At Focus Fundraising, you’ll work directly with principals at the firm. However, we believe in the value of collaboration so we join forces with select consultants to provide key guidance so you raise more money.
Our network of skilled colleagues provides expertise in fundraising messaging and case development, prospect research, board development, and event management. Together, we are all focused on helping you and your development team meet — and exceed — your goal
Click the photographs below to learn more about our team members.
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President
Nadine specializes in annual and campaign fundraising, board development, and major gift solicitations, and excels at guiding nonprofits seeking to expand their revenue and donor base. She has a proven record in securing individual major gifts, national and regional support, and at developing innovative ways to improve donor engagement to achieve results. Nadine has 25 years of experience in fundraising, and has been working as a consultant to nonprofits since 2009.
Before establishing Focus Fundraising, Nadine served for eight years on the senior management team of CulturalDC, an organization that partners with real estate developers and arts organizations to drive community development. There, she directed annual fundraising and led two capital campaigns. Prior to that role, Nadine managed marketing and branding projects at Iconixx, a web development firm, and was a program director at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Nadine is a Certified Fundraising Executive and is a past president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, DC Chapter. She is currently the Secretary of the Board and Development Committee chair of the Catalogue for Philanthropy in DC and is also a member of Somos el Poder, a national Latinx fundraising institute. Originally from Lima, Peru, she brings her diverse background and perspective to all client engagements. Nadine has an M.A. from The George Washington University and a B.A. from the University of Florida and is fluent in Spanish. She lives in Bethesda, MD and she and her husband have two sons.
Grant Writer & Development Specialist
Jackie is an accomplished non-profit professional with over 15 years of success in relationship-based fundraising for nationally recognized foreign policy, public affairs and health and human service organizations. She is a skilled professional with extensive experience in bringing in revenue streams of $1M+ to nonprofits through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-net-worth individuals, corporate sponsorships, grants and special events, and has a talent for providing excellent customer service to a wide range of key stakeholders and executive leadership.
Jackie began her development career in Atlanta as the Southeast Regional Coordinator for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. To pursue her passion for policy and advocacy, she moved to Washington, DC and became a development officer for the Brookings Institution, helping to manage a $21M annual revenue goal in the Foreign Policy Program.
As the Development Director for organizations such as the American Society of International Law and the Southeast Regional office of the Anti-Defamation League, Jackie succeeded in creating a culture of philanthropy by advising staff and senior leadership on how best to identify and move major donors through the giving cycle, leveraging data to encourage philanthropic investment, and researching potential donors’ ability and willingness to donate.
Most recently, she was the Senior Director of Major Gifts and Individual Giving for Make-A-Wish Georgia, spearheading strategies for year-end and mid-year giving campaign development.
Jackie graduated with a B.A. from the University of Georgia and resides in Atlanta with her husband and their elementary aged son.
Messaging Specialist
Leila specializes in writing smart, savvy fundraising collateral. A skilled writer, ruthless editor and strategic communicator, she works with organizations to craft donor communications that will motivate existing donors and attract new ones.
In her role at Focus, Leila leads the writing process for cases for support, strategic messaging, annual reports, and campaign messaging. She’s an accomplished writer with a proven track record creating fundraising materials that have successfully raised funds from individuals, private foundations, corporations, and local and federal government agencies.
Before becoming an independent consultant, Leila worked in nonprofit management and arts administration. She has extensive expertise in institutional advancement, from strategic program development to effective fundraising, budgeting and financial management. During 14 years at CulturalDC, Leila’s portfolio ranged from oversight of internal operations as Deputy Director to program management and directing arts-focused real estate development projects.
Leila has served on the Board of Directors for Innovation Network and Atlas Performing Arts Center. She graduated from Bowdoin College and lives in Washington, DC with her husband, twin daughters and Golden Retriever.
Consultant
Gregg is an experienced fundraising and communications professional who has spent more than 25 years in the Washington, D.C. nonprofit sector focusing on civil rights and marginalized communities. He has extensive experience with all aspects of fundraising including major gifts, special events, annual funds, foundation and government grants, planned giving and board development.
Most recently, Gregg was on the management team at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs as the Director of Development and Communications. Prior to the Committee, Gregg was the Director of Development for the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, the District’s largest, low-income legal services provider. Previously, Gregg directed the national events programs for the Human Rights Campaign, the leading LGBTQ+ organization for the U.S., and served as a key fundraiser for Whitman-Walker, a nationally recognized health organization that focuses on underserved communities in the D.C. region.
Gregg is actively involved with Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and served as AFP DC’s president during its 50th anniversary. Gregg also served on the Resource Development Committee of the D.C. Access to Justice Commission, which was created to improve the ability of low- and moderate-income residents’ access to civil justice system.
Gregg has a B.S. in marketing from Florida State University and lives in Washington, D.C. with his partner.
Sr. Prospect Researcher
Isabelle provides research services to Focus clients seeking new sources of support and details on their current donors’ giving interests and goals. Isabelle has extensive experience in the research field and is adept with numerous databases including Donor Search and Candid’s Foundation Directory Online, among others.
Prior to her work as a research consultant, Isabelle served as The Foundation Center’s Assistant Librarian for nearly three years, where she provided services and trained clients on research tools and techniques. Before that, Isabelle worked with the Philanthropic Initiative for Social Justice as an editor of their yearly report on the state of Racial Equity Issues in grantmaking organizations; and for the Paul G. Allen Foundation investigating program opportunities in Solar micro-grids in East Africa. Isabelle also worked for USAID, the United Nations, Catholic Relief Services and Care International working in refugee camps and famine assistance programs in Africa and Asia. Born in Havana, Cuba, Isabelle holds an M.A. in International Affairs and Development from Webster University, Geneva, Switzerland and a B.A. in History and African Studies from Kalamazoo College. She is fluent in French, Italian and Spanish.
Prospect Researcher
Jennifer Letowt has spent over 25 years in the development research field. She has extensive experience identifying prospects and opportunities, preparing detailed biographical, financial, and philanthropic profiles, and training and mentoring staff.
Jennifer has been a consultant for the past 12 years, helping clients identify and qualify donors. Previously, she was the head of development research at The Johns Hopkins University, The United Negro College Fund (UNCF), and Capital Caring, a hospice serving the Washington, DC metro area. All of these roles have taught her how to align research efforts with an organization’s fundraising goals.
A graduate of Goucher College and Johns Hopkins University, she is a past board member and Chair of the Green Hedges School, an independent school located in Vienna, VA. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and APRA, the international prospect research organization.
Prospect Researcher
Jennifer Liu-Cooper has over 25 years of experience in advancement, focusing on prospect research/management and fundraising operations. She’s served in leadership and practitioner roles in both public and private institutions, specializing in the identification and qualification of donor prospects and funding opportunities, the preparation of biographical and philanthropic background materials, collaborating on engagement strategies, and training staff.
As a consultant, she’s specialized in streamlining prospect research and gift administration business practices in alignment with industry standards. Her clients include Cal Tech, MIT, University of Rochester, Georgetown University, Twin Cities Public Television, and several Children’s Hospitals.
Previously, she was the Senior Director of Development Services for the University of Delaware, the Executive Director of Development Operations for Vanderbilt University, and the Director of Prospect Management and Research at the University of Oregon Foundation.
She is a past board member of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals (aasp) and has been a member of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (Apra).
Marketing Assistant
Laura Johnson is a freelance writer, digital marketer, and social media strategist. Though originally from Minneapolis, she’s called New York City home for the past 15 years. Laura is a contributing writer for publications like Emerging and Tasting Table and has overseen digital marketing and social media strategies for small and start-up women-lead brands.
Laura is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.
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