Elizabeth K. Ahrens
Nonprofit executive professional with over 30 years experience in leadership and development.
5200 West Lake Road ekahrenshs@gmail.com
Harbor Springs, Michigan 49740 231-881-7685
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
Organizational Leadership
Strategic planning for non-profit organizations including crafting of vision statements, providing assessments, designing surveys, and inclusive goal setting.
Collaborations with over forty community organizations throughout Michigan including arts organizations, municipalities, libraries, visitors bureaus, school districts, chambers of commerce, recreational facilities and universities.
Program creation, implementation and evaluation for arts organizations, leadership programs and chambers of commerce.
Expert in relationship models for interfacing with board of directors, donors, volunteers and committee members. Recruitment of board members for various organizations. Created matrix for board development and criteria. Developed board orientation and training materials. Evaluation of board procedures and policies.
Development/Fundraising
Cultivation and solicitation of donors including corporate, foundation and individual. Developed effective strategies for identifying prospects and stewardship of donors. Responsible for preparing custom proposals and presentations to seek corporate, private and foundation support.
Orchestrated annual campaigns, endowment fund drives, capital campaign, and special funds augmenting programming. Secured six figure gifts annually. Responsible for all communication to portfolio of donors and prospects.
Membership enhancement including donor research, data management, publications, and special events. Created and implemented special categories for membership. Guided matching membership campaign with major national foundation with an average 29% increase each year over three years.
Guided organization to reflect a culture of philanthropy for staff and board members.
Operational Management Experience
Business management expertise including budgeting, finance, purchasing, policies, systems development, visioning, long range planning, risk management, meeting facilitation, business development and organizational team building.
Supervision of staff and teaching faculty including recruitment, benefit analysis, employee evaluations, policy and procedures.
Led the acquisition of an arts organization in a larger market working with a variety of constituents.
Marketing/Public Relations
Developed and implemented annual marketing plans and budgets. Created, supervised and executed all advertising and publicity instruments and production of promotional materials. Website development, administration, e-commerce, e-marketing and research.
Organized special events including development of project, financial goals, sponsorship solicitation, donation procurement, publicity, facility preparation and script writing. Produced and hosted local access cable television program highlighting the arts.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
American Impressionist Society Harbor Springs, Michigan and Omaha, Nebraska
National nonprofit artist member organization
Executive Director January 2020-present
Crooked Tree Arts Center Petoskey and Traverse City, Michigan
Nonprofit community arts centers
President/Executive Director 2005-2020
Previous roles: Development Director (2004-2005), Marketing Director (2000-2004)
River Capital, Inc. Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Investment Banking, Mergers/Acquisitions
Business and Operations Manager 1994-1996
Portfolio 1040 Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Financial Services Firm
Partner/Business Development 1989-1994
EDUCATION
Indiana University School of Philanthropy Certificate in Fundraising 2007
Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies Leadership Academy Fellow 2006
Spring Arbor University Masters of Arts in Organizational Management 2003
University of London, Bedford College Special project with the Wallace Collection 1985
Michigan State University Bachelor of Arts Humanities 1980-1985
NOTABLE LEADERSHIP, MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
Harbor Springs Chamber Foundation Founding member and Secretary 2012-present
Rotary Club of Petoskey Board Member 2009-present. Club President 2019-2020
Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs 2011-2017. Executive Committee 2013-2017
City of Petoskey Downtown Management Board 2009-2014
ArtServe Michigan Board of Directors 2008-2014
Michigan State University Alumni Board College of Arts and Letters 2008-2014
Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce Board Chair 2012. Board of Directors 2009-2013
Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce Board Chair 2007. Board of Directors 2003-2008
Leadership Little Traverse Steering Committee and Mentor 2005-2012
Delta Delta Delta Chapter President, Michigan State 1984
SELECTED SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING
Arts Midwest, Baiardi Foundation, Bay Harbor Foundation, Barker Welfare Foundation, Charlevoix County Community Foundation, Cummings Foundation, DTE Energy Foundation, Emmet County Revenue Sharing, Frey Foundation, Great Lakes Energy Fund, Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, Kakatu Foundation, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, Michigan Humanities Council, Offield Foundation, Oleson Foundation, Petoskey Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, Rotary Charities of Traverse City, Rotary Club of Petoskey, and Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS, PANELS AND AWARDS
Featured Speaker: Petoskey Chamber of Commerce State of the Community Luncheon, Council of Michigan Foundations, Michigan Historic Preservation Conference, Michigan Downtown Conference, Connecting Women in Business, Grand Rapids Art Museum Living Artfully Donor Recognition Dinner, and Governor’s Panel for Arts Awards. Juror: Visions of Mackinac/Mackinac State Historic Parks, Michigan Professional Photographers, Petoskey Art in the Park, Portside Arts Fair.
Recipient of the Athena Leadership Award 2014
REFERENCES
Georgia A. Abbott, MBA Abbott & Associates, LLC
989-859-2816 abbottg80@gmail.com
Leslie Donaldson Assistant Teaching Professor Carnegie Mellon University
412-268-4213 Leslied@andrew.cmu.edu
David Jones Executive Director Petoskey Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation
231-348-5820 djones@phsacf.org
Features/Press
Crooked Tree Arts Center Fall/Winter 2019-2020 Newsletter
Tri Delta Heritage Society Spotlight, April 2018