Karen G. Dudley – Vice President/Principal

Karen Dudley has more than 20 years’ experience in major and principal gift fundraising for such successful nonprofit organizations as the University of Miami, South Florida Annenberg Challenge, Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation, Holy Cross Hospital, Zoological Society of South Florida, and The Nature Conservancy.   Karen specializes in board development, strategic planning, capital campaigns, foundation and nonprofit start-ups, and donor identification and strategy.  Her early career experience was in the financial services industry in management roles for Fortune 500 corporations in executive positions at TRW, Citibank, and General Electric.

Karen brings her business experience to the nonprofit world in the development and implementation of philanthropic strategy for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and closing of major, lead, and planned gifts, as well as managing and facilitating the process of major foundation, corporate, and government grant submissions and administration programs.  Another area of expertise is the creation of mission and vision statements, foundation board structure and development, foundation grant structure including eligibility, review process, and award requirements from inception through evaluation.

Her accomplishments include:

• Successful conclusion of the private philanthropy portion ($33 million) of a $100 million campaign to reform public education in South Florida more than one year ahead of schedule.

• Identification, cultivation, solicitation, closing and stewardship of numerous multi-million dollar outright and planned gifts.

• Creation of a regional development program in several cities across the United States to identify and cultivate million dollar-plus prospects.

• Developed and implemented strategy to work with trustees, senior leadership, volunteers, deans, faculty, physicians, scientists and other researchers, for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major and lead gifts.

• Works closely with trustee boards to create and revitalize board criteria and guidelines, strengthen board recruitment and development, as well as fundraising training and participation.

• Revitalized flagging development and alumni programs for financially troubled schools in an academic setting.

• Recruited and directed alumni and community volunteers for fundraising projects.

• Complete P&L responsibility for large offices with two Fortune 100 companies.

• Presented board leadership and stewardship seminars for philanthropic boards and conferences, conducted training seminars, and developed training manuals for the financial services industry.

• B.S. in Business with a concentration in Economics, Kutztown University (Pennsylvania).

Karen is an active affiliate of the Center for Strategic Philanthropy & Civic Engagement and has been a board member and volunteer for several community organizations. She is a former Miss Congeniality in a local competition for the Miss America pageant.