Kelleen Zubick, MFA

Consulting, Training, and Facilitation

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Kelleen Zubick, MFA is a Principal Consultant for Mission Spark.  For over 18 years, Kelleen has worked in senior positions at nonprofits and state agencies.  In her capacities as executive director, associate director, program director, and volunteer board member, Kelleen developed a track record of success in planning and management, resource development, developing and evaluating programming, and in building partnerships and coalitions.  Her approach is collaborative and practical, with an emphasis on helping her clients accomplish tangible results.

As a consultant and adept workshop presenter and facilitator, Kelleen has enjoyed working with nearly 200 nonprofit or philanthropic organizations in Colorado.  She believes that organizations in the social sector are unique and uniquely adaptable to community need and conditions.

Key Services

While Kelleen has experience in all facets of management, she typically focuses her work in the following areas:

  • Organizational assessment and strategic planning
  • Executive transitions and leadership development
  • Program evaluation
  • Fund development strategy and planning
  • Individual donor strategies
  • Capital campaign feasibility studies

Professional Experience

Attracted by social causes, Kelleen got her start in the sector as a tele-fundraiser for the Sierra Club. Most recently, Kelleen has been enjoying providing technical assistance to groups as a principal consultant at Outcome Solutions.  Before working as an independent consultant, Kelleen served in a variety of leadership positions with the Community Resource Center (CRC), a statewide capacity building services provider, where she served as Consultant /Trainer, Director of Consulting, and as Interim Co-Director.  Before CRC, Kelleen was Executive Director of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, Associate Director of the Colorado Council on the Arts (now Colorado Creative Industries), Associate Director of the Academy of American Poets (NY), Program Coordinator of the Folger Institute at the Folger Shakespeare Library (DC), and  Executive Director of Writers Conferences and Centers now at the Associated Writing Programs (VA).

Educational Background

Kelleen received a bachelor of arts in English (magna cum laude), from Tufts University and a master’s of fine arts from Arizona State University.  She compliments her experience  in the social sector with certificates of training in nonprofit governance from BoardSource, and in resource development  from The Grantsmanship Center. She is a graduate of Leadership Arts and 50 for Colorado leadership development programs.  She continually learns from the work she does with clients.

 

What Kelleen’s Clients Have To Say

“You did a wonderful job of keeping us on track, focused and productive during our board retreat. Your guidance will help us make the right decisions as we grow and change.”
Member, Board of Directors international human services 0rganization
“Thanks so much for taking the time to help guide our chapters in the fund raising and grantwriting arena. We received some superlative reviews of your presentations.”
Executive Director national human services organization
“I am sending you roses when this project is over! You are the greatest asset we’ve gotten through the Colorado Compassion Grant process!”
Executive Director Colorado Compassion Project grantee
“You have been so incredibly helpful and I am so glad that I had the chance to work with you over the last year! I am excited to start putting all of this into place. Thank you again and again for lending us your expertise to help us head in the right direction.”
Executive Director statewide environmental organization
“You will be glad to know that everything is coming to fruition. With your help 12 organizations successfully came together to form a new collaborative alliance. It’s really happening and Kelleen, you made it all happen!”
Executive Director arts and cultural organization

 

Selected Clients and Projects*

The Bright Mountain Foundation (technical assistance for the Colorado Compassion Project grantees)

Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (executive leadership development)

Colorado Creative Industries (Poetry Out Loud project in high schools statewide)

Disabled Sports USA  (grant writing and donor solicitation workshops)

ELK - Environmental Learning for Kids  (capital campaign feasibility study)

The Family Center/La Familia (multi-phase strategic planning)

Urban Peak (program evaluation)

Women 2 Women (strategic planning and resource development planning)

Western States Arts Federation (a review of multicultural programming in state and city arts agencies )

*Some listed consulting projects were completed as a contractor for the Community Resource Center.

 

Beyond the Bio

Things I love about consulting: This profession embodies the saying, “you can never step in the same river twice.”  Engaging in absorbing shared work with passionate people in service of community feels like thunderbolt luck, not work.

Rural and urban: I’m a terrible driver but work all over the state because there are so many great communities, organizations and amazing places in Colorado.

Favorite pursuit: Writing poetry and spending time with my family.

Favorite places:  The Clarence River in New South Wales, Sullivan, New Hampshire, and in Colorado I’m smitten by Cathedral Lake and the town of Swink.

Hometown: Can the whole State be a home town? How about a mythical setting? I’ve lived on five continents and believe in making a home wherever you are.

Surprising obsession: Experiencing extended creative time in communities of other artists. I’ve been an artist in residence at the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (MN) and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts (NE) and am on the lookout for additional opportunities.

Something I will do one of these days: I can’t wait to find out.

If I had a lot of land: I’d plant an arboretum, raise a cornucopia of vegetables and tend bee hives.