Who’s Who at the Institute?

Laura Cootsona (Website) the primary facilitator for the Institute. Cootsona began her work in the nonprofit as a small child following her parents’ example. While at UC Berkeley, she worked primarily with the homeless and then found her niche in fundraising consulting while completing her Masters program in Nonprofit Management at the University of San Francisco. During her consulting career she has worked with schools, social service agencies, religious outreach groups, and arts organizations. Cootsona has lived in the Bay Area, Princeton, Europe, and New York City and now resides in Chico with her husband and two daughters. Clients include: Youth for Change, Jesus Center, Valley Contractors Exchange, Baptist Joint Committee, and Butte County Habitat for Humanity. Laura can be reached at laura@lrcconsulting.com.

A recent attendee at one of Laura's classes had this to say."It was a pleasure to meet you on Friday at the Resource Development class. Thank you so much for allowing me to attend Laura Cootsona's class. The tips and lessons I learned that day in class are invaluable. Her enthusiasm is catching, and after taking the class I feel more confident that I, normally a shy person, can now better take part in helping to raise money for the Torres Shelter. Thanks again!"

Donald Ross Peterson is a training spcialist serving Northern California. He believes that emerging Internet software coupled with enhanced self-teaching tools, volunteers, staff, excutives and board members will increase fundraising and improve chartible work. He conducts the NLI class Bringing IT All Together; Internet Tech Solutions for Nonprofits,where new technologies and trends in nonprofit practice are revealed. Join him at his blog where he often divulges pearls of wisdom for free to the interested reader at Technology Training Solutions

Maureen Pierce moved to Chico from the San Francisco Bay Area in1973 to attend Chico State. In 1974 she served on the AssociatedStudents Board of Directors as the Director of Community Involvement.She graduated in 1976 with a Bachelors degree in Economics. Over thepast 30 years she has worked with several non-profit organizations inthe community including: the Feminist Women’s Health Center; Valley OakChildren’s Services, Parent Education Network, the Independent AdoptionCenter and was the founder of Adoption Choices of Northern California.Maureen joined the staff of the Boys & Girls Club of Chico in 1997as the Development Director and soon moved into the position she holdstoday as Executive Director. Maureen has led the organization through10 years of growth, taking the club from one site in Chico serving 25kids a day and an annual budget of $175,000 to seven sites throughoutChico, Paradise, Magalia and Oroville, over 700 youth and teens a dayand an annual budget of $2.2 million.

With a passion for nonprofits and the community, Ryann Cox hasspent the entirety of her professional career involved in both. As theformer Director of Development for Women’s Resource Clinic, Ryanndeveloped their very successful benefit dinner that drew nearly 900guests annually, as well as several other lucrative events. Ryann CoxEvents was brought to fruition when Ryann stepped down from her yearsin nonprofits to have her first child. “Although I thought I would havea bit of time off, the clients kept finding me,” she said. The businessserves private, corporate and individuals' needs, through either fullservice event planning or consulting services. Clients include TheJesus Center, Work Training Center, and North Valley CommunityFoundation. Ryann resides in Chico with her husband and two youngdaughters, Regan and Paige.