Hi! I’m Cheri, pronounced shur-ee (think ‘Rock the Casbah’ lyrics by The Clash). With over 14 years of nonprofit management and leadership experience in programming, development, and marketing, I excel at maintaining strong communication practices, truly love building systems and processes, and enjoy incorporating a creative flare into any project.
About Me - The Professional
In my most recent role as Director of Development & Communications at Focus Points Family Resource Center, I utilized communications and fundraising efforts to advocate for accessible community offerings. This included English Language Acquisition (ELA) programming, Early Childhood Education, family development and assistance support, and social enterprise programs that facilitate entrepreneurship and education for participants in the culinary and urban agriculture spaces.
I identified and executed systems’ improvements that elevated Focus Points’ marketing efforts to increase constituent engagement via email and social media platforms by 100%. I ensured sustainable stewardship practices with current and prospective supporters by implementing strong communication and gift tracking, and increased the agency’s individual donor revenue by 41%.
Prior to Focus Points, I spent nearly nine years in various roles at Swallow Hill Music. From managing a teaching staff of over 60 educators at three locations as School Director to diversifying Swallow Hill’s individual and corporate donor portfolio as Director of Development, my time at Swallow Hill perfectly married my love for music and my drive to support community. It solidified my passion for nonprofit work and my deep respect for those who work in the sector at every level.
About Me - The Personal
Traveler, music maker, dog mom, bread baker (yes, I jumped on the sourdough train and have no regrets), lover of nature, novice gardener, roller skater, and handywoman in-training; I am always up for a challenge and eager to learn new skills in all facets of life! I started C. Gonzales Consulting to highlight the personal and professional skills I’ve gained throughout my time in the industry and to focus on the pieces of nonprofit work I enjoy the most.
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Grant Writing & Grants Management
I have worked with over 70 foundations as well as state and federal entities to secure single and multi-year support ranging from $5k - $500k annually. I use consistent communication and thorough organization to efficiently navigate grant application processes, including complex state and government funding opportunities.
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Supporter Research & Engagement
A focus on donor relations and stewardship for high-level individual donor and corporate supporters. This includes creating sponsorship materials and securing financial support for annual fundraising events, program efforts, and capital projects. I have experience building relationships and securing funding from individuals and entities in the healthcare, education, environmental, food & beverage, and arts & culture sectors.
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Customer Relations Management (CRM)
I have played an integral role in the research, training, and on-boarding of five different CRM systems, both for program registration and donor management (including Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge and Kindful).
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Fundraising Campaigns
Individual giving campaigns including monthly giving programs, Colorado Gives Day, year-end giving, and capital projects.
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Marketing
Social media, email marketing, and strategic marketing planning.
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Event Planning
Small and large-scale fundraising event planning and execution for events as intimate as 20 guests to as large as 500 attendees. I have cultivated relationships and collaborated with event professionals, including caterers, rental companies, bartenders, musicians/artists, and other event planners.
Working with Me
“Cheri is an absolute delight to work with on any project! Cheri is a self-starter and solutions-oriented with any task, including donor stewardship, systems, and communications. I worked with Cheri for over two years and she diligently increased fundraising efforts by over 25% within the first year of an improved development plan, solidifying additional foundation, individual donor, and corporate dollars. Cheri’s communication and collaboration is spot on and you won’t regret working with her.”
— Sara Doerflein, Sara Doerflein Consulting LLC
“I worked on the Development and Communications team at Focus Points with Cheri for two years. During that time, the department flourished. Under Cheri’s leadership, our Facebook audience grew from 1,000 to 3,500 followers while our Instagram audience grew from 300 to 900 followers. We also subscribed several thousand followers to our supporter and participant e-newsletters. Not only did Cheri grow our social media following, she skillfully designed and executed two Colorado Gives Day fundraising campaigns (with secured dollar-for-dollar match gifts) and planned the organization’s largest annual fundraiser, Lotería. Cheri’s forethought, organization, and process development skills all contribute to her success.”