Sarah Fischler, MPA

Consultant, Workshop Facilitator, and Always Happy to Travel

E-mail Sarah   |   303.243.4783  |   Download Sarah’s profile in PDF

Sarah Fischler, MPA is a Principal Consultant for Mission Spark.  For more than 11 years, Sarah has worked with nonprofit and mission-driven organizations in a variety of roles including multiple senior staff positions, and as a grantmaker, board member, consultant, and volunteer.  Sarah’s consulting practice is focused on partnering with organizations to improve their effectiveness and increase mission impact through practical, realistic solutions that encourage innovation and adaptability.

While Sarah is a generalist and can consult in nearly all areas of nonprofit management and leadership, she focuses her work in these areas:

  • Board development
  • Enhancing organizational effectiveness, sustainability, and adaptability
  • Assessment and evaluation
  • Organizational planning and strategy
  • Fund development planning and strategy
  • Working with rural organizations
  • Leadership development

Key Services:

  • Customized consulting and technical assistance
  • Workshop facilitation and custom training
  • Research, analysis, and writing

Sarah has worked on nearly 100 consulting projects and facilitated more than 50 trainings across Colorado.

 

Professional Experience

Most recently, Sarah served in a variety of leadership positions with the Community Resource Center (CRC), a statewide capacity building services provider based in Denver, Colorado.  During her time with CRC, Sarah served as Director of Consulting and as Interim Co-Director.  As Interim Co-Director for nearly a year, Sarah co-led a complete organizational restructure, partnering with her colleagues to enhance CRC’s long-term sustainability.  Before coming to CRC, Sarah served as the Director of Grantmaking and Mission Initiatives for the Denver Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure where she oversaw the distribution of nearly $10 million in funding. During her time with Komen, Sarah led the development of a nationally recognized, best practices grant making model that was implemented in other Komen Affiliates across the country. Sarah’s also directed the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Alumni Associations, worked as a fundraiser for the Seniors’ Resource Center, and is a contract program officer for The Denver Foundation and the Anschutz Family Foundation.

Sarah co-chaired the Colorado Common Grant Application Revision Drafting Committee, chaired the Colorado Common Grant Application Revision Drafting Committee, and is the immediate past Board President for the Denver Young Nonprofit Professionals Network.  Sarah also initiated and served as the co-director of the Weathering the Storm project, a collaborative effort between CRC and the Colorado Nonprofit Association that included two statewide surveys, two comprehensive reports, and more than 30 trainings across Colorado to promote nonprofit sustainability and effectiveness.  The project received national news coverage from Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

 

Educational Background

Sarah received a bachelor of arts in history (summa cum laude), a bachelor of science in business administration (cum laude), and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado.  Sarah was the recipient of the Outstanding Student Award for her graduate thesis, A Capacity Building Needs Assessment for Colorado’s Nonprofits.

 

What Sarah’s Clients Have To Say

I want thank the Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships for awarding us a Nonprofit Capacity Building Program grant. We utilized the grant to examine and strengthen our program evaluation. Our consultant, Sarah Fischler, was extremely helpful and easy to work with. I am so pleased with the final product and we are anxious to begin implementing our new practices.
Executive Director Denver-area human services organization
“I owe you a HUGE thank you. As you know, my proposal for a promotion was met with appreciation and compliments, and they have agreed to change my title and give me a promotion. This opportunity is thanks to you… I could not have gotten the courage or organization to ask for it myself.  Having your support and advice was so helpful.”
Isabel Career Coaching Client
Thank you so much for coming to the board meeting last evening and doing the training on fundraising! I got several very positive comments even after you left. I think that people felt more empowered about the subject, not quite so nervous about it, and ready to be more engaged. I appreciate all that you have brought to this process!
Executive Director Denver-area human services organization
I have been meaning to tell you what a masterful job you did preparing your report for the transition options for (organization)! Not only are you a superb writer, you managed to acquire and convey a comprehensive and accurate grasp of our history, mission, services, staff, strengths, challenges, and viable long-term options.

We are deeply grateful to you for taking the time and expending the effort to fully appreciate our unique contributions to the community and the realities of our future challenges. I personally feel empowered and energized by your strong recommendation that we could become a sustainable non-profit organization, given the right leadership, appropriate re-structuring, and a new business model.

Thank you for the delightful privilege of being the recipient of your expertise, professionalism, discernment, and genuine concern. You are a class act, Sarah!

Organization founder and medical director Healthcare organization, organizational assessment and business plan proposal funded through The Colorado Health Foundation

Selected Clients and Projects*

Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver (executive director 360 review)

Colorado Youth At Risk (executive director 360 review and succession planning)

Tu Casa of the San Luis Valley (program evaluation and staffing structure assessment)

Work Options for Women (program evaluation)

Child Advocates – Denver CASA (fund development plan and program evaluation plan)

The Summit Foundation (two-day board training for grantees)

Colorado Nonprofit Association (capacity building for nine organizations across Colorado)

Community Connections, Inc of Durango (strategic plan development)

The Denver Foundation (research and analysis for the Inclusiveness Project, contract program officer for the Community Grants Program)

 

Beyond the Bio

Things I love about consulting: meeting incredibly passionate and caring people every day, the variety, and helping organizations achieve results and experience breakthroughs.

Rural and urban: I do about 40 percent of my consulting and workshops outside of the Denver area.  I love every corner of rural Colorado and working with organizations across the state is one of the best things about this line of work.

Favorite pursuit: landscape and nature photography with a focus on the American West.

Favorite places: any wild and natural place, with Death Valley National Park probably topping my list and the high basins of the San Juan Mountains coming in a close second.

Hometown: Lakewood, Colorado (5th generation Coloradan).

Surprising obsession: political talk radio.

Something I will do one of these days: Take a long break and travel around the world or North America for an extended period of time.

If I had a lot of land: I would have a large, stand-alone photography studio and personal gallery.  I would also have a lot of cats (or at least one more than I have now, for a total of three).

 

*Some listed consulting projects were completed through the Community Resource Center.