 years in Sacramento. In the course of his career he has worked on the launch of Orville Redenbachers Microwave Popping Corn and Bartles & Jaymes Wine Coolers. He then spent time as a client for Bally’s before becoming an advertising agency owner in Sacramento.
Keith McLane, BAS
Professional Auctioneer, KLM Auctions
Keith McLane, BAS, is one of the country’s preeminent fundraising auctioneers and special appeal/fund-a-need experts. Since 1995, he has specialized in organizing and conducting charity and fundraising auctions for schools, charitable organizations, and nonprofit groups across the nation.
Read Keith’s full bio.
Heather McLeod Grant
Founder and Principal, McLeod-Grant Advisors
Heather McLeod Grant is the founder and principal of McLeod-Grant Advisors, and a published author, speaker, and consultant with more than twenty years experience in the social sector. Her work focuses on scaling social impact, social innovation/ entrepreneurship, leveraging networks, transforming large-scale nonprofits, nonprofit management, organizational development, and leadership development for social change.
Nora O’Brien, MPA, CEM
Principal Consultant, Connect Consulting Services
Nora J. O’Brien founded Connect Consulting Services, (CCS), an emergency management consulting firm, to provide her clients with tools, strategies, resources, and training to enhance the capacity of their emergency management programs. An accomplished speaker, Ms. O’Brien has spoken at more than 50 national and international health care emergency management conferences in the U.S.
Melanie Olson
Consultant, HR to Go
Melanie Olson of HR to Go has held key HR management positions and has provided extensive human resources support to both small and large businesses, including experience working with nonprofit organizations.
April Parish
Business Development Director, CA Intern Network
April Parish is the Business Development Director for CA Intern Network, a student employment program with University Enterprises, Inc., (UEI), a 501(c)(3), nonprofit, tax-exempt auxiliary organization serving California State University, Sacramento.
Tina Reynolds
Owner, Uptown Studios
Nonprofit Resource Center Board Member
Tina has been running her own design firm since 1976. She is the community face of Uptown Studios, is always ready and eager to get your project going and give you enough information with the experience that will provide the “big picture” on your campaign or marketing materials. Tina is always there to remind you to “Make it Easy, Fun and Popular”.
Kim Rhinehelder, CFRE
Chief Philanthropy Officer, Eskaton Foundation
Nonprofit Resource Center Board Member
Kim Rhinehelder, CFRE is the Chief Philanthropy Officer at Eskaton Foundation. Kim’s prior experience includes serving as Chief Development Officer for Mercy San Juan, and Co-Executive Director for Sierra Adoption Services. She attributes her success to the keen understanding of building relationships with her fundraising staff, board leadership and donors.
Karen Rice
Regional Development Director, Constant Contact
Karen Rice is the Regional Development Director for Northern California at Constant Contact. She has more than 20 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, government agencies and private sector businesses developing and implementing successful marketing, event management and public relations campaigns.
Andy Robinson
Consultant, trainer and author
Andy Robinson provides training and consulting for nonprofits in fundraising, grantseeking, board development, marketing, earned income, planning, leadership development, and facilitation. Over the past fourteen years, Andy has worked with organizations in 47 US states and Canada. He specializes in the needs of groups working for human rights, social justice, environmental conservation, historic preservation, and community development.
Pam Saltenberger
Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts Heart of Central California
Pam Saltenberger became Chief Executive Officer of the Tierra del Oro Girl Scout council in 1996, overseeing its successful merge with Muir Trail to become Girl Scouts Heart of Central California (GSHCC) in 2007. Before she joined GSHCC, she worked as a top administrator in the insurance industry for over 20 years, and was the first female Vice President of a major California-based insurance company as well as the first female President of the Sacramento Chapter of Chartered Life Underwriters.
Ritu Sharma
Executive Director, Social Media for Nonprofits
Ritu spearheads the efforts of one of the largest social media for social good programs in the world, Social Media for Nonprofits. Under her leadership, they organized seven of eight sold out programs in 2011, all focused on sharing practical tips and tools for fundraising, marketing, and advocacy. The program is now expanding globally, including 14 programs in four countries this year.
Mark Simon
Principal Consultant, Storywalkers Consulting Group
Mark Simon is an educator, consultant, writer and storyteller with more than 20 years of experience in social service, government, education, and faith-based organizations. Before establishing Storywalkers Consulting Group in 2004, Mark was the founding director of Rural Action of Knights Landing, where he led a grassroots effort to raise funds and establish the Knights Landing Family Resource Center – providing health and social services, after school programming and leadership development for this rural town of 2,000 residents.
Sharon Stone Smith
Executive Director, Sacramento Children’s Museum
Sharon Stone Smith is the first Executive Director of the Sacramento Children’s Museum. Sharon Stone Smith received her Master’s degree in Non-profit Administration from Case Western Reserve University and her JD from the University of San Diego School of Law.