Sherry Simmons has over 35 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, strategic planning, staff training, and relationship building. She has founded several nonprofits and held executive roles, including as the Executive Director of the Northern California Community Loan Fund where she acquired over $43 million in investments. Simmons now runs her own consulting practice providing services such as strategic planning, fundraising, and event planning to small nonprofits.

1. SHERRY SIMMONS
15850 North Thompson Peak Parkway #1174, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Email: sherrysimmons65@gmail.com
Cell: 510-205-4705
An experienced,charismatic,nonprofitexecutive andconsultantwith over 35 years of hands-onexperience
in all aspectsof nonprofitleadership,fundraising,strategic planning,staff training, executive coaching,
board developmentandinteraction, special eventmanagement, marketingand communication, grant
writing,major giftimplementation, andrelationshipbuilderfor nonprofits.
SUMMARYOF QUALIFICATIONS
* Entrepreneurial: foundedastatewidedrug preventionorganization;firstmanagerwiththe Stroke
AwarenessFoundation;implementedthe firstandfourothertelethons,producing,scripting,fundraising,
volunteerrecruitmentandmanagement forChildren’s Medical ResearchFoundation asitsfirstExecutive
Director;firststatewide 211 UnitedWayCoordinator.
* Energeticandknowledgeable trainer,coachandpractitionerina varietyof nonprofitareasincluding
but notlimitedto:Fundraising,governance andleadership, createdandtaught“The Fine Artof Schmoozing”,
Conference andEventplanningforthousands.
* Creative,insightful andavisionaryleaderfornonprofitsforover30 years;focusedandpowerful
relationshipbuilderandpeopleconnector;communicateswithskillandenergy; Excellentpublicspeaking
experience andtrainingexperience.
* Self starter;use time andresourceseffectivelytoachieve prioritiesandmeetdeadlines.
* A “connector” of people withissues,communitygoalsandemployment
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Directorof Resource Development7/07through6/14
NorthernCaliforniaCommunityLoanFundSanFrancisco,CA
A certified developmentfinancialinstitution 501 (c)(3) thatprovidesfinancialsolutionsto nonprofitsfor
affordablehousing,communityfacilities,lines of credit and training and consulting to low income
communities.
*Acquired investmentsanddonations tosupportoperationsandthe loanfund.
* Preparedstrategicfundraisingandcommunicationsandmarketingstrategicplanningandannual
workplanwithbudgets.
* Wrote successful grants,cultivated strategicrelationshipswithpotential andcurrentdonors, people
inbanks,foundationsandcorporate organizations.
* Developedmeaningful relationshipsand secured investorsintothe $43 millionLoanFund.Uponmy
departure inJuly,2014, NCCLFhad over233 investmentsfrombanks,corporations,PRI’sfromFoundations,
religiousorganizations,citygovernments, nonprofitsandindividuals.
* Managedtwo developmentassociates;one responsible forsome grantwriting,marketing and
communications;the otherstaff was responsible forthe investmentprocess,sendingoutlegal information,
formsand renewal information.
* Secured probonoassistance fora new brandinganda marketingplanforagency; executed the
agency-wideimplementationof the newlogo,new tagline andnew colors;wrote andedited yearlyannual
reportand the monthly newsletters, bothinprintand electronic.

2. * Assistedindevelopingan infrastructure totrackgrant reportingdeadlinesandapplicationdeadlines.
* Createdan advertisementforbusinessnewspaperthatresultedina$250,000 bankinvestment
*Createdand implementedall eventsforthe 25 year celebration of the agency,whichincludedaKick-
Off Celebrationwithacheerleadinggroupparadingdownthe streetsinthe Tenderloin;special save-
the-date handoutsforKick-Off;coordinatedguestsandall speakers. Ourlarge galaeventwas
attendedbyover350 people and raisedover$75,000; producedthe celebratory6minute video
shownat Eventand whichappearedonourwebsite, compiledthe dataforourhistorical reviewof our
accomplishmentsandouragencyhighlights;also featuredaYellow BrickRoadwithpostersand
informationfromournonprofitclients;aphotoboothfortakingcasual photos;a discjockeyplaying
musicfromthe 1980’s, whenNCLFwasborn; donationof an anniversary cake.
*Designedmarketingandcommunicationsplanningandimplementation;alsooversaw all social media
communications.
* Identifiedstoriesandproducedfour programmaticvideosforuse atour eventandon our website
featuringourclientsandtheirservices.
* Identifiedandwrote aproposal to the Haas School of Businessand McKinsey&Co. fortheirSocial
Solutionsgraduate studenttermwork.The teamof 5 graduate studentsworked withme forfive monthsand
the team completed researchonyoungprofessionalsandtheirgiving andinvestmenthabits;they then
designedamarketingandcommunicationscampaignforNCCLFtoattract youngerdonorsandinvestors.
*Createdand Implemented all eventplanningforagency,which included atleast6 annual educational
events;aninformationalluncheonforfinancialplannersinourgeographicarea;hostingafterworkgatherings
for youngprofessionalstolearnmore aboutNCCLFandour work andthe opportunitiesforsociallyresponsible
investing;hosted twofilmpreviewsof “Fixingthe Future”,one inSanFranciscoandthe otherinFresno.
*Achieved all financial goalsoverthe seven yearstodate of employment.
* Implementedanew mid-yearappeal toindividual donors.
* Cultivatedandultimatelysecuredapledge fromanational insurance foundationabouttheirdesire
to invest$2 million.
* Servedasa mentorto youngand newerdevelopmentstaff withthe local chapterof the Association
of FundRaisingProfessionals.
SimmonsConsulting9/97 through6/07
Practice re-energized5/14 to present
San Jose,CA and Alameda,CA
Formed my own consulting practice to providea variety of hands-onservices,training and workshopsto
agencies,organizationsand individuals. My practiceis primarily dedicated to working with small,public benefit
corporationsto help providegeneralorganizationaldevelopmentskills,training and coaching services,specific
to their agency needs.
Servicesinclude:StrategicPlanning,definitionof Boardof DirectorsRolesandResponsibilities,organizational
infrastructure;fundraisingplanningandimplementation; special eventplanningandimplementation; major
giftstrategyand implementation; customerservicetraining;communityneedsassessment;marketing
planningandimplementation; coachingandmentoringExecutive Directors andDirectorsof Development;
Board Audits;andOrganizational Assessments; ConferenceandEventPlanningandimplementation; Creativity
Workshops,Change inOrganizationalstructure; teambuilding;curriculumdevelopment formanycourses;
and created andtaught The Fine Art of Schmoozing ata varietyof venues.
 InterimconsultingleadershiprolesincludedProgramManagerforthe Stroke AwarenessFoundation,
(2 years) UnitedWay State 211 Coordinator,(18 months) InterimDevelopmentDirectorforVia
RehabilitationandMomentumforMental Health (18 months each).

3.  Taught Board GovernmentandLeadership classesforover9 years whichwas a six hourcreditcourse
inthe NonprofitManagementCertificate ProgramatSanJose State University.
 Wrote a monthlycolumnforovertwoyearsin ValleyScene (aSiliconValleysocialmonthly
newspaper) onfundraisingandothernonprofitissues.
 Overthe years,my clientsincludedmanyimmigrantservingagencies;churchesandreligious
organizations,135 different agencies,commissionsandboards,artsorganizations.
ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT
The SupportNetworkforBatteredWomen3/95 – 8/97
Executive DirectorMountainView,CA
AmericanRedCross,SantaClara ValleyChapter10/93 – 2/95
Director,Financial DevelopmentSanJose,CA
March of DimesBirthDefectsFoundation4/91 to 10/93
AreaDirector,WestRegionSanJose,CA
OklahomaAllianceAgainstDrugs10/87 to 4/91
Co-founderandExecutiveDirectorOklahomaCity,OK
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Universityof Toledo,Toledo,Ohio
PursuingLiberal StudieswithemphasisinPublicRelations4.0GPA
Institute forNonprofitConsultants,BoardSource,Washington,DC,2005 Certificate,NonprofitConsulting
Numerouscoursesinfundraising,Excel,PowerPoint, Salesforce,leadership,financial management,budgeting
COMMUNITYLEADERSHIP and various accomplishments
*FormerMember,Associationof FundRaisingProfessionals,Oklahoma, SanJose andSanFrancisco; servedas
a mentorto newerfundraising professionals
*FormerBoard Memberand formersecretaryof the OaklandRotary Endowment
* Member,DowntownOakland RotaryClub,retired
* Chair,Women’sHealthConference,The HealthTrust,SanJose
* Nominee forAFP OutstandingVolunteerFundRaiser2005; nominated byThe HealthTrust,San Jose
* Chair,The HousingAuthorityof the Countyof Santa Clara,nine years
* Chair,AgencyReview Committee,UnitedWayof SiliconValleyandoncommittee forthree years
* Appointedmember,SantaClaraCountySocial ServicesCommissionforthree years.
* Appointedmember,SantaClaraCountyDomesticViolence Council
* Volunteerof the Year,OklahomaWomeninLaw Enforcement
* Special Awardfromthe FBIas OutstandingDrugPreventionvolunteerinOklahoma,one of 50 nationally
* Graduate of andleadershippositionswithLeadershipOklahomaCity,LeadershipOklahomaandCommunity
LeadershipSanJose; wasvery active onthe Board of Directorsof San Jose LeadershipCouncil ,Leadership
MountainView.
*Past memberof variousRotaryClubsandleadershiproles,includingRotaryClubof OklahomaCity,SanJose,
San Antonio,SanFrancisco andOakland;electedfirstwomanonBoardof Directors,OklahomaCity,and
receivedthatclub’sFirstRotarianof the Year Award.

4. * Foundingboardmemberof EatingDisordersResource Center,SanJose; Gethsemane FilmProject,NewYork;
VirtualNation,aninternational AfghangrouplocatedinSanJose.
**The Fine Artof Schmoozing isa curriculum thatI developed thatcan be taught either in a day-long session,
three to fourhours,two hoursor onehour. Workshop motivates peopleto feelcomfortablein entering a room
withoutknowing anyoneand beginning to develop relationships,much morethan justa businesscard
exchange.