Category: America Associates

Junior Associate

Genna Mvalo is an accomplished development leader who has managed complex projects and worked with diverse local, national, and international organizations. Genna’s professional qualifications include multiple roles with the National Brain Tumor Society including Associate Director of Development, Foundation Partnerships, and Advancement Project Management and Board Liaison. She likewise served as Community Health Advisor with the United States Peace Corps in Malawi where she was deeply involved in health, well-being, and anti-discrimination services for marginalized community members, particularly women and persons afflicted with HIV. She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and Biology and has previously volunteered with Partners in Health and VNA Hospice & Boston Children’s Hospital. Genna is an enthusiastic leader who has experience advocating for social justice causes and facilitating strategic development projects that focus on empowering individuals, groups, and communities.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Genna’s core expertise is in Project Management. She also has extensive experience in Donor and Constituent Engagement.

Sector Experience: Healthcare, International Development, Community Based Membership & Advocacy.

Genna’s fundraising must have: Passion for the mission and a true desire to make a positive, lasting impact.

Contact Genna at: [email protected]

Senior Associate

John Mullaney is a nonprofit executive with over 20 years of experience helping diverse organizations craft, articulate, and implement their missions. John has guided a variety of foundations, nonprofits, and government agencies to address larger and often more complex policy issues, as well as their sustainable impact on communities. Over the course of his storied career, John has worked in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Africa where he held a variety of roles at the Institute for International Development and the Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities at Harvard University, and the Forjar Foundation. He also led SatelLife and the Nord Family Foundation as the Executive Director, and has served on numerous boards working for local and state-wide constituents. John holds a Master of Arts degree from Georgetown University and completed his undergraduate education at Boston College. He is fluent in Spanish.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Counsel and Support for Philanthropists. He also possesses expertise in Board Training, Management and Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility, Counsel and Support for Philanthropists, Donor and Constituent Engagement, Interim Program Management, International Fundraising, Project Management, Risk Management and Fundraising Governance.

Sector Experience: Education; Healthcare; Arts & Culture; International Development

John’s fundraising must have: Fundraising must have a genuinely developed mission that impassions people’s most basic instinct to give for the benefit of others.

Contact John at: [email protected]

Senior Associate

Craig Morris is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) with more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration and professional fundraising. He has built development departments from scratch and has worked with well-established organizations, focusing on coaching staff and boards, donor-centric relationship management, annual giving and membership campaigns, sponsorship programs and major donor giving. Craig prides himself on using his background as a social worker to grow an organization’s culture of philanthropy with a task-oriented approach.

Craig is committed to ethical fundraising and cultivating worldwide growth of the philanthropic sector. He is a long-time member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and has served as the education committee chair to bring professional development to organizations needing to stay informed of the latest fundraising trends and tactics. Most recently Craig served as treasurer of the board for the AFP Chicago chapter.

Craig holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences, with a Major in Biology and a Minor in Spanish from Indiana University, a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago, with concentration on Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation, and he is a Licensed Social Worker.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Craig’s predominant area of expertise is in Advancement Services including development operations and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. He also has extensive experience in program evaluation and strategic planning.

Sector Experience: Community Based Membership and Advocacy, including child welfare, early child education and advocacy, LGBTQ advocacy, domestic violence prevention and intervention, anti-violence organizations, community centers, federated organizations, homeless shelters, food pantries, emergency services, job training programs, youth development, and associations.

Craig’s fundraising must have: An open-minded leadership committed to writing a focused and engaging case for support underpinning a fundraising plan with long-term goals.

Contact Craig at: [email protected]

Executive Associate

Tom McCarty brings over 35 years of experience in serving nonprofit organizations as a staff member, consultant, and independent contractor. His long and successful career encompasses 17 capital campaigns, solicitation of 6- and 7-figure major gifts (outright and deferred), grants ranging as high as $3.5 million, and a total of over $60 million raised personally.

Holding bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees from Oberlin College, Yale University, and The University of Michigan respectively, Tom began his career as a college professor of Classics for institutions of higher education in Vermont, Ohio, and North Carolina. He also holds the current credential of Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Tom’s core expertise is in Major and Principal Gifts. He likewise has extensive experience in Annual Giving and Direct Marketing; Board Training, Management and Governance; Fundraising Campaigns and Strategic Planning; Planned and Legacy Gifts; and Grants Management

Sector Experience: Education, Healthcare, and Arts & Culture

Tom’s fundraising must have: Fundraising is a simple business. There are but two steps: raise awareness and raise support.

Contact Tom at: [email protected]

Senior Associate

Chris Locke has more than 20 years of experience as a creative leader with expertise in integrated marketing strategies, and leading education and membership teams. She consistently delivers positive outcomes with strong and sustainable gains by inspiring quality team performance and collaboration. She motivates teams and individuals to exceed organizational objectives, targets and goals. Her greatest pride is elevating group and personal performance levels through skillful leadership and fearless, yet graceful, decision-making outcomes. One of Chris’ biggest achievements was breaking down long-established siloes between departments to create a new level of cooperation between development and marketing teams. As a result, one organization was able to raise over $15MM in an 18-month period, a record for this particular non-profit.
Chris earned her degree in Communications and Public Relations at California State University.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Chris is a well-rounded fundraising generalist and brings expert-level experience in Fundraising Campaigns and Strategic Planning. She also has extensive experience in annual giving campaigns and programs, direct marketing, and gift planning. She is particularly adept at developing unique marketing campaigns that breath fresh life into routine fundraising efforts.

Sector Experience: Membership-based educational institutes and think tanks, trade societies, animal protection non-profits, and community-based preparedness programs.

Chris’s fundraising must have: Goals. Both team and personal goals, with timeline breakdowns. Also, strong belief that change can be good, and without strategic change, stagnation is eminent.

Contact Chris at: [email protected]

Junior Associate

With a PhD degree in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and over 5 years of research experience in the nonprofit sector, Yannan Li is a specialist when it comes to using numbers and figures to tell a compelling story about philanthropy. Yannan is particularly skillful at investigating the giving trends, exploring the market of major gifts, conducting prospect research, and developing social media strategies. She is also dedicated to the education and training of next generation of nonprofit leaders.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Yannan’s core expertise is in Data Analytics. She also has extensive experience in Alumni Relations and Giving; Counsel and Support for Philanthropists; and Social Media Strategies;

Sector Experience: Higher Education and International Development

Yannan’s fundraising must have: The understanding that fundraising is an ongoing cycle and a commitment to building long-term relationship with constituents.

Contact Yannan at: [email protected]