Our Mission
We focus on meaningful, sustainable change, ensuring your organization thrives long after our partnership.
Our Philosophy
Every nonprofit’s journey is unique, and so is our approach. We meet you where you are, working side by side to create custom solutions that move your mission forward.
Client Partners from Previous Consulting
PRESIDENT & CEO
Meet Courtney Forkum
Courtney brings 14 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including the past six years as a consultant, partnering with organizations and leaders to unlock their full potential and drive lasting change in their communities. Her deep commitment to empowering nonprofits is the force behind her work every day.
From building dynamic teams to crafting winning fundraising strategies, Courtney is your go-to for practical solutions that drive real results. She’s here to roll up her sleeves, dig into the heart of your challenges, and help you take your impact to the next level.
Meet Our Team
We’re a small but mighty team of professionals who roll up our sleeves and work alongside you in the nonprofit trenches. With diverse backgrounds and a shared passion for generosity, we bring strategic insight, real-world fundraising experience, and a deep respect for the work you do.
Emma Michel
SENIOR CONSULTANT
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As a seasoned development operations specialist and fundraising consultant, Emma brings a holistic approach to nonprofit growth, merging operational efficiency with strategic insight. Her background spans portfolio management, SOP development, and the creation of tailored fundraising strategies that drive sustainable results.
She supports organizations through moves management coaching, the development and optimization of fundraising operations, and the integration of scalable fundraising systems. With deep expertise in prospect research, Emma delivers actionable intelligence that powers meaningful engagement and maximizes philanthropic potential.
Her focus is always on equipping teams with the structure, tools, and insights needed to build strong donor pipelines and exceed fundraising goals.
Courtney Gray
EXECUTIVE ASSISANT
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Courtney brings 18 years of nonprofit experience, serving the sector in Kansas City since 2008 with a strong foundation in fundraising support, event coordination, and organizational operations.
Throughout her career, Courtney has supported mission-driven teams in achieving ambitious goals, including coordinating fundraising and recruitment efforts for large-scale community events. Her attention to detail, intentional communication style, and ability to anticipate needs make her an invaluable operational partner.
At The Philanthropy Place, Courtney ensures calendars are aligned, projects move forward efficiently, and client deliverables stay on track. She brings both structure and warmth to her role.
Trusted Partners
We believe that no one consulting firm can (or should) do it all. That’s why we proudly collaborate with and recommend a network of trusted professionals who specialize in areas that complement our core services.
From strategic planning and development operations to grant writing and event execution, these experts share our values, high standards, and deep commitment to helping nonprofits grow with intention. When your organization needs support beyond our scope, we’re happy to connect you with the right people to keep the momentum going.
Aarti abrol
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Aarti holds a degree in Accountancy from Walsh College, Troy MI and she has passed all sections of the CPA exam. Aarti is a QuickBooks certified Online ProAdvisor and payroll specialist. She has gained valuable experience in supervising accounting activities and understanding of Journal entries, General Ledger, and Financial Statements. Aarti is here to help business owners relinquish the role as the accountant to focus their efforts on growing and managing the day to day needs of their business.
Kelly Braunegg
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Kelly Braunegg has spent the past two decades working with nonprofits to establish their development operations and create a foundation for their fundraising program to holistically grow. Whether it’s optimizing a donor database, streamlining financial reconciliation, conducting CRM trainings or developing SOPs, development operations is the bedrock by which an organization can build upon to achieve their goals. With a solid starting point, clean data, communicative systems & teams, and some technical savvy, nonprofits are set up for success.
Kelly is an expert at creating structure, building relationships between teams, organizing, and untangling messes. She has led many partnerships with organizations such as: National Book Foundation, NYC Anti-Violence Project, Kidango, Environmental Action Committee, Braden’s Hope, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Pacific Institute, and RestoreOKC. She works with Development Operations leaders at organizations to coach and elevate their teams, as well as directly with staff to hone their skills and create the comfort needed to effectively leverage their databases to drive their fundraising.
Kelly led the creation of the Development Operations program at Water.org, creating stability and operational structure for the organization to grow from $16 to $38 million. She was the interim Director of Development Operations at Feeding South Florida in 2021, and during that time she built out their DevOps team during a time when staff were struggling to keep up with the outpouring of immense donor support during COVID. Kelly has served as the lead of many database implementations and optimizations for organizations across country.
Kelly has lived all over the United States and has settled in Kansas City, Missouri with her partner and their two dogs. She loves volunteering at the local adoption agency, walking her dog across the city exploring the neighborhoods, and hosting interactive dinner parties (let’s make fresh ravioli together!)
Dell Duncan
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As a Business Performance Advisor at Insperity, Dell specializes in helping small to mid-sized businesses optimize operations, enhance employee engagement, and drive sustainable growth. With a strategic focus on HR and business solutions, he partners with executives and business owners to identify performance gaps and align people strategies with organizational goals.
Leveraging Insperity’s comprehensive suite of services—including human capital management, payroll, benefits, risk mitigation, and compliance—Dell works closely with clients to streamline operations, reduce administrative burdens, and empower leadership teams to focus on what matters most: growing their business.
More than just delivering on-paper results, Dell is committed to building lasting partnerships rooted in trust, measurable outcomes, and a shared vision for success. Whether supporting a rapidly scaling company or strengthening internal culture, he brings actionable insights and resources that create meaningful impact.
nicole jacobs silvey
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Nicole Jacobs-Silvey is a community-minded connector who strives to empower others to live their best lives. With 20+ years in the not-for-profit sector, she is both mission-driven and passionate about Kansas City, the community she calls home.
Nicole is the Co-Founder of the Sisters’ Circle GKC, a giving circle for African American women, and the Rise Tribe, a group of African American women who host a podcast (Life in the Middle) addressing the unique complexities of life for women of color. She also recently launched Connection Coach KC where she serves as the CCO—Chief Connection Officer. As a connection coach, Nicole connects people to their purpose and passion so they can reach their full potential.
Prior to launching Connection Coach KC, Nicole was the Associate Director of External Relations at UMKC where she staffed the 72 member Board of Trustees. She previously worked for Kauffman Scholars for seven years; first as a Leadership Development Coach for the high school students and then as a member of the leadership team as an Associate Director.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rockhurst University and also earned her Not-for-Profit Fundraising Certificate from the UMKC Bloch School of Management.
Nicole has been named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in KC, Woman to Watch by the Central Exchange, is a member of the 2018 Class of Rising Stars (The Independent Magazine) and has also been named the 2018 Emerging Volunteer by NonProfit Connect. She has served on several boards including: YWCA, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Heartland Women’s Leadership Council and HappyBottoms. She is currently on the board of directors for University Academy Charter School and chaired the 2018 gala: Blue Ribbon/Red Carpet.
Nicole has a variety of interests but is most passionate about empowering women, access to quality education and diversity and inclusion.
Julie Klima
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With more than two decades of experience working at the intersection of customer experience, marketing, and technology, Julie is a versatile, mission-driven leader, passionate about people and process management who excels at mentoring lean, high-performing teams and building cross-functional relationships. She thrives using her breadth of nonprofit and private sector experience to add value to the community and love learning with and from other strong female leaders.
Core Competencies
• Altitude shifting, combining systems thinking and tactical management to translate business strategy into operational excellence
• Agility, adaptability, and identifying creative and resourceful solutions to complex problems
• Building and maintaining a strong performance-focused culture
• Budgeting, planning, and financial oversight
• Board, donor, partner, and vendor relationships
• Non-profit management and board leadership
Katie Lord
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Katie is passionate about creating transformational donor experiences and inspiring authentic relationships between donors and nonprofits. Her mission is simple: She wants to help nonprofits become the “Disney of donor experience” by moving beyond transactions to create meaningful, purpose-driven partnerships.
Currently, Katie is helping Big Brothers Big Sisters innovate how they engage donors and volunteers. One of her proudest achievements is launching the EmpowHER Women’s Giving Circle, a first-of-its-kind donor affinity group that empowers women to unite their giving for greater impact. She is also leading efforts to create magical donor moments that build trust, joy, and authentic partnerships.
Katie’s experience spans over a decade of nonprofit leadership, highlighted by the growth and development of industry-changing initiatives. While at Make-A-Wish, she led the Walk for Wishes to become the third largest fundraising walk for Make- A-Wish in the country, earning national recognition for growth. Katie has worked with many nonprofits as a consultant and helped them achieve their goals raising millions for new mission driven spaces through the creation of meaningful donor gift experiences that create impact. She has also spoken at industry conferences, guested on nonprofit-focused podcasts, and is proud to serve as a Kansas City Business Journal Mentoring Monday Mentor.
Here’s what Katie brings to the table:Donor Experience Design – From flower deliveries for single moms to thoughtful donor touchpoints, I craft transformational donor moments that inspire joy and generosity.
Donor Affinity Groups – I love bringing women together to harness the power of collective giving.
Fundraising Strategy & Growth – From capital campaigns to signature events, I’ve helped grow nonprofit revenue through intentional donor experience strategy.
Beyond her career, Katie is a mom to a 7-year-old Disney enthusiast, a certified scuba diver, and a lover of all things Italy, France, and Latin America. When she is not creating donor experiences, you’ll find her cooking, reading (50+ books a year!), and sharing conversations over coffee or wine.
MARY MOONEY BURNS
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Mary Mooney Burns is a mission-driven leader and consultant with over 30 years of cross-sector experience in the nonprofit field. As the CEO and Founder of OnBoard KC, she leads efforts to connect engaged volunteers with purpose-driven nonprofit boards and offers strategic board consulting services that enhance board diversity, engagement, and effectiveness. Through her consulting company, MMB Connect, Mary also works closely with nonprofits to elevate their philanthropic impact by implementing a tailored donor-investor approach.
Before founding her own ventures, Mary served as Vice President of Advancement at Rockhurst University. Over her ten-year tenure, she led transformative initiatives, strengthened alumni and stakeholder relations, and successfully raised over $100 million to further the university's mission. Her extensive experience also includes leadership roles with the YMCA of Greater Kansas City, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Park Hill School District.
Mary holds a BS in Communications and Nonprofit Leadership, as well as an Executive MBA certification in Advancement Leadership from Rockhurst University. She is a Certified Nonprofit Professional through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and a BoardSource-certified consultant. Mary and her husband Brian have three adult daughters and live in Kansas City, MO.
Learn more at mmbconnect.net and onboardkc.org.
Chris Stibbs
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Like many kids, Chris grew up wanting to change the world. From a young age, he learned about the power of advocacy and impact, which led him to a career in the philanthropic community. From the moment Chris entered the sector, he knew that he had found his home. In his current role as the Vice President of Development for Newhouse Shelter, the oldest domestic violence agency in Kansas City, he brings passion, energy, and creativity to his work, using the power of storytelling to connect donors, volunteers, and community members to the mission of Newhouse.
Chris centers his work around his favorite Maya Angelou's quote: "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” And even though he may not end up changing the world, Chris knows that he has a role to play in making it a better place for all people. In the words of Elsie de Wolfe, “I am going to make everything around me beautiful - that will be my life.”
ERIN WALDRON
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Erin Waldron is the founder of Data Dozen, an analytics firm in Kansas City that specializes in data visualization and data communication. Erin's goal is to help her clients connect the right people with the right data, whether that's through a data dashboard, a presentation, or the perfect chart. Erin leads professional development training for teams looking to amplify their data communication skills or to learn Tableau. She also provides project consulting, helping organizations elevate their next data project so that the results are truly understood by their stakeholders.
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