Theresa Nelson
Theresa Nelson, Principal , MBA, CFRE, has more than 24 years of experience advising nonprofit organizations, corporations and public agencies. She consults with organizations in strategic planning, capital campaigns, fundraising and marketing, board and organization development, publications, and government and public relations.
Her consulting practice includes recent clients such as Earthjustice; The Athenian School; Summer Search; the Children's Health Initiative Consortium; the Tri-City Homeless Coalition; the International Museum of Women, San Mateo Meals on Wheels; The Tech Museum of Innovation; Clausen House; Pacific Forest Trust; Legal Community Against Violence; and Greenbelt Alliance.
Theresa was the Director of Development & Marketing and the $52 million capital campaign for the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, and Director of Membership & Marketing and Life Endowment (capital campaign) for the national office of the Sierra Club in San Francisco, in addition to other director of development positions. She is the co-founder and served as the first Executive Director of Humanities West, an interdisciplinary arts and humanities education program.
In addition to presenting workshops and guest lectures for numerous professional organizations and universities, Theresa has served as an adjunct professor in the University of San Francisco's Institute for Nonprofit and Organization Management, and has taught nonprofit management at U.C. Berkeley's Haas School of Business. She holds an M.B.A. from Golden Gate University and a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in Marketing.
Theresa serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Children's Fairyland in Oakland, and on the Advisory Council of Humanities West. She is a past chair and Board Member of the Rockridge Community Planning Council, and chaired the recent $2.5 million campaign for a new community park, the Rockridge Greenbelt along Temescal Creek. She recently completed 10 years as a Commissioner on the City of Oakland's Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission, and served as Vice-President for Membership of the Board of the Golden Gate Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (formerly NSFRE). She is a graduate of the Leadership Oakland program.
Theresa is a registered fundraising counsel with the State of California, and a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).