CCF Global Council

Abigail Oduol CFRE (she/her) is a Planned Gifts practitioner. She has a Master’s in Transformational Urban Leadership. Part of Abigail’s college experience included a year and a half at St. Paul’s University in Kenya.

Abigail’s favorite nonprofit experiences were attending a humanitarian mission in Ecuador as a teen, and fundraising with Akiba Mashinani Trust on land rights and advocacy for urban slums.

Abigail has led a variety of initiatives promoting staff retention among BIPOC employees and parents. Abigail lives on Tongva land with her family and escapes to Kenya whenever possible.

Carol Ng’ang’a is a community development practitioner. She has a Bth in Community Development from Cornerstone Institute in Cape Town. She has spent the last 12 years walking alongside various communities towards interventions for their empowerment. In July 2017, she founded Msingi Trust whose aim is to ‘Mobilize, Inspire, Equip and Network Christians and community leaders towards Social Justice, Social Activism and Social Transformation’ Carol is an ardent believer of justice, equality and empowerment for all and has special interest in working with faith leaders and grassroots human rights defenders, bridging the gaps, making connections between these two worlds, to create conversation content and connections to help in the fight against injustice within their community contexts.

Follow her work on Facebook @Msingi Trust on Instagram @MsingiTrust and on Twitter @msingitrust. Listen to Msingi’s podcast “Msingi Talks” on all major podcast streaming channels.

Dāna James is a key member of Berklee’s Alumni Affairs team and serves as the Community Architect for Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF), where she empowers individuals to build inclusive, intersectional spaces of belonging. Recognized for her expertise in workflow design, power dynamics, and grassroots engagement, Dāna is a sought-after speaker and currently a 2024 Feedback Champion with Feedback Labs.

With a background in project management, Dāna has a strong track record in designing community-based programs from workforce development to emergency management. Her knack for blending technology solutions with team culture has made her a go-to resource, and her analytics and engagement insights are widely respected. As the founder of the Transformative Culture Coalition, she has created spaces to recognize and unlearn white supremacy culture in everyday practices—encouraging ongoing, transformative learning that builds more supportive work environments.

A champion of worker well-being, Dāna has designed and operationalized numerous leadership development programs, enhancing workforce satisfaction and success. Whether she’s orchestrating large-scale community events or co-creating learning workshops, her belief in community and investment in worker success shine through in every project.

A proud data nerd and classic music-theater kid, Dāna is an unapologetic voice celebrating the bittersweet symphony that is the human experience, championing those on their path to empowerment and self-expression. Blending antiracism principles with the arts and storytelling, she helps creative professionals overcome the constraints of mainstream U.S. culture and speak with their full voice. As Dāna says, “You make sense. You are enough. Be seen.”

Erika Murcia is a two-spirit poet, writer, acompañante, and creative consultant across the borderlands. Murcia was raised in the mountains of Chalatenango, El Salvador. Murcia is co-creator of Sanadora Práctica Creativa an indigenous Acompañamiento & Praxis.

Esther Saehyun Lee, MA, (she/her) is a Community-Centric fundraiser and Consultant at Elevate Philanthropy Consulting. She is a fundraiser, storyteller, and advocate who works to mobilize resources to communities. In her work and volunteer positions, she challenges and dismantles systems of power in the nonprofit sector to ground its practices towards equity and justice. She’s helped many nonprofits increase their revenue, implement fundraising processes and structures in a CCF lens, and has demonstrated increase in both revenue and donor base.

She is dedicated to advancing the mission of justice in the nonprofit sector and does so in her roles as a Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) Global Council member and Interim Board Member of Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Toronto Chapter. She is a movement builder dedicated to making space for people of colour within the nonprofit sector. In addition to these titles, she is an amateur banjo player and cat mom. If you’d like to chat about equity in nonprofit, grab a virtual coffee, or just exchange memes, find her on LinkedIn.

Jenny Brandt (she/her) is the Fundraising Lead with the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative. She has experience working as a fundraiser in the United States and in Mexico. She is really interested in building movements where people in community with nature are the beneficiaries. 

She has worked on programs to build awareness of financial tools, healthcare access, immigration rights, protection of public lands, biodiversity, sustainable community development and sees all of this work in opposition to systems of oppression. She is excited to join the Global Council to be part of rethinking how fundraising can be done in today’s world.

Kelly Phipps is a doting auntie, dog mom, and book-lover who also serves as the fundraising and communications director at a criminal justice organization focused on ending the harms of incarceration to women.

Kelly has spent over a decade in nonprofit fundraising and communications (with specific experience in annual giving, grants, events, and campaigns) and is excited to amplify community-centric approaches and celebrate what’s possible through the CCF community.

Ken Jones is a seasoned nonprofit fundraising and campaign strategy consultant. He was raised on the West Side of Detroit by his grandmother and graduated valedictorian from his neighborhood high school. He matriculated to the University of Chicago and completed his undergraduate studies in Economics in 2006. While at Chicago, Ken was heavily involved with campus politics and served as the president of the Organization of Black Students in 2005.

In his short career, Ken has raised over $20 million dollars for education, foster youth, the Catholic church, hunger, and wishes for kids with critical illnesses. Ken is the co-founder of the fundraising campaign software firm, Above Goal which powers the work of fundraising consultants.

In January 2019, Ken was featured in Advancing Philanthropy, the magazine published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where he interviewed Steve MacLaughlin of Blackbaud and Ross Hendrickson of Bloomerang and offered his own advice on how nonprofits can build a data-driven fundraising culture.

Lidia is Maya-Kaqchikel, Guatemala National Director, World Connect, Inc. An organization supporting and promoting locally-led development and prioritizing initiatives that empower women and girls. Former Co-Executive Director of MAIA, the only organization in Guatemala designed and led by indigenous women serving Maya communities.

She has designed and implemented culturally attuned, high-impact projects focusing on the education and support of girls, fundraising and developing strategic partnerships. She is a member of the OYW Indigenous Council, Global Council of Community Centric Fundraising (CCF), the Board of Directors of the Maya Economic Development Corporation, Women’s Justice Initiative and president of Mujeres Liderando Guatemala. She is a fellow of the Vital Voices Engage Program, Gratitude Network, and Global Governance Forum.

Lidia is passionate about education, sustainable development, indigenous rights, and gender equality. Lidia’s advocacy efforts have been highlighted by the Honnold Foundation and Guatemala.com. Lidia’s national and international experience and fluency in four languages: Kaqchikel, Spanish, English and Chinese, and Mandarin allow her to build strategic partnerships to reduce inequality and proactively advocate for Maya communities.

Meena Haque is an activist, organizer, and fundraiser with over 10 years of experience in fundraising and 15 years in organizing for domestic and international campaigns. Passionate about wealth redistribution and movement building, she uses storytelling and relationship-building to inspire donors and raise funds for communities.

Meena previously served as the Individual Giving Manager at UltraViolet, a national gender justice organization, and as the Development Director at the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice. At the Workers’ Center, her fundraising efforts supported a COVID-19 relief fund for undocumented workers, amplified awareness of labor trafficking in crawfish processing plants, and helped sanitation workers striking for fair pay and safer working conditions during the pandemic. Prior to that, she was the Development Manager at the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center, where she raised funds to combat housing discrimination and gentrification in New Orleans.

Meena’s extensive experience spans 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC fundraising, including major gifts, grant writing, corporate sponsorships, and special events. She blends grassroots organizing tactics with donor stewardship to build deep, sustainable relationships with donors, particularly those contributing major and leadership gifts. In her free time, Meena enjoys cooking, rollerskating, and exploring national parks across the United States.

Rachel D’Souza is the visionary founder of Gladiator Consulting, a transformative boutique firm empowering nonprofits nationwide from St. Louis, MO. Gladiator Consulting is driven by a mission to reshape and elevate the nonprofit sector toward greater equity, justice, and belonging. As a thought leader, Rachel has shared her insights in Blackbaud Institute’s npExperts publication The Great Reset, NeonOne’s Donors: Understanding the Future of Individual Giving report, and across impactful podcasts like What The Fundraising and The Ethical Rainmaker. Recently, Rachel earned her second Master’s degree from Washington University School of Law, equipping her with advanced change management and conflict resolution skills to lead systems change and drive equitable outcomes across the nonprofit and public sectors. Outside of her paid work, Rachel enjoys cooking, traveling and snuggling with her children, Cameron and Emelia.

Rickesh Lakhani believes that we are all responsible for each other’s success. He is the Founder of Radiance Advisory, supporting social impact organizations and leaders to align their actions with their values and build stronger cultures based on truth and trust.

He has nearly 20 years of experience in the social impact sector, including serving as the Executive Director at a community-based organizations serving children, and as the Development Director leading a large annual fundraising campaign. He has volunteered with numerous causes and boards.

He enjoys spending time with his family including his 3 children, camping, bike riding, cooking, and playing drums. He is a work in progress.

Sommer K. Dawson (Brock) is a dedicated servant leader with a passion for improving outcomes for disadvantaged groups. She has worked to fulfill this desire by serving in various fundraising capacities at several nonprofit organizations in southeast Michigan. Currently, Sommer serves as Executive Director at Accent Pontiac. A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Sommer holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Oakland University.

Sommer is the founder of No Nonsense Fundraising, LLC which helps to expand the reach and impact of small nonprofits. Sommer has presented fundraising workshops for countless nonprofit organizations and for groups as large as 50. Additionally, Sommer has presented for The Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Global Conference, AFP ICON in 2021 and 2022.

Sommer is a graduate of Leadership Oakland XXVII (27) and a member of Oakland County Elite 40 under 40 class of 2018. She enjoys spending time with her children, Jacoya, age 23 and Trent Jr., age 11; and traveling with her husband, Trent, Sr.